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

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Im not too strict as my two seem to attract dirt! I deep clean one a week and a quick wipe over the rest of the time

Apart from cleaning the potty with antibacterial spray/wipes no different

My house before children was show home standard. My standards have dropped.. I tend to think a bit of dirt is good, clothes are for enjoying life in and if they get dirty that's why we have a washing machine. I'm so much more relaxed about mess since I had my second child.

I clean regularly bathroom and kitchen the most. The floor have to be clean, not dust on furniture. I don't need cleaning because of visitors because all is done frequently.

I think I worry more about my 6 year old than I do my 1 year old and newborn. My 6 year old is always falling over scraping his knees/elbows etc and he can't help picking his scabs which leads me to worry about what might be in his dirty fingernails!

I always kept the floor clear of clutter and mopped once a day (wiping spills as I went)

I got a tad anal with my newborn and cleaning - I would obsessively ensure everyone that touched my child had washed their hands first, and I would use antibacterial wipes a lot! I calmed down as my kid got older, but I still have wet wipes in my bag for the odd quick clean!

I've just taken a common sense approach. We have 5 DC and my standards have probably slipped with each one. There's no point in killing myself to keep my house germ free, when the world outside our front door definitely isn't. One thing I'm fastidious about though is clean hands. We use an antibacterial hand wash and I've always tried to avoid people holding my baby's hands.

Clean bedding every week, hoover every day aswell as dettol-ing worktops tables etc where food is prepared, keep ontop of toilets daily and mopping of floors but do let 2.5 year old play and get dirty as its healthy to have some germs, he has clean clothes every day (smelling of fairy conditioner) and a bath every night as like him to smell nice 😊 when he was a baby i would carry milton wipes in baby bag but not now his immune system is built up, new baby due any day now and ill probably be more relaxed with him - 2nd child syndrome 😂 xx

I made a big effort not to get obsessed with cleanliness when my DC was a baby because I knew I'd end up anxious all the time. I used Milton fluid where necessary but mainly just kept things clean with good old soap and water and didn't stress about dirt too much because I knew he needed to build up god immune system.

I've always been more of a mind that exposure to a certain level of bacteria seems to help immune systems so have never gone cleaning crazy insisting everything is scrubbed to within an inch of its life. My children suffer with eczema so we have to be careful what clothes are washed in, what soaps they use etc. I do have to keep an eye on my youngest as she sucks her fingers and she is the one who most likes playing in soil so we are ever vigilant for the state of her fingers before she sucks them!

We've got a dog and 2 cats, so it's important for me to vacuum at least twice a day otherwise my hardwood floors look like carpet!

I wipe the main surfaces daily with antibacterial cleaner, and clean the bath, sink and toilet daily.

I think I'm quite relaxed, but I do go crazy before guests come because I don't want them to judge me!

Coconut oil, lavender and water for washing and moisturising and non bio washing powder for their clothes. Both of them smell amazing and have beautiful skin.

When dd was a new born I was ott about hygiene and used antibacterial wipes on everything, including all her toys. I hated her playing with toys at playgroup too as they looked so grubby. Then when she learnt to crawl, I took my eyes off her for 2 minutes and then found her licking the sole of my muddy shoe I figured after this that I didn't need to be so worked up over using anti bacterial wipes, but I did always make sure I had baby wipes handy when we were out etc as they come in so handy!
And I always, always carry a spare set of clothes with me even if we're 'not going to be 'long', as you never know what might happen!!

DS1 got a bath every night, DD2 gets one when she needs one!
I learnt to relax a bit by the second time round and both seem fine so far!

I've never been much of an extremist with cleaning. We don't own any anti bac hand gels and my daughter has eaten dirt and maybe even a worm. She's never once been poorly and she's 2. I did the whole sterelising bottles and high chair trays when she was younger though as I had been told to do that. She has a bath every other night. Once she got older I have become much more laid back with keeping everything spotless.

Definitely a more relaxed position the more kids you have!! I figure if I Hoover daily and the kitchen / bathrooms are clean other mess can wait!!

I've always used anti-bacterial spray around the home & on changing mats etc. I always keep ant-bacterial gel in my handbag & a packet of baby wipes handy.

Our house isn't the cleanest, but it isn't filthy. I don't have time to keep it perfectly clean and neither does DH. Even if we did, I don't think either of us would be inclined to be using antibacterial spray all over the place and keeping it sterile. I do however bleach the bath every time DS does a poo in it.

Dettol-style wipes for the highchair after most meals, but definitely once a day.

We pack waterwipes for any 'outside' dirt, and keep hand antibac wipes in the car glove compartment for any dirt-related emergencies... after we had an unfortunate dog poo incident.

Laundry-wise; once a week with non-bio. Bedding gets done at 70.

Keep the house pretty clean; probably hoover every other day or ad hoc when required. Mop once a week, and spot-clean anything with dustpan and brush / floor wipes. Clear, clutter-free surfaces and fresh flowers are my top tips for fooling visitors into believing you've just finished a hefty cleaning schedule (although, jokes aside, I do have a weekly cleaning rota to ensure everything gets done).

I'm strict about food prep areas and high chair trays - antibac spray or wipe several times a day. Not so much cleaning floors and hoovering (mostly because of all the plastic tat in the way! ). All wee/poo spills get antibacced too. Luckily my 2 both seem to have hardy immune systems and rarely get unwell.

Baths every night, and a proper hot cloth wipe down of hands, faces and high chairs after each meal, but not madly fussed beyond that. Certainly don't like the slow creep of everything being antibacterial.

Thanks all for posting! The winner of the prize draw is @Byrdie