Health Tip: Doing Your Baby's Laundry
It's not always necessary to wash your young infant's laundry in a detergent that's specially formulated for babies, the Nemours Foundation advises.
Here are the foundation's suggestions for washing your new baby's clothing:
- Babies who have skin problems such as allergies, eczema, atopic dermatitis or other sensitive skin issues should have their clothes washed in baby detergent. In other cases, you can try regular detergent.
- Before you switch to washing baby's clothes in regular detergent, test one article of clothing and see how baby's skin reacts. If there is any sign of irritation, keep using the baby detergent or one that is color- and fragrance-free.
- If you use cloth diapers, they should be washed separately from other items.
- Cloth diapers are the only items that should be washed in mild baby detergents, in order to prevent diaper rash. They should be washed without fabric softeners, in very hot water and with a second rinse.
Diaper rash is a red, bumpy breakout that occurs when a baby has worn a dirty diaper, and the skin becomes irritated.
Here are suggestions on how to prevent and treat the condition, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
- Change diapers frequently. Don't allow the infant to wear a wet or soiled diaper for long.
- Try to leave the infant without a diaper for a while, so that the air can help dry the area.
- Wash the baby's bottom with plain warm water. Avoid baby wipes if they tend to cause irritation.
- Try a cream or ointment to soothe and protect the skin, but avoid irritating powders.
- If the rash doesn't heal in a reasonable amount of time, have the infant see a doctor.
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