to be arguing with my mother about bacteria in laundry?

[PerfectDromedary]

So, my mother claims that my PFB's clothes shouldn't be washed with adult clothes as they may become contaminated with bacteria. I claim that she is insane and this is Bad Science. I'm now appealing to the assembled might of MN - who is right?

NB IABU because this is in the context of an offer to handwash baby clothes. But that's not the point...

Have you not heard of all those babies that die every year of sheet-borne illnesses?

No?

No.

YANBU.

well then surely you need to handwash your own clothes too in case your baby is contaminated by you when you hold her.

and her grandma.

and remember, don't touch ANYTHING in case bacteria gets on the baby.

yanbu.

Oh and maybe you should slap your mum for implying that you are a filthy bacteria infested disease carrier

She is mad. I probably wouldn't wash DD's clothes with muddy dog towels and sweaty numnahs, but anything else is fine.

What is a numnah?

It's the thing that goes under a saddle on a horse. They can get very sweaty indeed.

See, this is what I thought. But she found something about e. coli and underwear and now I need an authoritative comeback.

Good Lord! What is it with people fretting about washing? (been lots of threads recently) Ask your mum if she actually KNOWS anyone who has been struck down with an incurable illness because they didn't wash their clothes 'right'

Aww, she just wants some iddy widdy baby clothes hanging up in her house.

YANBU

Can you solemly swear to wash at over 60deg (I think that is bug killing temp?) and then just do whatever you like?

Well, if your clothes are contaminated with bacteria then surely you will contaminate her every time you pick her up? Unless you only hold her at arms length, wearing sterile, disposable gloves and short sleeves? No?

I once had a mothers help in who insisted on ironing the muslin cloths (which had already been washed at 60 degrees) because of "germs"

(ironing muslins?!?!?!)

I INSISTED she didn't but she was NOT a happy bunny......

If the strain of e coli she's thinking of can survive being heated to 30 degrees and soaked in the very harsh conditions of the washing powder before then being heated even more as the clothes are dried then manage to get into the babies mouth in large enough quantities to make her sick then you might as well give up now, you're all going to die.

The only time I wash any of the childrens clothes seperately is when they have poo or sick on them, and I don't want the particles swimming about with MY clothes!

YANBU

She's been watching that Vanish advert where it talks about washing at low temperatures not killing bacteria on clothes. Tell her it's a marketing ploy.

Perhaps if she washed them in a river but with modern washing machine - you could throw in anything and it will come out clean.

What a lovely word - numnah.

Goes away singing numnah, numnah...

I agree that if your own clothes were bacteria ridden then you would only be passing it onto the baby anyway. Your mums logic sounds like that of a woman my dh once worked with, who upon hearing I was pregnant told him he would have to have his long hair cut short now in case the baby swallowed some of his hair and choked

She didn't have an answer when dh asked if his wife (me) had to have her almost down to her bum hair cut off too

passing it onto the baby anyway "when you picked them up" that should be.

Aw, grandmas. My mum's like this too. She did calm down eventually, but will still come round and iron everyone's underpants if I don't hide them.

Tell her you checked with the Health Visitor and she said it was ok.

I hate adverts like this that prey on parents' worries in order to sell them utterly unneccessary products - like the automatic handwash soap dispenser - 'Because Your Ordinary Liquid Soap Dispenser WILL HAVE GERMS ALL OVER IT AND YOU WILL GET THEM ON YOUR HANDS AND DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH EVERY TIME YOU USE IT!! It doesn't matter about the bacteria on the soap dispenser, because I am going to wash my hands in antibacterial soap after touching the top of the dispenser!

And now this one - 'Oh my god you and your children are going to catch terrible diseases from your clothes - you must Act Now to ensure your safety!' Because we have all been dropping like flies due to wearing our toxic clothing.

Incidentally - can you see why I will never be given a job as an advertising copywriter!

Hmmm.

I am with your mum on this one .

All my pfbs clothes were washed on their own, without an adult garment besmirching them.

When pfb2 came along, his were washed in along with pfb1s - and its remained pretty much the same since.

Except when we are on holiday and, needs must, everyones things get washed together.

you should ask her whether you should have c-sections in future too then, in case your fanny kills your baby with all its e-coli

I must admit I washed baby clothes separately from everything else. Not because of bacteria but totally because new babies are PRECIOUS .

As they got older and the laundry pile grew, I chucked it all in together.