4 Questions New Parents Ask About Babies & Cleaning

New parents, it’s okay not to know it all. If you‘ve been calling up mom with questions about whether or not you should rinse your baby’s clothes in vinegar and baking soda, you aren’t the only one!

According to a survey, the average American new parent Googles information six times a day–that’s over 2,000 baby-related questions each year!¹ ECOS is ready to take a few of those questions off your list with these helpful things to know about washing your baby’s clothes, keeping their things clean, and your entire home safer and healthy!

Should I wash my baby’s clothing separately?

Parents, when it comes to this question, the answer truly is up to you. Taking extra care washing your baby’s clothing is an investment in their overall well-being. Babies are especially sensitive to harsh ingredients, and their skin can absorb toxins and chemicals that are found in conventional detergents.

We get it. Doing extra loads of laundry creates more time and work for you. Here are some reasons why doing a baby-only load may make sense for you ²:

1. As we mentioned before, your baby’s sensitive skin – harsh ingredients in some detergents can irritate your baby’s sensitive skin.
2. You use a heavily scented laundry detergent.
3. Your baby goes through A LOT of clothing and linens throughout the day.
4. Someone in your home works with chemicals.
5. You have pets that shed.

If you feel like doing an extra load of laundry each day is simply not feasible for you, what we suggest is switching the entire household to a laundry detergent that’s great for babies and the whole family. Your baby will eventually come into contact with your clothing and other linens in the home. Cuddling, swaddling, laying on your bed, or tummy time on the throw rug. Opt to wash these items in a laundry detergent that’s made without dyes and fragrances and gentle on sensitive skin, like ECOS Free & Clear Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent.

If you need more helpful tips on washing your baby’s clothes, read our guide in the ECOS blog!

How often should I wash my baby’s clothing?

Whether you are on Team Once a Day or Team Once a Week, there is no right or wrong amount of times to wash your baby’s clothing!

What we do recommend is to pre-wash all your baby’s new clothing before they wear them. You may be thinking the clothes are already clean, but pre-washing them in a safer, hypoallergenic laundry detergent can help to eliminate any potential toxins or germs clinging to the fabric from the factory.

There are pros and cons to washing your baby’s clothing once a day or once a week. Once a day may be easier with smaller separate loads using laundry detergent for babies. Babies can go through several outfit changes throughout the day, and if you’re using cloth diapers, those can really pile up! Washing your baby’s clothes once a day will leave you with fresh outfits, diapers, and linens ready to go each day! The drawback is doing laundry every day! Not all parents have easy access to a washer and dryer, so going to a laundromat daily isn’t a feasible option.

Washing weekly eliminates doing laundry every day and allows you to schedule and tackle not just your baby’s laundry but the entire household’s. With stubborn stains on baby clothes, now you have more time to pre-soak! ECOS OxoBrite Multi-Purpose Stain Remover is a powerful mineral-based formula that lifts stains, brightens colors, and whitens whites. It’s also a safer alternative to bleach!

Read up on more washing tips and how to eliminate pesky stubborn stains in our How to Remove Stains from Baby Clothes blog!

Can I use regular hand soap to wash my baby’s hands?

Washing your baby’s hands is a healthy habit to start early on. Think about it: even if your baby isn’t handling crayons just yet, they are practicing those tactile motor skills and putting those adorable germ-carrying fingers into their mouths.

And just like using safer laundry detergent, using a hand soap that contains all the good stuff like natural antioxidants and Vitamin E is the safer choice for your baby!

Wash your baby’s hands using ECOS Hypoallergenic Hand Soap and follow the CDC’s five steps for handwashing ³!

1. Wet your hands in clean, running water. Turn off the tap and apply the hand soap.
2. Lather their hands (and yours!) by rubbing them together.
3. Scrub your baby’s hands for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse off their hands under clean, running water.
5. Dry their hands in a lint-free clean towel or let them air dry.

How should I clean my baby’s toys and other things?

Washing your baby’s clothing isn’t the only thing that needs attention! Babies mouth things. It’s how they begin to develop and explore the world.4 Some of their favorite things to put in their mouth (aside from their fingers!) are their toys!

So what is the best way to clean your baby’s toys? We compiled a list of methods that you can use on water-safe and heat-safe toys!

1. Wash stuffed toys in the washing machine with safer ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent!
2. Scrub your baby’s toys with warm and soapy water! You can use gentle but effective liquid soap like our ECOS Hypoallergenic Dish Soap!
3. Clean their toys in boiling water.
4. Throw baby toys right in the dishwasher!

But what about electronics and wooden toys, and regular disinfecting? We’ve got you covered with a helpful and thorough list in our How to Clean Baby Toys: 6 Eco-Conscious Tips blog!

ECOS strives for a cleaner home

These tips are here to help, not give you additional to-dos on your already long list! We’re committed to providing new parents with safer cleaning products to help make washing your baby’s clothes, toys, and little fingers simple and easy.

Sources:

1. The Bump. These Are the Top Baby-Related Questions Parents Search for on Google.
   https://www.thebump.com/news/parent-google-searches
2. Moms Love Best. How to Wash Baby Clothes.
   https://momlovesbest.com/wash-baby-clothes#q1
3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing: A Healthy Habit in the Kitchen.
   https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/handwashing-kitchen.html
4. Healthline. Baby Mouthing – A.K.A. Why Do Babies Put Everything in Their Mouths?
   https://www.healthline.com/health/baby/baby-mouthing#reasons