Washing baby clothes

[hippobump]

What do you think about washing baby clothes?

On one hand I'm thinking that everything needs cleaning ready for baby.

On the other hand I'm thinking that if baby is big and the first size / newborn clothes are too small, then it is quite wasteful to take all the labels off and wash them (can't return / exchange etc).

Also, I feel like there are about a million things that need doing before baby arrives (I'm currently 37 weeks), how high I the priority list should washing new clothes be?

[DramaAlpaca]

I didn't bother, but lots of people on here will tell you that you should.

[SpencerReidsMistress]

I always thought it was a 'thing' that you had to do. But it's really not. Do you and whatever you need to get done that's more important 😊 washing baby clothes is way low on the list.

[MrsCl19]

I washed second hand stuff but didn't bother with new stuff.

Like pp said a lot of people will tell you you need to

[ThePurpleMoose]

Our DD arrived unexpectedly just shy of 35 weeks before I'd even started mat leave, and she was only 2kg so we had to buy tiny baby stuff - that certainly didn't get washed before wearing and neither has anything since, with no adverse reaction.

[PowerStruggle]

Fair enough if you don’t know about sizes, but otherwise it’s really not difficult to put a wash on. You should wash all new clothes before wear, even grown up ones.

[SomeoneElseEntirelyNow]

@powerstruggle why? I don't think I've ever met anyone who does this, is this actually a thing?

[TinySleepThief]

I only washed the second hand stuff anything new got the tags taken off just before I dressed baby in it.

It seemed such a faff to prewash everything and baby has suffered no ill effects of my slovenly behaviour.

[Megan2018]

I washed a small amount of new stuff until sure of sizes. Then washed the rest.
I washed all the new stuff before wear for the first few months but now I don’t bother.
New clothes are full of chemicals and not as clean as they look, but my baby doesn’t have sensitive skin. Some do though.

[Bellesavage]

I would, they cover clothes in all sorts to transport them and it can be quite harsh on delicate skin. My 5yo came out in hives after wearing a pair of George pyjamas that I didn't pre wash.

[edgeware]

I am genuinely not for extra work but I did wash them - you don’t know where they’ve been, and what chemicals might be lingering on them. People who have worked in retail stock rooms regularly say how filthy things can be.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I did it but have no idea if DD benefitted from it in any way.

[caribooshriek]

Wash enough for the first week.

[Cheeseycheeseycheesecheese]

I wouldn't wash everything as yet, I washed 3 of every size, that way if stuff didn't fit it wasn't too much of a big deal and I could bag it up for charity shop while returning anything else that was too small.

As it happened both dd and ds arrived at 37 weeks and were both 5lb babies and needed tiny baby/first size. Ds is almost 11 months and is still in 3-6 month 🙈

[Persipan]

I am the laziest person alive when it comes to domestic chores, but I know enough about textile manufacturing processes that I wouldn't be comfortable dressing a baby in new clothes without washing them first.

[NatalieH2220]

I did. My husband and I have sensitive skin so presumed our son would too and didn't want anything on them to irritate his newborn skin. I still do now just in case and he's 3.

[Tableclothing]

I didn't wash them and dd came out in a rash. You don't need that guilt on top of Day 2 post partum hormones.

[Bubblesbebe]

One question on washing, what did you use to wash them? Any especial baby detergentor your usual one?

[Megan2018]

Usual detergent, no fabric softener.
I just did a very short 30 programme too.

[HeatherIV]

I washed everything with ds1 and loads of stuff he never wore as the season changed before they fit him.

With dd I just washed a few bits and then did the rest once she was here and I knew her size and the weather.

[RiftGibbon]

I didn't. I didn't take labels off either. I don't wash new clothes before wear with the exception of jeans.
Everything gets washed with the same powder, and the most sorting I do is "white clothes/bedding" or "other coloured clothes/bedding"
Hand wash stuff goes in too on a low temperature and no spin.

[Pygmyseahorse]

Told baby would be big.. She arrived 11 days early at just over 6lbs
Id not even bothered taking newborn just upto 1 month which swamped her.

Wash 2nd hand or a set of 3 or so sleepsuits and vests and hat and then leave tags on if you want for the rest til you know birth weight

I filled up a laundry basket with baby clothes of smaller sizes just in case, when dh got home he loaded it in and it was all washed and dry for the next day or two. Just give clear instructions to sizes and where things are

[SquigglyOne]

I am really lazy when it comes to chores and would never give myself extra work but as pp have mentioned I’ve worked in retail and have seen clothing stock rooms.
I wash everything for baby before hand - my own clothes I don’t bother.

[thetangleteaser]

I never washed anything and never had any skin problems problems at all🤷🏼‍♀️ I think it’s one of those each to their own things, there’s no right or wrong answer

[hippobump]

Thanks all. I think I'll wash the newborn bits but leave the 0-3 mths stuff in a separate box until I get home from hospital.

Determined to blitz through a few other jobs first though, so if baby appears before I finish the washing then he'll just have to make do.

[Dementeddotcom]

I only washed baby stuff because it was second hand from aunties etc