The Essentials of Doing Baby Laundry

How to wash baby laundry

Aurflo Home | Laundry

After a baby arrives, it can appear as if the laundry doubles! Who would think that one tiny individual could create so much laundry? In addition to feeding and taking care of your baby, clothing and cleaning are at the top of the list of basic needs. But basic doesn't have to be dull or even frustrating. Some parents think they need to use baby detergent to clean their infant's clothes. This can be true when a newborn's skin is sensitive.

Baby laundry itself is really not all that different from adult laundry, the true distinction is in the person wearing it. Infants tend to develop a lot of natural spots and often have really sensitive skin. Unless your baby has allergies, eczema/atopic dermatitis, or another condition causing sensitive skin, washing your little one's clothes with the rest of the family's clothes isn't likely to irritate your baby's skin.

With a few guides, you can set up a workflow that works for you while keeping your baby clean, happy, and well cared for. Here are a few tips for doing your baby laundry to keep it look wonderful, save your time, and also safe for the baby.

Pre-sort your baby laundry

With a front load washer and dryer, most people constantly losing their small items like socks, gloves, and accessories and had them showing up a few loads later stuck to your towels or sheets. When doing your baby's laundry put all that tiny things in the mesh laundry bag before washing or drying this will save you time and frustration along the way. You can also set up one for a normal wash, one for stained wash, and even a third for darks/ lights if you need it.

Choose a detergent that’s natural and gentle on the baby’s delicate skin

Detergent

Choose a detergent that's gentle on the baby's delicate skin, without fragrances, and dyes and be sure to test laundry when you begin. As mentioned baby's skin is delicate, to what degree depends on your baby. If your child is not terribly sensitive you can use the exact same detergent that you use for your clothes, just use half the quantity and be sure to double rinse.

Do Not Soften or Bleach

Although it's tempting to make everything soft, and static-free, stay away from using softener or dryer sheets, these will leave a residue that can build up on your baby's clothes, and making them harder to clean up and causing their skin to react. Avoid doing bleach with all those little stains. There is a better alternative without the usage of bleach or harsh chemicals, it is possible to get out some of the nasty spots that baby can leave behind. Use Hydrogen peroxide (you can simply get it from most pharmacies and it is safe enough to use on your child's clothes). Add 1/4 of a cup to your wash and allow clothes to soak in as soon as your washtub is full of water. The best practice is to do this in the evening and leave it overnight and early in the morning pop the machine back on and your whites will be bright and stains-free. Voila!

Cloth diapers do need to be separated from your regular laundry because harsh detergents can cause diaper rash, use laundry wash bags to make sorting fast and easy. Wash these with mild baby detergent in hot water and be sure to double rinse each load.

For your first new baby's clothes; it would be helpful to separate the clothes into darks and lights the same way as you would with your laundry. Wash each load independently to allow darks to seep.

Drying time

As always, it would help if you read the care labels and follow the instructions for heat or line drying. For finer garments, line dry is preferable. For daytime and play clothes follow the dry heat label for durability and to extend the life of the item. Tips: prep the mesh bags ready at the laundry hamper, so anytime you can easily toss in the bags and when it’s time to wash, simply zip it and wash.