Is washing clothes for newborn baby necessary?

[Jigglypuffler]

DS is 6yo, and I remember when I was preparing/nesting etc I washed all of his new clothes.. I recall being told or reading that new clothes might have some chemicals etc on them that should be washed off in case of reaction with skin, etc. When he was born, he was smaller than we expected so my mum went and bought him some smaller vests, babygrows etc which we put straight on him from the packet, and I don't think we washed any of the clothes we were given as gifts before he wore them. He never had any reaction or problem with his skin.

I'm now due with DC2 in 6 weeks, and I have a pile of clothes (both new and second hand) sitting waiting to either be washed or put away properly. I'm sure it's because my brain is in a rather stagnant at the moment, but I can't work out whether this is really needed, or whether I should just cross it off my ever-growing to do list and get on with something else.

So I'm wondering what others do - and why?

I intended to wash them (mainly due to having read things on here!) but didn't get round to it in time...anyhow baby had no issues/reactions.

I'd wash second hand stuff but not new stuff.

I washed everything before my dd was born 2 years ago but I wont be this time. it literally was a compete waste of time, and the clothes look and feel much nicer before they've been washed

I wash new & second hand stuff, even now DD is 8mo. No real reason, I find new stuff from shops has a weird smell & I’d rather know it was all nice & clean for her. Don’t think it’s a necessity though.

Of course stuff looks & feels nicer before washing... I hate when my own clothes get worn down by washing.
But with baby clothes, they get chucked in the hot wash so many times. And they grow out of things so quickly.
I washed all of the clothes, blankets etc before baby arrived, and a hundred times since... Only if it was a nice party dress, would I save it from washing.

Did it first time and really enjoyed it as part of nesting and preparing, second time I washed the fusty things out of the attic but never new things off the hanger.

I was going to after reading on here but I didn't... No harm done. Everything has been washed 9765443456900000 times since. Normally 3 seconds after putting it on.

This topic has been done to death, but I would wash all of it. As for the new clothes, the chemicals that are sprayed on them for shipment are horrible (Google it), and I wouldn't want that on a baby's skin. I would wash second hand as well because I would want to make sure they're clean.

Yes wash all, the new stuff is covered in chemicals so it doesn't get ruined/eaten/infested during transit from China

@Aquamarine1029 I did search for threads on this before posting but didn't find anything 🤷‍♀️

I didn't bother, it only came off covered in baby sick and washed not long after it had gone on anyway.

I watched an episode of House where an adult got a horrible weird rash from a new pair of jeans because of all the chemicals

I washed everything, new and secondhand. I loved it, both times! Hanging the little clothes up to dry. Aw making me broody 😂

I washed them prior to baby being born and hung them on the line, my neighbour thought that the baby had arrived.

Not necessary, but I found it a nice thing to do first time round and I had the time to do it. Second time round the clothes had come out of the loft and needed a wash and an airing and it was annoying!

yes always.
clothes are treated with starches to make them easier to sew. they are handled by many people. excess dyes might not have been washed out. they are treated with pesticides and funghicides so they they don't arrive mouldy and full of holes after weeks in a shipping container.
shop floors are warehouses are absolutely filthy.

unless it's an emergency, of course you should wash clothes before wearing them. especially for a newborn.

I washed everything for DD1 and 2.

I decided to just do it... Started with a box from the loft which smelt musty and as I was sorting through it after it was all bloody 12-18m 🤦‍♀️

I would but I am related to a dermatologist. So I'm probably ultra cautious but better safe than sorry. Germs aside, many of the new clothes we buy are treated with chemical-finishing agents and dyes that can irritate the skin. So I wash with gentle detergent and use an extra rinse cycle.

I've been sniffing the clothes now and I know my sense is smell is hyperactive at the moment, but I don't like the smell on any of them. So they're all going through now anyway!

Only on here have I ever heard of washing new stuff for babies. Nobody I know does it.

@orchidsonabudget you know House isnt real life though?

Not essential but something nice for some mums. I loved it!

I don't wash, in case I need to take it back.

Yes sometimes clothes can have chemicals on them but I don't worry about it. Nobody in my family has ever had a reaction so the likelihood that my child will is pretty low.

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Only on here have I ever heard of washing new stuff for babies. Nobody I know does it.

It was my mum who told me I needed to wash all of DD1’s clothes before she wore them and my mum has never ventured onto MN. She did it with my sister and I thirty years ago.