How to wash baby clothes?

Be gentle.

Mild approaches for treating delicate clothing is your way to go. Here is our 3 top tips we always practise:

• Hand-wash baby clothes (if you have the time, or help)
• Choose the right detergent
• Hang dry baby clothes under direct sunlight

Getting hands-on!

Always separate baby clothes from other laundries at home. Washing baby clothes by hands is the best way to keep the cotton soft. Avoid twisting or rubbing too hard as it may shrink or deform the garment. Gentle motions like swishing will do the work, but make sure to wash thoroughly so that no soap is left. If the clothes are stained, try soaking them in cold water immediately before any washing takes place.

If you can’t afford to hand wash baby clothes, no problem - just set your washer to a “gentle cycle” and use cold water, or water below 30° C. Also try to avoid putting clothes with other clothes that contain zippers, plastic pieces, or velcro as it is quite abrasive to any type of clothing and will encourage “pilling” on delicate cotton fabric. If you have clothes that do have these plastic or metal accessories, dump them in a mesh bag so they don’t tumble around with the rest of the clothes.

Generally speaking, the key to treating baby clothes revolves around 1 key principle: be gentle.

Mild soap is our friend

Choosing the mildest detergent available to wash baby clothes is also very important. To keep the cotton soft, avoid using any harsh alkaline-heavy detergents, softeners, stain removers, dyes or perfumes. Soaps that contain less alkaline like mild fragrance-free soap bars, baby-specific detergents, or soap nuts for eco-friendly mums, are good enough to keep the garment clean.

If your loved one has sensitive skin and is prone to rashes or eczema, and you’re not sure about trying a new detergent, try doing a patch test on a small part of your baby’s skin first. Try washing a small item with that detergent and placing it on your baby’s skin for a period of time. Monitor closely to see if it triggers any reactions.

Here comes the sun

Sunlight is your best friend when it comes to drying baby clothes. After washing, hang the clothes to dry under the sun. The Sun’s UV rays can help kill bacteria on baby clothes and naturally help bleach stains!

For lazier days...

If you have to use a dryer, just be prepared for clothes to shrink a little. Ideally, you can set the temperature on your dryer to as low a setting as possible!