Do I really need to wash baby's clothes before she arrives?

[Ellarose85]

Is it really necessary to wash all the new clothes/blankets etc that we have bought for baby?

I spent days washing as DS's stuff before he arrived then any new stuff I bought for him when he was here but stopped washing new stuff when he was about 3 months old and it didn't do him any harm. I also stopped using non-bio as I read that the UK is the only country that does this and that is isn't necessary - again this is doing him no harm, never had a problem with sensitive or sore skin.

Just wanted opinions on what others do or don't do.

I washed all of DDs, but it more of a nesting thing than a mad panic about chemicals. I just liked getting them smelling nice, sorted and washed. She also was measuring big - over 9lbs they told me at last scan. She came out at 6lb 14oz, so don't place too much stock in the scans!

I think people who are saying 'just give it a quick wash' are the ones with tumble dryers.

I never washed baby clothes - or I think I started and then stopped because I just couldn't be arsed - and it was fine. As pp said, have yet to meet somebody for whom it was a problem.

I did, and I do mine too because I don't like the idea of someone sneezing on or scratching their ass then touching the clothes... I have seen some right grubby people having a good pick then fondling the clothes...

I never wash new bedlinen either. Why spoil the one and only time it's going to look ironed?

I would wash them. I really would. Especially sleepsuits and vests that have been in plastic wrapping for a while. Babies are very sensitive to smells so to have their clothes and blankets washed in the same scent as mum and dads makes a lot of sense . I've worked in retail and know how long these things can sit aroundfor in storage before even making it to the shop floor. Personal preference. I still wash pjs to make them softer for first wear even for a 9 year old!

No. DD was born much smaller than I thought (she was average sized but spent 3 months in 'tiny newborn' clothes). If I had washed everything we had before she was born, it would then have sat in a cupboard for over 6 months, gathering dust.

I didn't take the labels off anything till I knew it fitted.

Still use only non-bio for everyone's clothes though.

DS1 has developed allergies that I've narrowed down to certain washing powders/fragrances etc. I do wash brand new clothing after he had a reaction, not a massive reaction but obviously uncomfortable for him. Don't make extra work for yourself I find it a right pain.

Yes I would wash them all but then I also wash new clothes for my older kids

It didn't occur to me to wash them before use.

I did use non-bio to wash them in after they'd been worn.

I only washed second hand things or clothes that had been in storage for a while. Didn't wash any brand new things

I do, but I do with grown up clothes too purely as I think they smell nicer and feel a bit softer. Sometimes they can smell a bit plasticy if they have come by online shopping if you know what I mean
But I don't wash them as I think it will harm anyone if i don't . fresh washing just smells nice

If it's your first born child, yes of course you need to wash all the clothes/everything that will ever touch your baby. For your second child, you may wash some of the clothes your baby has been bought, but recognise that the world won't end if it is not washed first. For your third and future children it won't even be an issue. The washing machine will be going all the time without washing something that has no visible marks and you will wonder what you used to do with all your free time. You will realise that the world definitely won't end because your baby wore something unwashed, it will just be a bonus that something is clean and unstained having been passed down from a sibling.

This is my opinion anyway.

I wash my own clothes before I wear them, mostly, so I would do the same for a baby. You never know what chemicals are still on there.

Makes sense to wait until birth so things that don't fit can still be swapped, though.

I did as DH has terrible eczema and I'm worried about DS taking after him. As it is he gets patches of dry skin after every bath so I'm glad I did as he seems to have sensitive skin. I also washed some of the baby equipment that smelled plasticky e.g. Playmat.

I also wash my own jeans when I get new ones as I get a rash otherwise...I'm guessing from the dark dye.

Nope, they'llonly wear them for 10mins before then end up needing washing anyway!

Got 5 kids.... not a chance wld I wash new!!! P.s.... germs are good for their immune system

If I buy a new item of clothing I always wash before wearing. Doesn't matter who it is for or where it is from. I always have and always will. You don't know if it has been treated with anything, where it has been, and who has wore/tried it on before you. I have been in shops where there is make up all over them. I even went to try on a pair of trousers once that had a mark in the crotch!

Nope. Don't make work for yourself.
I left all the tags on so could swap for a bigger size/something actually useful if I received similar items which couldn't be exchanged. If you washed it all then that's not an option.

I only washed the new clothes that would be directly on my baby's skin like vests and socks. Didn't bother with most of the other clothes, unless they smelt bad or had been stored for a while.

I will probably, but we've had a move since we started buying clothes in which things got messed up, most of them are unpacked as I couldn't resist having a look and about a third of the clothes/blanket/muslin's have been bought by my MIL, who smokes in her car and house and as a result, the material has a stale smell to it.

I won't bother with outer clothes (cardigans, jackets), mainly just the "to skin" products.

I think it's perhaps a something you needed to do years ago because the dyes (chemicals yuck) were not so "fast" in the "old days" aka 60s/70s/80s !!

Remember towels didn't dry you until they'd been washed (not sure if that's true now as I still tend to wash everything before use anyway).

I'm sure it wont harm a baby if you dont but I would def wash everything for a newborn (in non bio). Having said that they seem to have taken everything out of washing powder/liquid that gets clothes clean so now we have to buy extra shite to add to the wash to get the bloody dirt/marks out! Marketing at its finest!

Washing newborn baby clothes? It's pretty much one wash, and then done. Not exactly something to preoccupy one's thoughts.

You meant to do that with all new clothing for anyone of any age
Clothes arrive dusty from store rooms and full of nasty chemicals

I only pre-wash second-hand clothes. I'm also planning to wash DD1 clothes for DD2 as they have been sitting in boxes in a dusty attic for a while.

I wash every new clothes we have, adult or baby.
There are studies showing the damage done to factory workers, and the increase in chemical levels in children.

I don't know if washing an item of clothing once is enough to be fair, but that's the least I can do! Clothes don't feel clean until they are washed anyway, it takes no time at all to pop them in the washing machine.