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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu baby clothes

29 replies

nicefloralrug · 03/06/2019 17:52

So I'm shortly due my first baby. Have -far too many- baby grows etc. Aibu to not wash them all before use? And if I do wash them is it okay to use normal non bio and fabric softener? I don't have a clue about baby clothes. There is so much I just don't know if I can face it 🙈 also I know it sounds silly but they are all so soft and lovely atm and I know as soon as I wash them they won't look as nice. I know this is a ridiculous thing to say! Dh has suggested taking to cleaners in a big bag.

OP posts:
Original poster
nicefloralrug · 03/06/2019 17:53

Strike through fail 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
DifficultSituation19 · 03/06/2019 17:54

I never washed any brand new baby stuff. DC lived to tell the tale.

00100001 · 03/06/2019 17:54

I've never washed clothes before wearing them or dressing babies.

only ever heard if it on MN.

Tiredmum100 · 03/06/2019 17:56

With DC 1 every thing was washed before use with persil non bio and fabric conditioner. DC 2 wasn't so lucky.

hammeringinmyhead · 03/06/2019 17:58

You won't really know until the baby arrives. Normal non-bio should be fine but mine has eczema and I have to use Surcare for his clothes. I pre-washed all the newborn stuff for something to do on mat leave!

happymummy12345 · 03/06/2019 17:59

I didn't wash anything

DramaAlpaca · 03/06/2019 17:59

I didn't bother washing new baby clothes, I don't think there's any need, but some people on here will tell you that you should if previous threads are anything to go by. Washing new stuff is just making unnecessary work for yourself, IMO.

If you do decide to wash them, then non-bio stuff is best. I wouldn't use fabric conditioner myself, I never do because I don't like the fragrances & because I live in a soft water area so it's not necessary.

Cuppa12345 · 03/06/2019 18:01

I wanted the clothes I got before baby was born just because mumsnet told me but as soon as the baby was born I didn't bother as I wanted an easy life. I wouldn't wash newborn clothes now I've actually had one, haha

Aquamarine1029 · 03/06/2019 18:01

If you knew about the horrible chemicals new clothes are treated with, you would wash them.

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/01/30/wash-new-clothes-before-wearing.aspx

shirleyschmidt · 03/06/2019 18:01

I never did it, both kids seem fine 😊

MondeoFan · 03/06/2019 18:05

I didn't, I know you are supposed to but I didn't want to actually.

Spanielsanddaughters · 03/06/2019 18:06

Some new stuff I washed, some I didn’t. Had zero problems.

HK2009 · 03/06/2019 18:07

I started washing all of our babies clothes before use but then people just kept buying more and more so I stopped. Two and a half weeks in and DD hasn't had any reactions to the unwashed clothes yet!

Boom45 · 03/06/2019 18:11

I've never washed anything new, I've only ever heard of it on here. I don't use fabric softener either, it's dreadful on my skin so i wouldn't let it anywhere near a baby's. Me and my ds do suffer quite badly with eczema if we're not careful about stuff like that though.

EnterUsernameHere · 03/06/2019 18:11

I didn't wash new clothes with my baby. He's never shown any effects from it.
Also, I used fairy liquid capsules & fairy softener (have done ever since).

Sparkle733 · 03/06/2019 18:13

I’m also expecting my first baby.
I’m going to use fairy non bio when I start the babies washing pile.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 03/06/2019 18:15

Non bio will be fine for most babies. I washed all new stuff for newborns/babies before wearing but didn’t bother with recently worn/washed hand me downs. How many clothes do you have? Surely one load of whites and one load of colours will fit a shit load of baby stuff in - they’re tiny. Wait for the next sunny day to be forecast, stick a load on to finish at 7am (or similar) and hang up before you leave for work. You don’t need to iron them if you line dry them.

00100001 · 03/06/2019 18:16

"If you knew about the horrible chemicals new clothes are treated with, you would wash them. "

Well, that article says that even washing once won't remove stuff Confused

so now we have to wash clothes twice before wearing them? sod that for a game of soliders!

my DS was caught short a few times with leaky nappies/toiletting/falling in a river(!)/sitting in wet mudetc. no spare clothes, bought some and put him in them straight away... Shock

and quick call SS, I sometimes would buy them from the chairty shop too...

Chippychipsforme · 03/06/2019 18:19

Non bio. I washed everything for DS, mostly so I could have a little cry about how small all his clothes were!

BillywigSting · 03/06/2019 18:23

I washed all of ds's newborn stuff because I'm eczema prone and didn't want to take a chance that he might be too.

I stopped doing it after about a week and anything that wasn't visibly covered in sick/wee/poo/milk was fair game. My house looked enough like a chinese launderette as it was.

Daffodil2018 · 03/06/2019 18:30

I only washed second hand stuff. DD is fine.

Original poster
nicefloralrug · 03/06/2019 18:42

Haha thanks all :-) I think I will wash a few bits (sheets etc) and see how sensitive his skin is :-) thank you! :-) feeling like a slightly less bad mum to be 😂

OP posts:
Onceuponacheesecake · 03/06/2019 18:44

I would wash them personally. They've been dyed, thrown around warehouses etc.

WindsweptEgret · 03/06/2019 18:50

I would wash the clothes I thought I would actually need, but leave some with tags on and unwashed in case I wanted to swap them for a bigger size. You can often end up with too many newborn sized clothes, and need more 0-3 months and 3-6 months clothes.

Smurf123 · 03/06/2019 20:19

I (well my mum 🙈) washed lots before he came along... Then he arrived early... At only 5lb2 and spent the first week in nicu that when they suddenly said we are moving him to a cot today bring some clothes to dress him we realised all the baby clothes in the hospital bag were about 2 sizes too big (was told I was having a big baby!) had to run out and buy preemie clothes and there wasn't time to wash most of it 🙈 didn't do him any harm not being washed