How Can I Wash My Newborn and Baby Clothes?
Written By: Mahir Ozden, Textile Engineer Ph.D.
It's a known fact that Ozmoz Clean&Safe delivers clean and pre-washed baby clothes, so you don't have to worry about laundering them before the first use… But they'll be washed after they are used eventually, like all other clothes.
So, some critical points must be taken care of when laundering your baby's clothes after use.
- Separating clothes:
It is the first care point; do not launder baby clothes with any other clothing of any family members. - Grouping clothes:
To prevent fading or colour bleeding, it is important to separate baby clothes by color and fabric. For example, you should wash whites separately from colours and delicate items separately from heavier ones. Not forget to fasten poppers on the items. - Detergent:
You need to use a mild, hypoallergenic detergent, possibly free of dyes and perfumes.
Least possible chemical compounds are better for baby care. That will help to minimize risk of irritation or future allergies or sickness. (Source #1) Some very common ingredients lie Paraben, SLS, Sulphates, Chlorine are risky for babies due to their immature skin formation. (you may check Environmental Working Group’s EWG website for detailed information about risk factors of such components)
Even you’ll use the “baby” detergent, they have chemicals. (like non-ionic surfactants, amylase, Sodium benzoate etc.) So, not use those in excess, lesser amounts are better. - Softener:
In general, softener use doesn’t advise in baby clothing.
(Textile dermatitis can negatively impact quality of life and function. Aside from textile dyes and finishing resins, laundering products should also be considered. Source #2)
The newborn or baby’s lung development is a vital part of growth, so softener perfumes not good in that perspective. Furthermore, skin touch is critical as mentioned in detergent matter. If the tap water is hard, so a softener is necessary to use, a small portion of “washing soda” can add to the detergent. Or, a baby grade softener can select with minimal perfume and chemicals content. - Washing temperature:
Warm water is enough, no need to use excess temperature because detergents make actual cleaning work. As mentioned above, adding “washing soda” will also boost the detergent’s efficiency.
Using extra hot water, like 60C or more, can cause shrinkage, color fading or damage in accessories, on top of big impact on environmental and energy considerations. (Source #3) - Pre-treatment of stains:
In case of food or burp stains, it is better to pre-treat those areas right after happened or before washing. You can make a diluted solution of detergent (or dish soap) and make the area wet with that solution. This will prevent from stain’s setting-in and keep clothes’ new look for longer period. - Drying:
First, all clothes’ drying advice as hang them, instead of dryer. If dryer use is necessary due to season or location, low or medium heat setting together with the least possible duration (like ironing dryness) is better. High temperatures or longer drying may cause shrinkage or pilling of fabrics; also, extra energy use is in this case not good for environment impact. (Source #3)
In general, it is important to be gentle and have a long-term thinking when washing your baby's clothes. Being gentle is ensured that they stay in good condition and are safe for your baby to wear. Having long-term thinking enable little one healthier in the future.
PS. The unique presentation of Ozmoz Clean&Safe will help parents in their first use; you can be 100% sure that fresh bought Clean&Safe products are cleaner than your home laundering. You can even reuse its bag after it has been opened; because it has a self-lock feature to keep laundered items clean.
References:
Source #1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30500342/
Wang, Ming et al. “Laundry detergents and detergent residue after rinsing directly disrupt tight junction barrier integrity in human bronchial epithelial cells.”
The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology vol. 143,5 (2019): 1892-1903. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2018.11.016
Source #2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31905182/
Bai, Heidi et al. “Contact Allergens in Top-Selling Textile-care Products.”
Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug vol. 31,1 (2020): 53-58. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000566
Source #3 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00968.x
Erik Klint, Lars-Olof Johansson, Gregory Peters, No stain, no pain – A multidisciplinary review of factors underlying domestic laundering, Energy Research & Social Science, 10.1016/j.erss.2021.102442, 84, (102442), (2022).
EWG (Environmental Working Group, since 1993) website www.ewg.org
Author: Mahir Ozden, Textile Engineer (PhD)