Do we really have to do all this washing...

[Writerwannabe83]

Various people have told me that whatever I buy for the baby has to be washed before I can use it i.e all the clothes, the baby towels and all the bedding for the cot/crib/moses baskets.

Is it really necessary or jus tone of those tales that gets passed from person to person and so everyone juat assumes it has to be done...

I have got so, so, so many clothes for this baby already - including 2nd hand ones donated to me from my friend who had her baby 8 months ago - and the thought of having to wash them all.... well....is it really necessary??

If so then obviously I will, I just wasn't sure if it was a MUST or an optional choice and what the reason for it is??

[PinklePurr]

Brand new - nope.
Passed down - I did.

[LegoCaltrops]

Brand new - no.
Second hand - yes.
Towels - yes, because they can shed fluffy fibres, washing helps remove them.

[AnythingNotEverything]

You don't have to. Lots of people do, lots of people don't. It's entirely up to you.

I did. And I took a photo of it all hanging on the line in the sunshine.

Babies really don't need that many clothes. DD is 15 weeks and if I washed everything that currently fits I think it would only be one load. It's not that arduous.

[Honeysweet]

Cot etc definitely. Partly but not exclusively because if the baby died, I would always wonder whether I should have washed everything in it.
Towels. I probably would.
Clothes. I wouldnt unless would be worn up to say 3 months.

[Dollybird86]

Brand new -Yes
I have worked in lots of clothes shops and what happens to clothes on the shop floor is awful especially on children departments. They get thrown on the floor stood on ran over with rails and pushchair they get touched by lots of dirty hands and are kept in dirty and dusty environments.

They also spray new clothes with chemical so they look new and the fabric wrinkles less when they pack them into crates.

[notoneforselfies]

Brand new - yes. You don't know yet if your baby will have sensitive skin and brand new clothing contains some chemicals from factory that may irritate, and often aren't stored brilliantly in stock rooms in shops etc.

[Nocomet]

Nope, unless they have been in some ones loft.

[SomethingkindaOod]

First child yes. Everything in the mildest most expensive soap possible, separated into bed linen, clothes, vests etc.
Other 2, nope!
Anything from a charity shop does get washed though.

[Rootvegetables]

New clothes are sprayed with chemicals including anti fungal and things to keep moths etc off like pesticides. I wash everything new for everyone! Just put in in a quick wash setting for a rinse.

[moobaloo]

I will be washing everything, new and second hand, but more because I really want to and I want to take pictures of it all on the line and iron it all and put it all away really neatly in my new baby clothes tubs and on the tiny hangers even I can tell this is my PFB and I won't be doing the same with number 2!

I would definitely wash brand new things, not as much second hand if I knew where they came from as a friend passing things on would probably have washed them since the last time they were used and if they smell nice then that's fine by me! But I would wash from charity shop/car boot etc.

[lucy101]

Yes everything! Well I do because if the fungicides and other chemicals on new clothes and would always wash second hand just in case they have been sitting around. Eczema here so we are extra vigilant.

[mrsmugoo]

I have washed everything - I wanted it to smell nice and fresh and of clean laundry rather than that chemical "new clothes" smell.

[purplebaubles]

I know someone who has just washed 3 loads full of new baby clothes.

How ridiculous!

The baby isn't even due for another 3 months, and she has nooo idea what size he's going to be when he does appear. She's probably just wasted a ton of money washing clothes he's too big for!!!

I would say....wash...but only when the baby is here! Don't take tags off etc, you might have to take them back.

[PenguinsDontEatKale]

I am the other way round to lots of people. I would wash brand new clothes, but I would assume that anyone I trusted to give me baby clothes would have given them a wash and kept them clean (unless I was warned that they hadn't had a chance after taking them out of the loft or whatever) so I wouldn't wash second hand.

[PenguinsDontEatKale]

Oh, but agree with purple, only once you know that they will definitely be used. You can't return what's been washed.

[mel0dy]

Not being able to return stuff is a really good point-I was jabbering on about my distaste for gendered baby clothes and the Midwife told us about a couple who'd been told they were getting a girl. They bought pile and piles of pink stuff, washed it all and removed the labels - then they got a boy! He was wearing "Daddy's little Princess" babygrows for a fortnight and they had mountains of stuff to resell/give away.

[HopeS01]

Yes! Wash everything. Tiny babies have very sensitive skin, is it worth the risk?

I didn't realise 3 loads was excessive, I've done 5/6 loads of baby washing in the last month and I didn't find it a bother at all. Actually, I enjoyed it. I also washed the clothes I plan on wearing for the first few weeks (nursing vests and tops that he will be in contact with) in the same non bio washing powder.

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

I don't wash anything given to me by my sister, I trust her to give me clean things. I don't wash anything new either. But I have Rhino skin and rhino babies and never had a problem.

[BEEwitched]

I only have new stuff and I'm going to wash everything - that nasty chemical smell isn't nice, I hate to wear new clothes that haven't been washed yet, I certainly wouldn't want my baby to wear his clothing with that stink still clinging to them.

[SweetPeaPods]

I washed everything.
Old stuff especially as had been sitting in boxes for over 6m.
New stuff as I like to wash my bedding, towels etc before using.
But I'm weird and ironed everything too. It's not just a PFB think I'm pg with dc2 and will do it all again.

[SomethingOnce]

I agree with washing new stuff well due to the chemicals that clothes are treated with. I once had an itchy skin reaction after sleeping on brand new bed sheets that hadn't been washed first and I wouldn't want that, especially for a newborn.

I'd probably freshen up everything else on a 30 degree wash with Ecover non-bio or delicate liquid.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

Yes I washed everything, and I still do as DS has eczema.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

I did - but then again, washing every scrap of baby stuff we owned still only amounted to one load so it was hardly an effort.

If I had somehow obtained such vast quantities of stuff that I needed multiple loads, I would probably have done it as and when I needed it once the baby arrived.

[Slh122]

I washed everything, both brand new and second hand. DS is 3 weeks old and often gets given clothing as gifts from my mum, etc. I wash it all before he wears it.
As mentioned up thread, clothes in shops are sprayed with chemicals to make them stay 'fresher' for longer.
I also have a lot of skin allergies and my dermatologist told me my baby was at higher risk of having skin issues so I wash everything in the detergent that's good for my sensitive skin just in case because I'd hate for him to get eczema/skin problems.

[IglooisnowinSheffield]

I have for all three

I enjoyed getting everything ready while in mat leave I ironed it too

I washed everything until they were around 3 month, they have no skin problems or any allergies.