New mummies may be surprised at how quickly babies are going through the wardrobe with their spit-ups, diaper leaks and milk stains.
But fret not, here are some tips to make the growing loads of laundry seem like a walk in the park:
1. Remove all the tags and stickers from new clothes
Many friends and family like to give clothes as gifts since babies outgrow them fairly quickly.
When washing, it’s important to look through all your baby’s new clothes and remove the tags, labels and especially stickers. If stickers are left on clothes, the adhesive could melt into certain materials and leave a permanent mark on your baby’s adorable new outfits.
2. Read the care labels before washing
It’s essential to read the care labels of each garment before the first wash.
Most baby garments are made of cotton and can be washed with a Cottons wash program. For infants with sensitive skin, use the AllergyPlus program to effectively remove allergens from baby laundry.
There are also baby clothes which need to be washed by hand and are unsuitable for tumble drying, so it's important to remember which items you need to set aside.
3. Use a separate laundry hamper for your baby’s clothes
With everything else that’s going on, you might lose track of when your baby’s clothes are due for a wash and the last thing you want during a diaper leak is to find out that you’re down to your last onesie.
Having a laundry hamper just for your baby’s clothes is an easy way to know when it’s time to do laundry and you save time by not having to sort through the whole family’s laundry to find tiny items like socks and bibs.
4. Use fragrance-free or dye-free laundry detergent
There are many brands out there that offer laundry detergents that are specifically made for babies and young children. These special detergents usually have a milder formulation to ensure that a baby's delicate skin isn't aggravated or irritated.
5. Utilise the dryer
If you don't have a dryer yet, think about investing in one if you need to wash and dry more than one load of laundry everyday.
It will soon be your new best friend and make your additional laundry duties more manageable. It’ll also come in handy later when your child starts toilet-training and you find that you’re running out of bedsheets in the middle of the night. With a dryer, you can have clean, dry sheets in approximately two hours.
With these simple tips, doing the laundry won’t seem like such a daunting task anymore and you’ll be able to enjoy snuggling with your baby in his fresh-smelling, clean-as-a-whistle outfits.