Babies are special, their skin is supple and delicate so we must take extra care of them. Similarly, the clothes they wear also need special attention to ensure that they remain soft and germs free in order to protect our babies and keep their gentle skin rash and itch free. We go to extra lengths to buy the softest and the best of clothes for our babies and hence these clothes require that extra bit of effort to ensure they remain gentle on their skin.
Baby’s winter wear like baby sweaters, baby caps, baby socks and baby blankets also need that extra bit of care and attention to ensure that they remain soft and gentle against your baby's skin. Winter wear is made of soft fibers and can last for more than a couple of seasons if taken care of properly. In this blog we shall be sharing a few tips and tricks that shall come handy to take care of your baby’s winter clothing.
1. Always Read Labels: Always read labels of your baby’s clothes. They will have all the essential details like the composition of the fabric used and care instructions for the clothing. Wherever possible follow the instructions given in these labels to get best results and keep the garment in the best possible condition.
2. Cleaning the Woolen Clothes: Based on the care instructions on your baby’s winter clothing label, hand wash the knitwear or machine wash them with a mild detergent made specifically for woolen clothes. If you are hand washing them then remember to not wring them too hard as that would distort the garment. Gently squeeze the extra water from the garment or leave it on top of the tap to drain off the excess water. Rinse the clothes twice in cold water to ensure that all the soap is removed. If using a washing machine, separate your baby’s clothes from other clothes and wash the knitwear with a mild detergent on gentle wash cycle or woolens wash cycle as provided in your washing machine. Do not wash baby sweaters with hot water or dry them using heat as that would shrink your baby’s knitwear. Select the slowest speed for the final spin cycle, so you can minimize stretching of the fabric.
3. Treat the Stains Right Away: With babies spillage and accidents are bound to happen, attend to such spillages immediately as stains on knitwear are much harder to treat once they are set. Gently clear the spillage area with a damp cloth to ensure that it does not leave a stain behind. Pre-treat any stains on your child’s clothing with a gentle detergent before washing them to ensure that they come out clean.
4. Keep them Moisture and Odour Free: Any kind of moisture left in your baby’s sweaters and woolen clothes will cause it to develop mold or mildew in the clothes which can be very harmful for your child. Moist clothes also give a bad odour which can be unpleasant for the baby. Always ensure that the baby sweaters are completely dry to avoid such a situation. Put all your baby’s woolen clothing on a flat surface under the sun for a couple of hours and flip them over mid way, this will ensure that there is no moisture left in your baby’s woolen garments and will also get rid of any foul odour coming from the clothes.
5. Disinfect the Garments: It is very important to disinfect your baby’s sweaters and other winter wear at regular intervals to protect your baby against germs. One way of disinfecting could be by putting them flat on a surface under the sun on a bright day. Another way of achieving this would be by adding a mild natural disinfectant while washing the clothes itself, this will take care of the germs and protect your child from the same.
6. Store them Properly: You should always store woolen clothes after thoroughly cleaning them. Clothing that can not be washed at home like outer jackets, bulky baby blankets, etc. should be sent for dry cleaning to ensure that they are clean. You should always store your baby’s winter clothes in a dry place. Make sure you are not cramming your baby’s sweaters up on a shelf. This can cause them to lose their shape. Stack them up with enough space for them to sit comfortably.
At the end of the season store all the woolen clothes after washing them and sunbathing them, in a dry place. You can pack them all in a vacuumized bag this will ensure that no harm is caused to the clothes by the external environment. For added protection from moths add a few camphor tablets in the storage box.
Winter is a season of joy! Enjoy it with your baby. Keep your baby warm in clean and fresh baby sweaters, caps, socks and gloves. Cuddle them in adorable looking baby blankets.
The Original Knit has a wide variety of handmade Baby Sweaters, Baby Blankets, Baby Caps, Socks and Mittens to keep your baby warm in the winters. Check out their website TheOriginalKnit.com for all your baby’s winter needs.