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There is no doubt that becoming a mom for the first time can be a bit overwhelming.
Looking back, I distinctly recall feeling as though I had a question about every single thing “baby related”, prior to giving birth to my first child. What diaper brand should we go with? Who makes the best pacifier? What baby shampoo brand is best?
It’s only natural that you might feel a little anxious when you are inundated with so many choices while you are preparing for your little one’s arrival, and it goes without saying that every parent wants nothing but the best for their child.
I was totally uneducated about many things before I had my firstborn… Particularly how to handle baby laundry. I didn’t know how to properly prepare my baby’s clothing prior to his arrival, how to care for it once he arrived, and how to get it ready for storage once he had outgrown those itty bitty items.
Now that I have had three kids, and I regularly do A LOT of laundry, I feel a little more on top of my game when it comes to this stuff, so I thought I’d share my best tips on how to handle baby laundry.
Preparing Laundry BEFORE Your Baby Arrives
It’s no secret that babies have super sensitive skin, so in my opinion, it is always best to reduce the chance that your little one might come into contact with something by pre-washing anything that will touch their skin. This includes clothing, blankets, bedding, towels, and washcloths.
You’ll want to use a free & clear detergent to wash these items. My favorite detergent to use is all® free clear detergent and all® free clear Mighty Pacs®… because it is the #1 detergent recommended by dermatologists, allergists, and pediatricians for sensitive skin. Doing this will ensure that you have removed any chemicals that these items have come into contact with during the shipping process, and that any germs that they have contracted while hanging in the store have been removed.
We purchase ours at Target in the Laundry Detergent section of the store.
Knowing that all® free clear detergent contains no dyes, perfumes, certain chemicals, and irritating residues means that its safe for all of these items that will be touching your precious babe’s skin.
Since I like for all of my babies clothing to be super soft, I also like to use all® free clear softener, because it softens clothes and makes them that much more comfortable.
I follow up all of this washing, by drying baby laundry in the dryer on a low temperature, and then I fold or hang the items in baby’s closet or dresser.
Caring for Laundry AFTER Your Baby Arrives
Once your baby arrives is when the real laundry fun begins. It goes without saying that you will be washing load after load of teeny tiny clothing. I continue to regularly wash clothes, as needed, just as I did to prior to baby’s arrival, but once baby is here, the element of stain removal gets added into the mix.
That’s right, babies spit up, poop, and stain their clothes on the regular! My favorite way to tackle these tough stains is also as simple as using all® free clear detergent. It’s awesome for fighting tough stains, it whitens whites, and it brightens colors… all of which are essential when you have kids!
Preparing Laundry for Storage
Sadly, babies outgrow things very quickly, which means it will be time to make room for the bigger stuff. I like to store my kid’s outgrown clothing (for future siblings), in large plastic or rubber totes, that I label by size on the outside. That way they are easy to organize and to find when it’s time to dig them out again. Prior to storing them, I always clean the inside of the container and wash all of the items that will be going into it with all® free clear detergent or all® free clear Mighty Pacs®. Washing these items with the #1 sensitive skin brand means they’ll be ready to go for future babies.
Unfortunately none of these tips will make your dirty laundry disappear, but they will help make your life easier and help you feel better about caring for your baby’s sensitive skin!
Want to find out more about all® free clear? Join the all® community and connect with parents just like you!
xoxo,
Love the idea of keeping a spray bottle with you!
We only use ALL free and clear too! It's the best for our entire families skin!
This is the detergent we use every day for our super sensitive skinned family too.
I adore the spray bottle idea! I've never tried All before, I'll have to check it out!
That's exactly what I used on all my littles. I wish I had you when my babes were little for the traveling with a bottle of spray to pretreat stains. Genius Jess!
This is exactly what I used on my babes when they were little. I wish I had you during those days for the tip on traveling with spray bottle to pretreat stains. Genius Jess!
I love ALL free and clear. It's great for my daughter's eczema!
Love the DIY pre wash treatment! Genius!
We use this detergent regularly! Great for my son's sensitive skin! #client