Washing Baby Clothes

[ThePalindromicOne]

Wanted to see everyone's thoughts on washing baby clothes before they are worn by LO.  Is it truly necessary?  Or is it a bit neurotic?  Am I a fool for considering NOT doing it?
For mobile peeps the choices pretty simple 1) Yes, wash them all, 2) No, I don't bother, 3) I don't know, guide me with this clicky poll, 4) SS

[Deleted]

I never did it with DS's clothes. Most of what I have for this one are hand me downs from friends who have already laundered them so I'm not going to redo it. I doubt I'll wash the new things we get either.

[junch817]

1) I do wash them, but it's probably not necessary. I don't wash DDs clothes anymore before she wears them, and I don't know the magical age where I stopped. Maybe I do it more to soften them up a bit?

PSA - Dreft isn't necessary. It's more expensive and if you use something free and clear of dyes, it should still be good. Of course, every baby reacts differently, but don't assume you need to buy Dreft. We wash everyone's clothes together in All Free & Clear.

[veggiemo]

I did, but it's mostly just to get them to shrink to actual size. I noticed that the Carter's stuff, especially, shrunk like CRAZY.

[tulips114]

Mobile, so can't see the poll, but I wash everything. I wash my own clothes before I wear them, so maybe it's more of just a habit. But I thought I read a study about nasty things being on clothes, even new from the store. So everything gets washed before worn here.

[belle0720]

I was planning to because I thought that you had to. If it isn't necessary, then I won't.

[Widget123]

I did wash a lot of things for DD before she wore them until she was a little older and I was sure she wouldn't have sensitivities to fabric / fabric softener, etc. But I wish I didn't wash as much and left tags on some things because then I could have returned some of the seasonal stuff that she didn't / could barely fit into before it became out of season.

This time, I think I am going to wash some of it, but not all of it.

[kemdupuis]

I wash everything. Clothes, blankets, sheets- I do this with all of my clothes too, so I think it is a habit for me too.

[bendherova]

I washed them, and still generally wash clothes for DS1 before he wears them. (but not my own- no idea why I don't)

And dreft has a nasty perfumy smell to me. we use Tide Free and Clear.

[tiffbot]

I wash all new clothes. Hand me downs are obviously from a good friend and her kids are still young so I assume they are clean.

[erbear]

I was planning on washing all of the consignment store finds we've found but my mom insists on washing everything, so okay, go ahead mom! I've washed a few blankets and clothes MIL bought (they're smokers) in the free and clear I use on our regular laundry.

[leenziepops]

100% wash them all. They get tossed around in a factory, probably some where in China, then carted around and who knows who touches them in the store. Wash it all!

[wifedeangel]

I almost always wash things before I or anyone in the house wears them. All the chemicals and dust and crap on them gross me out. Even if a good friend gives me some hand-me-down stuff I wash it. It's one of my very few "over clean" tendencies.

[alayne926]

I wash everything for babies. For DS, I don't always wash before he wears it. Not sure when I stopped.

[laurenlou83]

I have washed all new clothes we have bought or received for the LO. We have gotten some hand me downs and I washed some that I knew had been stored for awhile. We got a bunch from a friend whose twin boys are only 3 months old -- I knew the NB stuff she gave us was just washed by them and handed over to us, so that stuff I didn't bother washing. I also know she uses free and clear detergent like we do.

I don't always wash clothes I buy for myself first though. I guess I care more about my sons clothes than mine?! ha!

[wormgerm]

Textiles manufacturing is filthy. Absolutely filthy. I will be washing everything not as a germaphobe but as someone skeeved out by chemicals and factory/shipping grime.

[omgtree]

I wash all new clothes. Not only do get rid of factory residue but one of those day time TV shows did a story about poo particles being found on clothes and that grossed me out forever. I also don't use free and clear. I have used arm and hammer F&C in the past and that was awesome but I use gain. DD has no sensitivities and it's the only thing that gets the CD's clean. I also found for any free and clear I had to use twice as much to get clothes clean and it just got super expensive. Plus I love my apple mango tango!!!

[nettje]

I wash all new clothes (and hand me downs). You never know where they've been sitting and for how long. I'm going to wash all of the clothes I already have from DD as they've gone through 2 moves and have been in storage since they were last washed. They have a bit of a stale smell to them.

[Bluedaisy]

Apr 3, 2015 22:28:55 GMT -5 omgtree said:

I wash all new clothes. Not only do get rid of factory residue but one of those day time TV shows did a story about poo particles being found on clothes and that grossed me out forever. I also don't use free and clear. I have used arm and hammer F&C in the past and that was awesome but I use gain. DD has no sensitivities and it's the only thing that gets the CD's clean. I also found for any free and clear I had to use twice as much to get clothes clean and it just got super expensive. Plus I love my apple mango tango!!!






Just needed to say that as a FTM I'm really glad to hear this....I love Gain...it smells so good.  I bought special "baby" detergent but hopefully this little one won't need it.

[wegrowsheep]

New stuff gets washed, stuff I saved from DS in rubbermaid boxes probably not. I use All free and clear since tide giives DS a rash.

[megeliz1]

I did with DD but stopped after like 6-9 ish month clothes. I also rewashed the small sizes that we are reusing even though they have only been stored for less than a year.

[Deleted]

I'm a clothing designer and just knowing what all the clothes go through before they arrive at the selling floor I absolutely wash every thing!!! I do wash in a fragrance free infant friendly detergent

[honeybunches101]

I have heard way too many horror stories about gross things happening to clothing in retail stores, not to mention the manufacturing/shipping process. I am not at all an organic germaphobe type, but this is one thing that is easy to do and I feel is really necessary. Everything will be washed before it is worn. I wash all of my own clothes too, except maybe dry clean only dresses I buy for a wedding in two days. But baby clothes definitely all get washed in a free and clear detergent. I will take tags off and wash things as I need them, so if we don't use something I can potentially exchange it or pass it along to someone else.

[sidneyvicious]

Well, now I'm flashing back to how many times I bought an outfit for myself to wear out that night and left the mall wearing it!!

I'm washing all clothes and bedding for the baby.

[leenziepops]

Apr 5, 2015 22:23:41 GMT -5 sidneyvicious said:

Well, now I'm flashing back to how many times I bought an outfit for myself to wear out that night and left the mall wearing it!!

I'm washing all clothes and bedding for the baby.

I wouldn't care as much for myself. Adult skin isn't so delicate

[mrsmonogrammed]

I'll wash her clothes before she wears them....I had sensitive skin as a kid so I'm not taking any chances. I will probably only wash 0-3 and 3 month clothes before she's here (and whatever newborn outfit we take her home in) until I know that NB stuff will fit her. Then DH or my mom can do a load when we get back to the house;)

[ladymouse]

I washed them before DS wore them until recently. DS gets rashes over random things, and that was one of them - so I recommend pre-washing for at least the first few months. All of DD's clothes have been washed, the newborn clothes twice.

[noeliav]

Wash all the things! Even the stuff that DD outgrew and I washed before putting it away.

To avoid shrinkage, I hang to dry all the kiddos' clothes. I learned this with DD's stuff after it all kept shrinking and shrinking even after first wash. They grow fast enough, I don't need the dryer helping the process