When, How, and Why: Pre-Washing Your Baby's Clothes

During pregnancy, many new mums and dads find themselves bombarded with advice, tips, and guidelines on caring for their baby once it arrives. From sleeping to feeding to nappy changes and more, that doesn't even include what needs to be done before the baby arrives.

Feeling overwhelmed? We're not surprised! And while we may not be able to wave a magic wand and instil you with the knowledge and wisdom it takes to raise a child, we can offer some helpful hints on a few things instead. Keep reading to learn when, how, and why you need to wash a baby's clothes before they're born.

When?

We recommend washing your baby's new clothes before the first wear, even if you've only just brought them home from the shops. The last few weeks before the baby arrives is a great time to do this, and once washed, store the clothes away until you are ready to use them!

Why?

Your baby's skin is very delicate, as it is made up of fewer (and thinner) layers than adult skin. The clothes that you buy for your new arrival can easily pick up allergens, dirt, and other irritants during their journey home from the warehouse or shop. So, given how sensitive your baby's skin will be, it only makes sense to give the clothes a gentle wash before they wear them.

How?

And now on to the good stuff— how to wash your baby's clothes correctly! Knowing that a baby's skin is delicate and sensitive and that dirty clothes can irritate it, you should follow careful guidelines.

1. Be gentle

Using a gentle detergent is essential, not just for this first wash, but for every wash after it too. We recommend our laundry range because it was designed especially for a baby's sensitive skin!! A non-bio detergent will ensure that your baby's clothes are clean and fresh, but potential irritants won't cling to them like biological detergents. 

Try our Laundry Lover non-bio liquid detergent for a gentle first-wash, and keep using it for tough, everyday stains too! We use only 13 ingredients for our Laundry Lover— and it's free from skin-irritating allergen, enzymes, optical brighteners, and dyes. 

2. Use a gentle fabric conditioner

Yes, you can use a fabric softener on your baby's clothes, even for that first wash. Fabric conditioners are great for helping to keep fabrics snuggly soft and smelling great, although you should always check your garment label in case conditioner is not recommended. And again, go for a non-bio version.

Try our fabric softener, Cuddle Lover, for a glorious baby-soft finish for your kiddo's new clothes. This has been specially made for baby clothes and fabrics, leaving them looking like new, wash after wash.

Like all our other products, we use plant-based ingredients that won't irritate your baby's skin, and one bottle will last you up to 70 washes— so get those tiny vests and let's go!

For stains… 

Once the baby arrives, keep up with the gentle non-bio detergents and softeners. If a garment becomes particularly stained (we predict a nappy explosion or two may be in your future), simply add around 20ml more of the Laundry Lover detergent to your wash, or use the same amount to wash by hand instead.

If you're planning to use cloth nappies, these will need washing in advance, and we recommend our Nappy Lover, a cloth nappy detergent, for a simple way to wash, with no need for extra boosters.

Happy washing!