How can I deal with all of this baby laundry? (2024)

FAQs

How to handle baby laundry? ›

Separate baby clothes by color, just as you would adult clothes. If you're using cloth diapers, they should be a load all their own. Whenever you're washing newborn clothes, minimize missing-sock syndrome by tossing all baby socks (plus any other small items like bibs or washcloths) into a mesh laundry bag for washing.

Separate your outgrown or no-longer-used kids' clothing, toys, and stuffed animals into three distinct piles: Store for younger/future children or grandchildren (10% or less—only what's most special and still looks great!); Sell to make a small chunk of change which can be reinvested in their toy collection or used to ...

But if your baby's skin seems irritated (especially if it's marked by red spots) or they seem uncomfortable or itchy, try a detergent that's free of fragrances and dyes. If you still notice a reaction, try double rinsing your baby's clothes, or use baby detergent until your child is at least a year old.

If even a small amount of the detergent gets into a child's mouth or eyes, it can cause serious breathing or stomach problems, scratches to the eyes and eye irritation, coma or death. Because they are often brightly colored, single-load laundry detergent can look like candy or gummy treats.

#1: The Basket Approach

If you can find crates of various colors, assign each child a color of basket to make it easier to keep track of whose is who. From here, make each child responsible for their basket. They load dirty clothes in the basket. And, when it's full, have them bring the clothes to the laundry room.

Baby gear like bouncers, swings, playards, baby seats, baby carriers and other gear can either be sold or donated, assuming the gear is still in fairly good condition. Some can even be recycled through Terracycle. Some brands offer specific programs for selling or donating their gear.

A good rule of thumb is to give your baby 1 extra layer of clothing than what you're wearing. For example, if you're in a t-shirt and jumper, dress them in a vest, sleepsuit and cardigan or jumper. If you feel chilly, your baby probably does too.

Cost: $20 to $50 (or more) per month on average, depending on where (and how often) you shop. Throughout the first twelve months, babies outgrow clothing very quickly, so you'll be buying more clothes in infancy than when they're older.

Newborn Dreft also contains fluorescent brighteners; these are common in “commercial” detergent but can leave fabric stiff and uncomfortable on skin. It is also not noted whether the detergent is a neutral pH, which is essential not to irritate skin and to help preserve fabrics.

When can you use dryer sheets in baby clothes? ›

Avoid dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Like with detergent, the chemicals in these products can easily irritate your new baby's sensitive skin. Stick to low heat. While high-heat drying might get the job done quicker, it' a lot more likely to damage clothes.

In a nutshell, you'll ideally want to wash baby clothes every time your little one wears them. “Babies stool, spit up and spill food often, so washing after each wear is important,” Mehra says. At the very least, Cirillo recommends washing baby clothes once every week.

Do this around 4-6 weeks before the baby is due. This is close enough to the date so that the clothes aren't sitting for months on end collecting dust. But it isn't too close to your due date when you should be focusing on rest and preparing for birth.

DRYING BABY CLOTHES

Delicate baby clothes or especially well-loved hand-me-downs may be better off with hang-drying or line-drying versus a machine dryer. For all other items, if the care label gives it the OK, you can use your machine dryer, but may want to use a gentle setting.

No, fabric softener sheets are not safe for baby clothes. Dryer sheets can cause skin irritation as they contain fragrances and dyes. Even gentle or regular detergent sheets leave chemical residue that is toxic to babies. Avoid these and choose a natural alternative like wool dryer balls.

Make sure to clean your washing machine before washing your baby's clothes. Run an empty wash cycle on the highest temperature with a cup of white vinegar to kill all bacteria that might be living inside of it. Do this every couple of weeks to keep your washing machine fresh and hygienic.