What do you wash?! {STM question}

krystleshel · May 2015

I'm wondering what I should start washing/have ready for baby? I've heard not to wash a bunch of things in case baby is bigger than NB size. All the blankets & such?

47923ang · May 2015

FTM here, but here's what I did.

I washed any clothes we got secondhand (nowhere to return those). I washed some of the new clothes, but not all. Because of the secondhand stuff, I probably have 20 NB things washed for my twins. Probably 20 size 0-3 also.

I'm also thinking that because they are twins, they are more likely to be in NB sizes.

I washed a drawer full of blankets (some were hand me downs, some were new), all my crib sheets (3 sets), mattress protectors, most burp cloths (again, a lot of hand me downs).

lovethatcolosun · May 2015

I have all my sheets, swaddle blankets, burp cloths, and size 0-3 cloths washed. I also got about 10 NB onesies from a consignment sale all washed up. The other NB outfits I got at my sprinkle I left the tags on until I know LO's weight at birth.

laurendutch · May 2015

423ang said:
FTM here, but here's what I did.

I washed any clothes we got secondhand (nowhere to return those). I washed some of the new clothes, but not all. Because of the secondhand stuff, I probably have 20 NB things washed for my twins. Probably 20 size 0-3 also.

I'm also thinking that because they are twins, they are more likely to be in NB sizes.

I washed a drawer full of blankets (some were hand me downs, some were new), all my crib sheets (3 sets), mattress protectors, most burp cloths (again, a lot of hand me downs).

My twins were 6 lbs and 6lbs6oz and wore newborn for 7 weeks.

I washed all hand me downs, blankets, sheets. I only bought two outfits in newborn size, everything else was given to me or just plain white onesies from my boys.

a_bushey · May 2015

I completely ignored this with our first. I knew I would not have time to return new clothing that was too small (it would be easier to just donate or hand down to someone else) and I didn't want to be left in a pickle if I was short on clean blankets, burp clothes, etc. I washed everything ahead of time, then sorted and stored them in bins or spacebags by size. Made life so much easier when she started growing out of and into clothing. I'm doing the same thing with this one too. Since it's a boy and our first is a girl, I am washing everything we buy and/or receive, keeping anything gender neutral from our DD (the rest is going to a friend who just had a girl), and putting it away for the future.

HoosOnFirst · May 2015

Like others, I washed all clothes from NB to 3 month, all blankets, bibs, bedding, burp clothes and similar items. Basically anything I thought I might need in the first weeks when I have no brainpower or initiative to drag laundry to the basement

ElRuby · May 2015

I just spent over an hour cutting tags off of clothes and blankets up to 3 months... Then DS organized them into piles... Hopefully the laundry will be done soon!

delujm0 · May 2015

FTM but i washed all blankets, burp cloths, swaddles, crib sheets and mattress pads, changing pad covers, bibs, mittens, socks, hats, towels, and washcloths. I also washed all of the size NB and 0-3 clothes that we got.

We also have two Preemie size onesies that i washed. DH was born 3 days late and still well under 6lbs, so he was in preemie clothes at first and then NB clothes for over 2 months. I was on the smaller side of average at 7lbs 1oz. And the baby has thus far measured right on track developmentally but in the 27th percentile for actual size (apparently with a "small head and short little legs" according to a scan at 26 weeks) so i suspect she'll be wearing NB clothes for at least a few weeks, if not a month or more. :-)

HayesRN13 · May 2015

Omg detaching tags/hangers and stickers took me over an hour! I washed everything, however I didn't splurge on a bunch of newborn size (like 8 things) mainly 3 months and up.. I found after drying, the newborns look like premie and if he is at all his fathers child, well that just won't be happening

ElRuby · May 2015

TIP: close all Velcro before washing or you will end up with snags and clothes stuck together!!!

Zeuskay01 · May 2015

I'm glad I read this thread because I was definitely planning on washing absolutely everything. I never would've thought to not wash the brand new items in case I don't use them...great idea! FTM here doesn't think like that lol

casey06022015 · May 2015

I'm so dumb and washed EVERYTHING. Then at my doctors apt yesterday she said baby will be around 8 lbs so there goes all my little newborn clothes. Whoops! Oh well. Maybe the doctor will be off?

ElRuby · May 2015

casey06022015 said:
I'm so dumb and washed EVERYTHING. Then at my doctors apt yesterday she said baby will be around 8 lbs so there goes all my little newborn clothes. Whoops! Oh well. Maybe the doctor will be off?

My son was 9.3 and he wore newborn for first few days... They lose some weight before coming home and a lot of 0-3 is too big for the first few days... But you won't get too much use out of them...

ktjohnson87 · May 2015

I washed almost everything with my first. I had bought way too much newborn with him though. This time we have like 6 newborn things. Washing everything. I have little organizer totes for her changing table that I will keep all ready for use things.

klkonwi · May 2015

FTM. I washed hand me downs. Still have tags on the clothes we got at the shower. I'm just too tired/lazy to detag and wash the new right now.

msahinoglu · May 2015

I washed everything. I just wanted it done.

HoosOnFirst · May 2015

Also gripe here: good god how mind-numbingly boring is it to cut tags off of clothes? I honestly would have rather done anything else. And the laundry itself. I need to fold it all and put into drawers and I keep putting it off.

niknak1208 · May 2015

This is our third and unplanned. It's a boy and our son is 6 so I have already gotten rid of all his stuff. I mostly resale shopped so I washed everything. Our master bdrm is in the basement and that's where the pack n play is set up. So I have clean stuff down there and upstairs.

Maggie0908 · May 2015

I thought about keeping the tags on but then thought-I'll likely need the NB stuff and do I really want to deal with washing a bunch of laundry with a new baby? And realistically (for the same reason) will I be up for going to exchange it? It seemed like such a hassle id rather wash it all and then donate if not needed. I also washed all the sheets, blankets, swaddles, towels, washcloths. And only clothes I washed were NB/0-3 because we don't have the dresser built yet. But as soon as it is I'll keep on washin'!

katester91 · May 2015

I washed everything. I didn't get many clothes at my baby shower but the things that I did get didn't have receipts anyway so I wouldn't have known where to return them. You can never have to many clothes! At least that's the philosophy I use for myself lol.

a_bushey · May 2015

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but one thing I also noticed with our DD is that sizing of baby clothes also varies. Even when they state certain weight and length ranges, they can be off and the fit depends on the baby just like it does for us. Our DD is 12 months and on the small size, but has a hard time wearing 12 month fitted pants due to her ham hock thighs, heehee. It's like me trying to find jeans I like when I'm NOT pregnant, lol!

Based on both personal experience and what friends have shared with me many store brands (Garanimals from Walmart, Falls Creek from Meijer, Route 66 from K-Mart and Babies R Us from Babies R Us) seem to run small. Jumping Beans from Kohl's may not be pre-washed and tend to shrink a little. Osh Kosh, Carters, Healthtex and other traditional brands seem to stay true to their sizes.

Thought it might be something to also take into consideration when trying to consider what to wash, etc.

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