Sustainable laundry practices – keep your baby and our planet safe!

Tips on how to wash your baby clothes using more sustainable laundry practices – keep your baby and our planet safe! 

Becoming parents is an exciting yet challenging time. This new phase of your life comes with new worries and concerns, always trying to think what would be best for your baby and their future. In today’s context, living as sustainably as possible to the longevity of the planet and to ensure the health of it for future generations is raising more and more interest among new parents. Supporting eco-friendly practices is great but might become a headache for many. Going for small changes is the best way to success, and purchasing organic clothing is a great start.  

As we mentioned in one of our previous blogs , organic clothes are free of harmful toxins and chemicals and are made from textiles using sustainable practices. This is not only good for the environment, but for the skin and health of your little one. 

You may be new to organic clothes and may be concerned about how to take care of them, to increase the lifespan of these clothes and to keep fast fashion out of the landfill, or about how to do the laundry to keep your baby safe. 

If you want to learn how to wash your baby clothes using more sustainable laundry practices, here are some tips: 

Choosing the right products: Many laundry detergents use chemical compounds substantially contributing to the pollution of wastewater and affecting human health. Some of these harmful substances are surfactants, phosphates, fragrances, petrochemicals and optical brighteners. Most of them stick to your clothes and it has been found that some of them are linked to some health issues such as skin and eye irritation, asthma and other allergies*. Choosing a non-toxic, natural detergent specially indicated for babies would eliminate the impacts on our oceans and keep your baby safe. 

Treat the stains as fast as possible with ice-cold water or rubbing it directly with an ice cube, while holding a cloth behind the fabric to absorb the stain. 

Reading care instructions: To prolong the life of such sustainable fabrics and its quality, it is important to check the label and follow the instructions. If machine-washing is an option, choose a gentle cycle with cold water since it is gentler on clothing, conserves more energy and preserves colours. Optionally, you can also add some vinegar to help set the colors. It also softens the water which helps the cleaning process. 

Skip fabric softeners and bleachers: such products can damage dyes and fabric but can also irritate the skin of your baby. Quality baby clothes should be soft enough for your baby skin without any additional chemicals. Just a simple vinegar could act as softener in the wash. 

Hang your washing: Hanging your baby clothes on a drying rack is not only the most energy-efficient way but helps prevent the fabric from wear and tear and extends its lifespan. If possible, doing it in the sun naturally bleaches and sterilizes any remaining bacteria on your baby clothes. For many parents, using a drying machine is the most practical. To be more conscious about how to use it, you can dry on the lowest setting possible to avoid shrinkage and fading. Using wool dryer balls could help cut down on your drying time and keep your clothes static-free. 

*Wang, Ming; Tan, Ge; et al. Laundry detergents and detergent residue after rinsing directly disrupt tight junction barrier integrity in human bronchial epithelial cells, National Library of Medicine 

Photo by jonnie turpie on Unsplash

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