It’s a good idea to make sure that most of the baby clothes you buy can be
machine-washed. Choose fabrics and colours that will survive the washing machine and
tumble drier and which require little or no ironing.
All-in-one stretch suits and cotton vests are ideal as they make dressing your baby
easy, they can simply be popped in the washing machine and they don’t need ironing.
The occasional special outfit that needs hand washing or ironing is great for going out,
but it’s worth making sure that the basics are easy to care for. Life is busy enough
as a new parent without spending time hand washing and ironing all your baby outfits!
Soaking
Baby clothes do get dirty: nappies sometimes leak and the baby will be sick down
herself (and you too sometimes). Soaking clothes makes life much easier. Put anything that
is really dirty in a bucket filled with warm water and detergent and leave for a couple of
hours before washing. If your baby is very sicky, or your nappy changing skills leave a
little to be desired, it may be worth making up a bucket of water and detergent each day,
and leaving it somewhere safe like the bath. Then, every time there’s a little disaster,
you can just throw things in the bucket.
Stains
A pre-wash spray can help remove dirt and lift out stains. Simply spray the
stained or dirty area before putting the garment in the washing machine. The extra
treatment helps loosen the dirt, and it means you can treat just the dirty area. This is
especially useful once your baby is trying solid foods, and when she is crawling, as the
knees on dungarees or stretch suits can get very dirty. This sort of spray is also very
useful on snow suits, which often get dirty down the front while the rest of the garment
stays quite clean. White cotton cot sheets and terry nappies stay whiter if they are
occasionally washed on the longest hottest wash your machine can offer.
Washing powder
Don’t forget to measure the washing powder or liquid you are using very carefully so that
there is enough to get the clothes clean but not too much, which may make the clothes
itchy; check the instructions on the packet. It is also important to rinse clothes well.
An automatic washing machine uses several changes of water for rinsing, and hand-washed
items also need several rinses. Change the water at least three times, especially if you
are washing woollen clothes.
Drying
Clothes dried indoors can often feel hard and stiff. If you can get nappies and
baby clothes out on a line they will dry more quickly and will be much softer. The best
way to soften clothes and fluff up nappies is to use a tumble dryer, if you have one. A
tumble drier can be expensive to run though, so you may prefer to part-dry the clothes and
just finish them off in the tumble dryer. Check that thick snow suits and jackets are
completely dry inside as well as out.
Tips!
Don’t forget to do up zips and fastenings on clothes before machine washing
them, as they can catch and pull delicate fabrics. Tiny baby items like socks hats and
gloves can get lost in the machine. Wash them inside an old pillowcase. They will still
come clean and you won’t lose any!
