So this weekend we got the first set of baby clothes we ordered... they are soooo cute! I want to start washing stuff and putting it away but then got to thinking. Do I need to use a special baby laundry detergent or can I use the regular Tide I use for my clothes? Also, can I throw that stuff in the dryer or will they shrink to mouse size?
Sorry if these are silly questions, just not sure! What do you guys think?
Re: Washing baby clothes questions
Most gals around here use a free/clear brand like All, but I've never used a special brand for any of our babies (other than for my cloth diapers). And I've never really had an issue with shrinkage.
My recommendation though, would be to save some of your newborn sizes & don't wash them or take the tags off. Just incase the baby is on the bigger size or grows very fast, then you can take them back and exchange them for a bigger size.
I would use anything with "Free and Clear" on the label. I use Tide Free & Clear.
You can put them in the dryer, but don't use dryer sheets... I've read that it ruins the flame-retardant properties that some baby clothes have
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I also have the honest company laundry detergent, but have yet to use it. I'm probably just going to stick with tide but we'll see.
Also use a free and clear detergent. But, I also react to regular detergents so it's what I use normally.
I also wouldn't wash the newborn clothes yet. I know a few stories of people who washed everything and then couldn't return anything when the baby was bigger than expected.
We didn't wash or prep anything before DD was born (we didn't have anything anyway 'cause of superstitions). It is really simple and fast to get it all organized when the time comes so don't worry if you don't have an entire wardrobe washed and folded.
Make a pregnancy ticker
And for drying, read the directions on the tags. Most say to dry on low heat.
Stay away from liquid?? Doesn't make any sense at all, in my opinion it is easier on a washer then powder... what your landlord doesn't know wont hurt her....
Actually, many regular liquid detergents will state on the package that they aren't suitable for frontloading washers. Powder generally works better in frontloaders. But if your detergent is highefficiency, OP, and you aren't using too much, then I can't see why it would matter.
As far as things that can or can't go in the dryer, I put all of my stuff in the dryer. But if there's something fancy or whatever, just read the tag or print. It should tell you whether or not it's ok.