When should I start washing clothes?

[Askinforabaskin]

Currently 29 weeks.

Nursery is decorated and we’ll be putting up the furniture this week.

When do people normally start washing baby’s clothes?

Don’t want to drip feed, but will be having scans every week from now and if placenta declines then baby will be delivered early. So could potentially be facing NICU time. So don’t want to leave it too late and not do it in time and be rushing between NICU visits. I have lots of well meaning family members who would do it, but I obviously want to organise it myself.

But equally don’t want to wash it all now and by time March rolls around it’s not nice and fresh and I’ve got to do it all again.

Also cheeky bonus question: when should I start pulling the hospital bag together?

I started washing about 32 weeks I think but I don't think you can really do it too early! Packed by hospital bag last week at 35 weeks but better to have it done too soon than need to rush and do it last min!

In the nicest possible way, if the clothes are washed now and dried properly before you put them away they will still be clean when baby arrives.

I didn't even know you were supposed to wash the clothes. Was merrily using vests and babygros straight from the packets

I didn't wash them before wearing.

I never did

Why would you wash clothes? I never did.

I never washed new baby clothes.

Agree with this. Get it done now if the remaining 10 weeks are likely to be stressful. I’m not really sure what could happen to clean clothes sat in a draw to make them require a wash again.

I didn't bother. Apparently it's a thing these days. It just seems like unnecessary work to me.

Oh I loved doing this for mine. It was like a little ritual. I lovingly washed and dried everything, then stood and ironed it all, knowing full well it was the first and last time any of it would see an iron in our house 🤣 But it felt nice and made me feel connected to the baby, imagining a little body filling those tiny little outfits soon. Very exciting. Congratulations, OP! Hope all goes smoothly for you.

I didn't wash anything. I packed my bag in labour

Never. Nicest straight out of the packet.

I'm glad other people have said they didn't. I used everything straight from the packet 😂

Oh god, I didn't bother either- I'm waiting for someone to come along and say all of the germs and chemicals etc - but with my first I didn't have time and then twins and there was so much. Just folded them away 🫢

If you knew anything about the manufacturing process you would wash all your clothes before you wear them, never mind kids stuff. its properly grim.

Why not start now OP as you're worried about early delivery? What's stopping you? Do wash them - they are covered in horrible chemicals from the manufacturing process, so pre-washed is much nicer.

P.S. you do know that baby shouldn't sleep in that nursery until 6 months?

I never washed anything and my dh left my hospital bag in the house when I was admitted.....

I’ve raised 5 kids into adulthood without ever washing their new clothes. I’ve never heard of anyone else doing so in the real world either.

Yeh DD won’t be sleeping in the nursery until she is 6 months, we don’t have enough storage room in our room for much of her clothes (probably a basket of vests and baby grows under the next to me cot thing).

My mum did think I was mad when I said I’d have to wash the clothes first. I can’t remember where I got this idea from? I just assumed everyone did, but evidently not. Some stuff is second hand, so will definitely be washing that. I’m more bothered about outfits that have been hanging rather than baby grows out of packets.

You won't know what size they'll be, if you've got lots some may not get worn. Potentially could be exchanged.

I'd wash a few bits now and do the rest when they're here.

With my child she was 2 weeks late 8lb 4, she'd doubled her weight within 12 weeks and so many washed outfits were just not worn.

I wish you all the best xx

I washed all the clothes for my first born.

For my third I was ripping baby grows out of packets with my teeth and putting her in them directly 😂

I never washed before wearing. You don't know what size baby will be in so you won't be able to swap clothes for bigger sizes if you washed them.

I have never washed my clothes or my children’s before wearing. That way madness lies. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before this thread. If I bought second hand, then I would.

I never washed new clothes, though some I bought second hand I did.
Put your bag together after 32 weeks, leave it by the door ready to grab.
By the way my baby was born early and spent five days in NICU- just had a few baby grows for her.

Wash the second hand stuff but keep the new stuff with tags on. My baby was so big he was straight into 3-6 clothes (11lb7!) but I had ripped off all the tags and washed the smaller stuff so it was not returnable. I could have sent it back or at least exchanged it