No one warns you how much laundry a newborn creates. Babies are small, but they can go through several outfits a day, plus burp cloths, swaddles, crib sheets, bibs and whatever you were wearing when the last diaper leaked. Add your own clothes, the towels from bath time and the sheets from a sleepless night, and the washer barely gets a break.
All of this lands at the exact moment you’re most tired, and if you’ve just given birth, when you’re supposed to be healing. Here’s how to keep up without wearing yourself out.
Washing baby clothes: the basics
- Wash new clothes before the first wear. It removes finishing chemicals and dust from the store or packaging.
- Consider a gentle detergent. Many parents choose fragrance-free, dye-free detergent for babies’ sensitive skin. If your baby has a rash or eczema, ask your pediatrician.
- Skip fabric softener on sleepwear if the label says it’s flame resistant, since softener can reduce that protection.
- Close Velcro and snaps so they don’t snag other things.
- Use a mesh bag for socks. Tiny socks disappear in big machines.
Dealing with baby stains
- Spit-up and milk: rinse in cold water as soon as you can, then pretreat. Milk proteins set with heat.
- Diaper leaks: rinse in cold water and pretreat with an enzyme stain remover. Sunlight can help fade leftover marks on white cotton.
- Baby food: scrape off what you can, rinse from the back of the fabric and treat before washing. Carrots and sweet potatoes stain like you wouldn’t believe.
More tips in our guide to treating stains before they set.
Simple systems that help
- Keep two sets of crib sheets and mattress protectors so a middle-of-the-night change takes two minutes.
- Stash burp cloths everywhere you feed the baby, plus a small hamper in the nursery.
- Don’t fold baby clothes perfectly. Drop them in labeled bins by type. Nobody is grading you.
- Hand off the adult laundry. Wash baby things at home if you like, and send out the towels, sheets and grown-up clothes.
If you’re recovering from birth
After a vaginal birth or a C-section, your doctor or midwife may tell you to avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby for a while, and to go easy on stairs. A full laundry basket carried up from the basement doesn’t fit that advice. Ask your provider what’s safe, and plan for help with laundry for the first several weeks.
How laundry pickup helps new parents
With laundry pickup from The Elementals Laundry, someone else does the lifting, washing and folding. You book online, leave a bag at the door (no need to wake the baby to answer it), and it comes back folded. Most wash and fold orders are ready within 24 hours. Our monthly laundry plans set up regular pickups with no contract, which is ideal for the newborn months.
The baby shower gift nobody thinks of
Most new parents receive far more onesies than they need, and almost none receive help with the work those onesies create. A few weeks of laundry service is a gift they’ll actually use. Call us at (770) 975-0739 to ask about setting it up for someone else.
Outgrown baby clothes in good condition can find a new home too. Learn about selling with Rire&Co.
Common questions
Can I request a specific detergent? Add any preferences or sensitivities in your order notes, and call us to talk through options.
Do I need to be home? No. Leave your bag at the door or another safe spot.
New baby at home? Rest more, fold less. Schedule a pickup with The Elementals Laundry.