Do we really have to do all this washing...

[Writerwannabe83]

Various people have told me that whatever I buy for the baby has to be washed before I can use it i.e all the clothes, the baby towels and all the bedding for the cot/crib/moses baskets.

Is it really necessary or jus tone of those tales that gets passed from person to person and so everyone juat assumes it has to be done...

I have got so, so, so many clothes for this baby already - including 2nd hand ones donated to me from my friend who had her baby 8 months ago - and the thought of having to wash them all.... well....is it really necessary??

If so then obviously I will, I just wasn't sure if it was a MUST or an optional choice and what the reason for it is??

Ahahahahahah.

Oh. You're not joking.

I prewashed nothing apart from my terry nappies (to increase absorbency and I gave up doing that when I bought the second lot) and the covers on the second hand pushchair I bought. DD's skin didn't fall off.

Lot of varied responses then....

I've got 3 black bags full of newborn clothes and 0-3 clothes and then I've got piles of new clothes too. I bought some sensitive washing powder last week with the intention of washing everything but I just haven't managed to find the motivation to do it yet.....

I know it won't be arduous but it just seems a bit excessive - I will definitely wash all the bedding and towels though.

Erm, in the nicest possible way, I think your problem may be that you have too many clothes in small sizes! I doubt your baby will get to wear anything more than twice! Or, like most people, he will wear the top dozen items in the drawer and most things never.

I washed everything. I got my DS a coat and some tops from next when he was a few months old. (He had been poorly. I think I may have ordered them and got them delivered. ) I didn't wash them and he had an allergic reaction. Lesson learnt!

Erm, in the nicest possible way, I think your problem may be that you have too many clothes in small sizes!

- agree totally!!!

My two best friends have both recently had babies, one has an 8 month old and one has a 3 month old......so I'm sure you can imagine how many clothes have been thrown in my direction I know I have an excessive amount already in the drawers and wardrobe and I also have another two bags in the loft!!! - Again, clothes donated to me by my friends.

I wish I'd been brave enough to turn down their offer but it just seems so rude to doesn't it?

If I remember rightly you are signed off at the moment and at home aren't you? So you have a wee bit of time available?

I would honestly say, go through it, pick out the things you like best, wash and put them away in the drawers or wherever. Keep everything else bagged up by size and only get them out and wash them if you find you need them. That or get them all packed up and ready to donate onwards now.

If you were more time pressed I'd say just grab the top bag and ignore the others

I have plenty of time available, lol

I'm becoming very sedentary though, the longer i'm off the less inclination I have to do things. I found when I was first signed off I was full of energy and doing loads of work around the house and obsessively doing the housework etc.....but now all motivation to do anything has gone

I've not been at work now for 20 weeks and my mind and body has shut down

writer Yeah, I've been home now since the end of October and got word last week that they won't let me back, I am climbing the walls and want to do nothing but sleep at the same time....