Tell Fairy Non Bio your experience of keeping clean with a baby - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

As part of our partnership with Fairy Non Bio, we’ve produced the Mumsnet Babies Podcast. There are ten episodes in the series, and so far we’ve released five. Episode five is about keeping clean, and you can listen to it here. Fairy Non Bio would like you to listen to the podcast whenever you can and then discuss your thoughts and experiences of keeping clean with a new baby.

Cleanliness is something that can be easy to worry about with a tiny new baby: from keeping them safe from external germs, to dealing with their own. Have you found that you’ve become too attached to antibacterial hand gel, or worried about all the things they could catch? And, with some dirt being important for developing an immune system, what did you decide was clean enough for your baby?

Of course, baby’s also produce a lot of germs - perhaps you have tips for dealing with baby poo where it shouldn’t be? Or any advice for a cleaner feeding time? And, in terms of your baby’s personal hygiene, do you find that they need to be bathed every evening? Or do you bathe them less often to ease skin conditions like eczema?

Perhaps things have changed as your LO has gotten older? Do you worry more about keeping your house clean once they’re crawling? What level of home cleanliness do you consider acceptable? Do you have advice on making your home look cleaner than it maybe is for visitors?

Whatever your experience with keeping clean and a new baby, share this below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Lots of wipes. I know it's bad for the environment and that does play on my mind, but it's very quick and I feel that it's more hygienic than re using cloths.

baby wipes usually suffice. lol... anti bac for major things i guess. we just go with the flow ....

I have never used anti bac gel except when visiting people in hospital. Baths every few days for kids or when they look like they need it, whichever comes first. Obviously some days that means two or three dunkings a day. But only with water, usually. I shower on average once every 24-36 hours, more in summer. House is clean to average. We're all healthy and fortunate. I spend a huge amount of time encouraging my kids to get dirty and have adventures. They are naturally cautious so I'm often to be found pushing them to swim in lakes or pick up insects or climb trees.....odd way round I know.

Gosh we've never had that high standards of cleanliness (if I'm honest!) and DD has always been fine. When she was a baby we did sterilise her bottles til 6 months, but not after that. She was a really robust baby, just the usual coughs and colds so hopefully it was all ok!!

Baby wipes and antibacterial hand gel in car and handbag

i used baby wipes for everything, and also bathed baby daily, probably a little OTT when they were younger but were always clean and never ill

I kept things really simple and found a gentle, natural soap and warm water dealt with most of my baby's needs. And washable cloths are cheaper and better for the environment than disposable wipes and just need a good non-bio detergent to keep them clean and lasting for months.

We all survived with loads of dirt and no anti bacterial sprays etc - hot water and soap works well enough

I keep it simple with regular bath times and use babywipes regularly in between so as to deal with all types of mess

baby wipes - mine are 10 and 11 now - and I STILL use them!!!

Just basic hot water and soap for general cleaning, Floors hoovered every day, mopped every 2 or 3days and bedding changed at least weekly

Hand washing is my number one priority. As soon as we come in from outside, come in from nursery and school, before and after eating and obviously after the loo.

I have always been a clean and tidy person, but the hand washing has definitely escalated since the children came along.

I know they say germs help build up a child's immune system but I have OCD so I always dettol everything , bath my kids twice a day and take spare clothing with me everywhere , everything is washed and cleaned several times a day , my children like to clean aswell and like to be clean once you get your children into a routine it's nice and easy to stay on top of everything.

I'm a big fan of exposing them as early as possible to normal living conditions as they have to go out into the big wide (germy) world soon enough. I'm always armed with baby wipes and obviously keep the house clean and tidy, but no more so than before I had kids and I'm certainly not obsessive about it.

Antibacterial wipes and sprays on surfaces theyll use.

Remember the golden rule - baby will put anything and everything in its mouth - so need to keep everything clean or out of reach

I always carry a small bottle of antibacterial gel in my handbag when we are out and about, and use it before eating sandwiches when we are having a packed lunch. For everyday 'stickiness' and messy mouths it's baby wipes.

for messy mouths and sticky hands I use a cotton flannel which I have put in a little warm water to wipe down. I am very conscious the the antibac products can kill good bacteria too, and it is important t build up an immune system. We use baby wipe travel packs for being out and about.

Best present ever - washing machine from parents-in-law.

I have always followed basic levels of cleanliness - soap and water, cotton wool, soft flannels. I have always kept the house clean and tidy but not obsessively so. When babies are crawling I have made sure I do a quick mop each day.

I remember being appalled by just how leaky new babies were - both ends! (OK, terry nappies and plastic pants maybe weren't so efficient, but I was skint, determined to help the planet and was given a load of great quality ones!) I soon became less fanatical about complete clothing changes when we got through 15 babygros in 24 hours. Any little / easily rubbed mark mattered far less!

Keeping me and DS clean was impossible: reflux, constant upset tummy, throwing up during feeds...what a joyous time . He hated baths too so they didn't really feature on a regular basis until he was nearly a year old. I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd received a hamper of perfumes, deodorants and Vanish for his first Christmas!

Looking back, I realise I should just have accepted what was best for him had nothing to do with what was written in a book instead of wondering if mine was the only baby that didn't have a calming bath routine every evening.

I always tried not to be too obsessed with hygiene because I really do believe a little bit of dirt is good for kids but I did always keep some antibacterial wipes with me for wiping down the high chair and the play mat.

I am a very clean person and could not cope with anything being out of line in the house but since having my little one, she has made me come round to a little mess. Definitely a good thing! Although I definitely seem to keep the messy foods to a minimum, I don't think I'm quite there to the whole "just let it be" thing yet! :P

As DS is now on solids but hasn't mastered eating neatly he gets bathed everyday, however I found that using bubble bath started giving him eczema so I've switched to a sponge and bar soap and I think it is definitely getting better (or at least not getting worse!)