Washing newborn clothes

[flowerchop]

FTM here, 25 weeks expecting. Do you wash your brand new clothes before you let your child wear them? Especially a new born... seen some social media posts of expecting mums nesting and doing their laundry already.

Never bothered.

Any textiles you buy are routinely treated with formaldehyde amongst other things, I wash everything that is going to come into contact with our skin.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/clothes-new-wash-dermatologist-today-show-lice-scabies-formaldehyde-eczema-a8219976.html

@KitchenSinkLlama great minds!!!

Yes, I wash almost all new clothes before wear, as most of them either smell of the anti-mould and anti-crease treatments used in transport or feel funny because of them.

You don't have to wash all the clothes in advance of the birth. Was some vests and sleep suits and then go from there once you know size of baby and how many you actually use. Any spare can then be returned/exchanged/sold as they're unworn and unwashed.

First child yes
second child no

I did for newborn clothes but stopped after that. Not sure if I will do it if I have another! Obv anything secondhand should be washed unless it's from someone you know/trust and they've washed it already.

I wash everything that's new for the kids (3y, 8m) and have done since they were born. DH also washes all his new clothes, he has super sensitive skin. I only wash second hand stuff for myself, new stuff just gets put on.

I did it for DC1 because I had heard you were meant to. Asked my NCT group at about 6 months if anyone else was doing it and everyone else had either stopped or never bothered. I didn't bother with DC2 except for the hand-me-downs from the loft.

I've never noticed this smell from new clothes or bedding people say they are so disgusted by.

In my rational state I couldn't believe I would ever wash them. There is an Instagram post of mine that makes me cringe telling the world I had washed and ironed ALL her 20 million outfits... It's nesting. You will also either move, start renovations, clear out a room that was totally ok, and clean something with a toothbrush. Cupboards are a big thing.
It's fun, because somone will point out how nuts you are then very quickly after that conversation you go into labour. It's a thing!

Yes. The one time I didn't (baby was smaller than expected so MIL bought some new vests to the hospital) DD came out in a big rash. She did have very sensitive skin though.

I did because I find they often shrunk quite a bit on first wash so it was an easier way of judging when they would fit.

Never did and still wouldn't at 6 months. Waste of time.

Yes you should, they can contain a lot of chemicals and dirt from factories

Please wash the clothes!!
I wash all new clothes, bedding etc. They have literally been all over the sweatshops/warehouses across the globe where they were made, packaged with who knows what little bugs etc that you can't see. No idea why anyone would be happy to put their newborn in unwashed clothes.
Absolutely vile! I honestly don't know what is wrong with people.

Yes - clothes are touched by multiple hands and get dirty, dusty as well as likely having chemicals on from the manufacturing process. Not suitable for newborn skin without washing IMO!

I did with my first and then didn’t bother with my second. Both fine