Hospital bag packing - did you wash the baby clothes??

[PGTips83]

Silly question really, but I'm curious to know whether people washed all the shop-bought baby clothes they packed for their hospital bag. And did you use normal detergent or extra sensitive stuff? I read that babies' skin can react to normal detergent, but is this overkill?

Thanks, bag packers! I'm 35 weeks and FINALLY getting my arse in gear...

I haven't yet (30+6 and bags are packed), but when I go on mat leave I intend to wash all the tiny baby clothes (my babies will be born early at 36 weeks) and all the newborn baby clothes and muslins etc.

I have to use sensitive detergent and fabric conditioner for my own skin anyway so I will use this.

For our first, MIL very kindly handwashed them in a very mild solution of Ecover handwashed liquid then rinsed them out several times. DH and I did the same for other new clothes DS wore in his first couple of months and then for DD.

I did then ended up staying in hospital for a while. Ran out of clothes so DP bought new packs and they just got worn straight away.

Not the new stuff, nope. I washed the stuff from DS1 that had been hoicked out of the loft. Since DS1 was actually born I've just clapped new clothes on them straightaway and never had a problem.

Didn't wash anything at that was brand new...first world problem.

I did for my first. Then we didn’t bother for the second and it made no difference. So we didn’t for the third and last and again no difference. But it was only really their coming home outfit that was new anyway certainly for DC3 (DS2) Good luck!

Yes, for both of ours but then I usually wash things before wearing anyway. For our first born everything was washed separately in ecover liquid. Second child’s clothes got slung in with the family wash using whatever washing liquid was in the house at the time. Hope all goes well when the time comes.

I think it's more a personal opinion type thing. My DM was scandalised that I didn't wash DC1s clothes - to be fair I went into early labour so was caught on the hop. DC 2 and 3 she did it all for me (bad daughter not washing newborn clothes 😂) but we never had issues either way. If you feel more comfortable washing them all then go for it. Good luck!

I always wash stuff that I buy. You don't know how it was made, who touched it in the making, which chemicals were used, how it was transported, who touched it in the shop... I'd find it pretty grose to just wear, and absolutely disgusting to put on a newborn.

We bought non-bio detergent (nothing special, just a non-bio version of whatever we were using) and used that for the first few months, and avoided fabric softeners. After that just switched to whatever detergent is on a deal, restarted softeners, and now just wash all of our stuff together sorted by colour.

I didn't wash any of them before use.

DD suffered no ill effects!

I'm not going to wash new stuff, but will wash the stuff that's been in boxes for five years since ds was a baby.
I'll use our normal powder, but if this one shows any reactions I'll change. I actually react to the likes of Fairy and ds has reacted to one particular own brand (but I didn't). I don't think there's a way of knowing whether the baby will have a reaction to washing powder, or any other intolerances, until it happens.

I did for all the newborn and 0-3 month stuff in our normal detergent but never have since. I probably wouldn’t with a second baby but I enjoyed it with the first.

Always wash new stuff, hundreds of chemicals are used to make clothes and the packaging their wrapped in.

I did, because I don't like the chemically smell a lot of new clothes have (not just for baby). But DS came out much smaller than expected and DH had to do a supermarket dash for 'tiny baby' clothes, which he didn't have chance to wash, do I needn't have bothered!

I've washed all the newborn stuff, in a sample I got from Emma's Diary as a freebie. I think it was persil, so gave that a whirl

Had to put my foot down when my mum asked if I would be ironing them...

I washed everything, and used (still use) non bio detergent for them. You might already know this tip but when packing my hospital bag I put all my outfits in freezer bags so each size I had a hat, vest, mits & babygrow & labelled each bag. Sounds a pain to do maybe but honestly it made it so much easier for DP to grab an outfit for the baby when she was born & could clearly see what was going to fit her. Good luck 😊

I didn't and my babies were fine. I'm generally quite slapdash and lazy in everything I do.

I didn't

I did with dc 1 but not dc2 (who tbf only really wore dc1s stuff). It really isn't necessary but there is something nice about seeing a row of perfect and tiny little baby vests hanging on the washing line.

I didn't, I was more paranoid about things going wrong and having a stillbirth so kept everything in their packaging with receipts so I could return them. My babies were fine.

First World problem? Do you know the chemicals they use to make and ship new clothes?!

nope. And my son never had any issues with his skin etc.

I might do if the baby was premature or had any medical issues as then they may be likely to have allergies to random chemicals shops use on material.

Nope. Washed nothing.

Good job as I had an 11lb 7oz baby and all the newborn stuff had to go back.

I have never done this