Laundering Your Baby’s Clothes
Once a baby arrives, it can seem as if the laundry doubles! Many parents think they need to use baby detergent to clean their baby’s clothes. It may be reassuring to know that this isn’t necessary for most babies.
If baby detergent isn’t getting rid of stains and odors on your baby’s clothing as well as you’d like, it may be time to switch to a regular liquid detergent. Unless your baby has allergies, eczema, atopic dermatitis or other conditions 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. Liquid detergents are your best bet because they work for all types of clothes. You may even want to use stain-removing detergents for tough stains.
Before making the switch, though, be sure to test one article of clothing first. If there seems to be some irritation, try using a detergent that doesn’t contain colors or fragrances. If you still notice a skin reaction, stick with baby soap for a little while longer.
Cloth diapers are the only items that need to be separated from your regular laundry because harsh detergents can cause diaper rash. If you use cloth diapers, wash them with mild baby detergent, and avoid antistatic products or fabric softeners. Also, use hot water and be sure to double rinse each load.
Other Articles of Interest
Changing Baby’s Diaper: Get everything you need before changing your baby's diaper. Once you start changing, don't take your eyes off your baby even for a second. Babies
Trimming Your Baby’s Nails: Although cutting your little one's nails can be a bit unnerving, especially at first, keeping nails short is important to your baby's safety. Because they
Eczema: My baby has scaly red patches on his skin. They seem to be very itchy. What is this ugly rash? It sounds like eczema (also called
