How to wash baby clothes

As is to be expected, babies are quite uncoordinated! Parents quite often find stains left from baby food or other things on their children’s clothes. However, there are some points that you should pay attention to when washing baby clothes, the most important of which we’ve summarised for you in this blog article.

 

Why should baby clothes be washed differently from the rest of the laundry?

Babies are born with extremely delicate and sensitive skin. In fact, babies’ skin isn't yet fully developed as they lack the fatty tissue, which is located under the skin in adults, at the time of their birth. As a result, your baby’s skin is much thinner than that of adults. Adults secrete fat via the sebaceous glands to protect their skin and keep it soft. Babies, however, cannot do this yet, which is why their parents should apply the appropriate lotion or cream to their skin.

In addition, babies also have a harder time regulating their body temperature than adults do. One reason is that their sweat glands are undeveloped and need time to mature as they age. Their bodies also have a larger surface area relative to their weight, which makes it much easier for them to lose heat.

If you want to wash baby clothes, you should keep these facts in mind and pay close attention to which ingredients your detergent contains.

 

Should I wash my baby’s clothes before he’s born?

Based on the above, it’s best to wash any new baby clothes once before letting your baby wear them. Baby clothes that are not GOTS-certified may possibly contain substances you don’t want your baby touching or breathing in, such as chemicals used to dye the fabrics. These can irritate your baby’s delicate skin when they touch it.

It's therefore a good idea to wash baby clothes at least once beforehand - separately and not together with any adult clothes, as the latter may also contain remnants of harmful substances and microplastics. Baby clothes don't have to be washed at high temperatures, 40 degrees should be enough.

How warm should baby clothes be washed?

If you want to wash new baby clothes, 40 degrees is fine. Should your baby’s clothes get very dirty, you can wash them at 60 degrees in the washing machine. Note that you should always read the washing instructions beforehand.

Children’s bed linens should ideally be washed at higher temperatures. Dust mites accumulate in our beds and can survive a 40 degree wash cycle, which is why you should turn up your washing machine to 60 to 90 degrees when washing your baby’s sheets. You can wash your child’s favourite stuffed animal or cuddle cloth together with their bed linens.

Can baby clothes be washed at 95 degrees?

While it's usually not necessary to wash garments such as dungarees, onesies or pyjamas at high temperatures, this is not the case for underwear and cloth diapers. The latter can certainly be washed by using the boil cycle in order to remove bacteria or stains. When buying cloth diapers, make sure they are easy to clean.

When washing cotton products or other natural materials, read the label first to prevent shrinkage. Cotton is best washed by using the delicates cycle or by hand. Avoid aggressive detergents and fabric softeners to prevent damage to the fabrics.

 

Can baby clothes be washed with normal detergent?

Detergents for hard stains and bleach should definitely not be used on baby clothes. When buying a new detergent, make sure that it's a mild one.

Detergents which contain strong fragrances or perfumes should be avoided because they can harm your baby's skin. Detergents with phosphates should also not be used, though these have been banned in the EU since 2013 anyway.

Baby clothes and also bedding can be ironed after washing to get rid of any additional germs, because they are killed by the high temperatures. However, washing baby clothes shouldn't be replaced by ironing.

Should I use fabric softener when washing baby clothes?

Fabric softener shouldn't be used on baby clothes. Fabric softeners contain allergens such as fragrances or preservatives that can irritate the skin and often trigger allergies.

If you absolutely cannot do without fabric softener, special fabric softeners made for children’s and baby clothes are available, which are completely free of allergens. Alternatively, you can also add some vinegar to the washing machine, as this will make the clothes feel smoother.

 

How often should I wash baby clothes?

There is no rule of thumb for how frequently baby clothes really need to be washed; it really just depends on how dirty the clothes are. If your child is a newborn, it's advisable to change their clothes every day, because they spit up more often and the milk can start to smell unpleasant on the clothes after a while.

If your baby sweats a lot, you should probably change their onesies and pyjamas daily. Clothes that don’t have direct contact with the skin can be washed less frequently. Baby sleeping bags can be changed after about three to four days. New clothes should always be washed before dressing your baby in them for the first time.

 

Baby products at Zizzz

At Zizzz, we don't use any harmful substances in our products for babies and children. These are not only dangerous for babies, but also harm the environment. For this reason, you can only find baby products made of pure natural materials in our webshop. In fact, all of our products are made using the following materials: organic cotton, Swisswool or European down. As such, you can trust that your baby’s sensitive skin is safe in our products.

For example, we offer comfortable baby blankets in various colours and design patterns. These are made of virgin sheep’s wool, which comes from happy sheep raised in the Swiss Alps. The material feels soft on the skin and is breathable. Our blankets are ideal for taking your child out for a trip in the stroller and or as a play rug during the day.

In addition to baby blankets, we also carry footmuffs for your baby. These fit perfectly in any stroller or child seat. We also carry cuddle cloths, which improve the fine motor skills of your baby. These are of course made from organic cotton and free of harmful chemicals.

 

Conclusion: Washing baby clothes

Since babies' skin isn't yet as well developed as adults', babies are more sensitive to allergens and other harmful substances. To avoid skin irritation, baby clothes should be washed correctly. Mild detergent is best for washing baby clothes and fabric softener should be avoided.