Prewashing

designermusings

So, my dresser is here. I can now start pre-washing the newborn size clothes and organizing. The question is: cold water, hot water, warm water, air dry, line dry? Suggestions?

Cheebe

What do the clothes say?  Most of mine said cold and you need to use a free and clear detergent and no softener.

Myheart1297

go by what the clothes say. I wash everything in cold water and dry on low but that's me.

Myheart1297

Cheebe:

What do the clothes say?  Most of mine said cold and you need to use a free and clear detergent and no softener.

I agree with this too and also no dryer sheets.

BeachM

I generally wash all clothes in cold, so that's what I did with baby clothes.  I dried them on the low/gently setting with the hopes they wouldn't shrink too much.

I used Target's brand of free & clear detergent.

Allie30

I always wash in cold water anyway, unless I'm JUST doing a load of DH's undershirts. I've never noticed a significant difference. I also always use ALL Free & Clear. And I always dry on low.

Guess what? Softener and dryer sheets are a racket. You don't need them! If you really think you must, you can add a half cup of baking soda to your wash and you get soft, static free and scent-free clothing for SUPER cheap and no gross chemicals or animal by products (softener sheets are made with rendered animal fat). 

(Note, I've tried vinegar and the smell remained, and I've even tried those spiky dryer balls -- baking soda works best.)

Mt2G1012

I wash everything in cold, except sheets and towels get washed in hot.  I use all free and clear and no softener or dryer sheets.  I dry on medium heat.  With baby clothes, I wash in cold and dry on low heat to prevent shrinking.  Now that they have been washed and dried once, they will probably get washed with all of our clothes and so from here on out will be dried on medium heat.

hewinked

Pretty much ditto to everyone else.  I usually wash everything on cold.  I turn the clothes inside out if there is some kind of print on the front.  I use All Free & Clear.  I dry on low and no dryer sheets. 

designermusings

Thanks all for your replies. My mom (crazy first time grandma) splurged in Dreft because she said it smelled like baby. I use free and clear for all our clothes anyway and I will make a note about the dryer sheets and the baking soda -- GREAT TIP. Laundry starts now.

Allie30

designermusings:

Thanks all for your replies. My mom (crazy first time grandma) splurged in Dreft because she said it smelled like baby. I use free and clear for all our clothes anyway and I will make a note about the dryer sheets and the baking soda -- GREAT TIP. Laundry starts now.

I bought a huge thing of Dreft because I thought I "had to" and then I found out the stuff I'd been using (All Free and Clear) was fine. Oh well. Dreft it is until we run out. ;-) Which people keep telling me will be SOON.