Nowadays there is increasing emphasis on the delicacy and sensitivity of babies' skin and this can cause parents to worry about the best products to use and how best to care for their baby clothes. Should they use a special detergent? Do they have to wash all the baby items separately from the rest of the family laundry?
Apart from a minority of families, the extra strain on the family budget of preparing for and bringing up a baby is significant. So any opportunity to eliminate increased costs such as special baby detergent is helpful. After all, raising a baby is expensive enough - not only is there the initial purchase of baby clothes and bedding, diapers, a crib, a stroller and other equipment, but the ongoing costs of medical expenses, food and everything else is material.
There are lots of detergents on the market that claim to be specifically for baby clothes but often they are little different than regular detergents. Although you need to be aware that some detergents may cause irritation to a baby's skin the same can actually be true for adults. Generally if you use a gentle detergent without added perfume or colors you should find that these are suitable and can be used for the family laundry as well.
One point to bear in mind is that manufacturers use specific and sometimes irritating chemicals in preparing their clothes for final presentation out in the stores, so you should make sure that all new baby clothes and bedding are washed carefully before first using them on your child. The same is true of hand-me-downs and used clothes given to you by your family members or your friends - a gentle wash before first putting them on your baby will minimize the risk of any rash developing. And of course a medical professional should be asked to check out any rash that develops right away.
Many new parents worry about whether it is safe to wash baby clothes with the rest of the family's laundry. I think this must be a fairly recent worry as it was something I never even thought about when I had my own children in the 1970s. Providing you use a mild detergent for the wash loads there should be no problems. After all you are cuddling and caring for your baby in the same clothes as you will be washing with theirs without causing any irritation!
There is one exception to bear in mind, though. If you are using cloth diapers, separate washing is required. Use the toilet bowl to rinse away any solid waste, keep them in a bucket of water until you have collected enough to form a washer load and add a tiny amount of tea tree oil to the bucket to deodorize and disinfect them in the meantime.
If you use fabric conditioner in your laundry routine make sure that you use one that is specifically for sensitive skin to avoid any irritation to your baby's skin. Some washing detergents contain fabric softeners but if you are in doubt it is better not use them.
Pay attention to how you tumble dry your baby clothes to avoid shrinking them. Use a low or gentle heat setting, otherwise you may find that your baby outgrows them even faster than you expect!
For centuries babies have suffered no ill effects from having their baby clothes washed with the family laundry and I feel sure that twenty first century babies will thrive equally well.
Apart from a minority of families, the extra strain on the family budget of preparing for and bringing up a baby is significant. So any opportunity to eliminate increased costs such as special baby detergent is helpful. After all, raising a baby is expensive enough - not only is there the initial purchase of baby clothes and bedding, diapers, a crib, a stroller and other equipment, but the ongoing costs of medical expenses, food and everything else is material.
There are lots of detergents on the market that claim to be specifically for baby clothes but often they are little different than regular detergents. Although you need to be aware that some detergents may cause irritation to a baby's skin the same can actually be true for adults. Generally if you use a gentle detergent without added perfume or colors you should find that these are suitable and can be used for the family laundry as well.
One point to bear in mind is that manufacturers use specific and sometimes irritating chemicals in preparing their clothes for final presentation out in the stores, so you should make sure that all new baby clothes and bedding are washed carefully before first using them on your child. The same is true of hand-me-downs and used clothes given to you by your family members or your friends - a gentle wash before first putting them on your baby will minimize the risk of any rash developing. And of course a medical professional should be asked to check out any rash that develops right away.
Many new parents worry about whether it is safe to wash baby clothes with the rest of the family's laundry. I think this must be a fairly recent worry as it was something I never even thought about when I had my own children in the 1970s. Providing you use a mild detergent for the wash loads there should be no problems. After all you are cuddling and caring for your baby in the same clothes as you will be washing with theirs without causing any irritation!
There is one exception to bear in mind, though. If you are using cloth diapers, separate washing is required. Use the toilet bowl to rinse away any solid waste, keep them in a bucket of water until you have collected enough to form a washer load and add a tiny amount of tea tree oil to the bucket to deodorize and disinfect them in the meantime.
If you use fabric conditioner in your laundry routine make sure that you use one that is specifically for sensitive skin to avoid any irritation to your baby's skin. Some washing detergents contain fabric softeners but if you are in doubt it is better not use them.
Pay attention to how you tumble dry your baby clothes to avoid shrinking them. Use a low or gentle heat setting, otherwise you may find that your baby outgrows them even faster than you expect!
For centuries babies have suffered no ill effects from having their baby clothes washed with the family laundry and I feel sure that twenty first century babies will thrive equally well.
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