Anyone not washing all their newborn stuff?

[Ohdeargod1]

DC2 due shortly. I washed all of DS1s new stuff - the baby grows in packets. This time I don't really want to! I'm going to do the blankets. What is everyone else doing?

I didn't with DS.

Good job. All the newborn stuff had to be returned, he was too bloody big to wear it and we had to get 0-3 instead.

I've washed all the 2nd hand stuff as it had gathered a fair bit of dust. Haven't bought any newborn things as I'm convinced she won't fit into it (90th centile at last growth scan).

Cannot be bothered to wash any 0-3 stuff. I guess I'll do it when she's here if I need to.

We did during that blissful period of pre-baby maternity leave. We then had to buy so much stuff in a hurry when DS was too small for the newborn sizes (6lb 13oz so not an utter tiddler) that all went on straight out of the packet.

I did most of ds1's things, but I don't remember ds2 having anything new so nothing was washed especially for him!

Why would you not?

There are so many chemicals involved in the process, why would you knowingly put them on your newborn?

We washed everything, second-hand and new. DS was HUGE so skipped all the newborn things and we couldn't take them back, doh!
You could always do a combination of both: wash a couple of newborn bits and if DC ends up not needing it, you can still take the other stuff back.

Is there Chipping? Or is that a myth?

I didn't - I had enough to do without washing clean clothes!

I never wash.anything new.

They seem so soft and nice when they've not been washed yet...

New clothes really are full of chemicals and they are dirty!
I used to unpack clothes delivery trucks and fill up stock in C&A a big clothes shop and I was always filthy after work.

I would never wear anything unwashed, let alone put unwashed "new" stuff on my newborn!

Well blow me, ANOTHER thing MN has taught me I should feel guilty about not doing. Didn't wash new clothes for either of my newborns.

Yes - they really are, it's not an old wives tale. They are full of processing chemicals and that's without the people who have handled them etc

It takes barely any effort to put them in the washing machine and then onto an airer - it's hardly labour intensive or time consuming these days :)

I'm far less bothered about my own clothes - though I never wear underwear until it has been washed.

Never occurred to me to wash new stuff!

Second hand, yes, to get the fusty charity shop smell out. & hand me downs if they had been stored for a while.

Doesn't washing powder = more chemicals, anyway?

Weisdorn - really? You don't care about harsh chemicals on a newborns skin? Why not? Would you pour bleach on it? Loo cleaner? Oven cleaner?

Is there Chipping? Or is that a myth?

Nope not a myth. My husband is a chemistry prof, he told me that they're sprayed with various chemicals during manufacture to ensure they look and feel their best when they reach the shops. The main one being formaldehyde which is toxic and can be absorbed through the skin. He works with noxious nasties all day and isn't phased by them at all, but he's adamant that all the baby textiles get washed before use. That's all the incentive I need to do it.

I'd never heard of this till my sister had dnephew and she washed EVERYTHING .. i didn't do it with dd before i knew or ds once i did.

I doubt i'll do it for this brat either

my poor kids

I always wash new clothes - well not always my own but always the kids. Formaldehyde is nasty.

Are you kidding me? It's the only time it's ever worn uncreased and ironed.

Surely if it were extremely toxic they'd be warnings - wash before putting on baby? Or are there?!

Why wouldn't reputable retailers like John Lewis or M&S warn you very plainly to wash their own brand newborn stuff if it was necessary to get rid of all these highly toxic chemicals? Why would they risk their reputations?

You wont always see a reaction - that doesn't mean the chemicals aren't affecting them.

Starlight

Just think about it. If YOU were selling something would YOU be the one to put that on your labels? ... and watch all the consumers buy from your competitors. Until they are compelled to do so, they wont.