washing baby items

how far ahead did you start washing your baby items?

last time i think i did them all at about 37 weeks... so 2 weeks before he was born
think i will do the same this time, maybe a week or so earlier as i am stopping work earlier.

we've been washing a little at a time for a few weeks now - probably started nappies at start of the third tri (cos they need to be washed a few times to make them absorbant) and clothes about a fortnight ago (so 32 weeks ish)

dont do it!!!!!!

i washed so many clothes and then DD didnt fit them as they were to big and for Summer. I have about 15 outfits that DD never wore and i cant exchange as i took the tags off ans washed them :(

If they have the tags removed already, anytime is fine. I washed ours a few weeks ago. Do make sure you stick to the size and temperature you expect (0000 - 000 and winter) and anything that is too small for your bub you can put in gift bags ready for baby showers, letting the mum's to be know that they have only been prewashed, and if they dont fit to do the same.

I washed all mine about 3 weeks ago, but I have only washed the clothes I am planning on taking to hospital. Any clothes I receive at baby shower or as gifts when baby is born I will wash when I come home.

I used Amolin baby wash, you can get it at Safeway or Coles, its for sensitive skin and babies.

Have washed all mine (most done by last week) so I guess about 4 weeks before, but I am too organised for my own good LOL

I took all the tags off as wouldn't take them back if not used anyway, just pass them all down the line for the next Mummy.

I washed all mine after my baby shower which was 36 weeks, so prob about 37 weeks?

I didn't think about taking things back if DD grew out of them! So we washed everything! :D

Whenever I get a sunny day...

Esp with the cloth nappies. They take forever to dry :-)

with DD, i washed just before we moved out together (32 weeks) this time around, i havent even thought about it yet!

thanks for the reminder! lol i should do it while we still have this beautiful weather!

i didnt actually BUY much this time, so all the stuff i got was second hand but i still washed it about a week before..

What washing powder/detergent does everyone use? and do you all put all the baby stuff on an extra rinse cycle?

i have bought EcoStore sensitive powder - it's a bit more exxy but you use bugger all. most stuff is being prewashed with no detergent as it's not technically dirty, it's just to make sure there is no manufacturing residue...

I have washed some of my baby clothes and I used a sensitive powder and then on the second rinse I put some Huggies fabric softener in the water. I was told to do 2 rinses so that you make sure all the powder/detergent is not left in the clothes etc.

i always double rinse baby stuff - but i haven't bothered with softener - theory being that if i add minimal chemicals to her clothes, if she DOES react to something i'll know what straight away... but this is coming from the perspective of me having very sensitive skin - i have to use particular washing powders or i get itchy as all get up - didn't even think of it and mum washed soem clothes for me during the fires - every item i wore that she'd washed left me itching like a loon!

Oh that's a bugger that you have such sensitive skin!

I figured the sensitive washing powder I have should be ok since it is for sensitive skin and the fabric softener is Huggies so hopefully that is ok and if my bub has a reaction then at least I can narrow it down to the washing powder of the Huggies fabric softener :lol: Cross fingers for no reaction though :redface:

I used Amolin, it is for sensitive skin and babies.

I put a load of washing on after my waters broke! That was 3 weeks before my EDD though and I was fully expecting to be overdue so it was quite a surprise, missed my last day of work too.

We used Lux soap flakes for baby stuff with DS but we've now switched to soap nuts for all our washing so I guess I'll just use them this time around.

I must be strange...I have already washed most of my baby clothes! (I'm 27 weeks) and am just waiting for some sun to to the rest! My excuse is that I have HUGE amounts of hand me downs and I sorted them and then washed so I could put them away. I already have tubs of 00, 0 and 1 put away and 0000 and 000 in the cupboard and drawers. I have 1-2 loads of clothes to go and the linen (sheets, blankets for cot and bassinet etc). This is my last lot of school holidays as Blake is due in July hols and I'm working till the end of term - I hope to have the nursery almost set up before next week!

thanks for the replies. i thought i might have been thinking about it too early. I havent taken tags of the few new things we have and will probably only do so with 1maybe2 outfits for going home in. the rest are either what i kept from my other 2 or hand downs from our neighbour.

I already have to use sensitive washing powder so will just use that. i've never actually used anything different to wash baby clothes in.

Definately wash any new baby clothes ESPECIALLY if made in China cos they are dipped in a formaldehyde-like compound to get them through customs. Its a pity if they shrink too much but I reckon it's be much worse to have those chemicals next to a newborns skin - or inhaled - can cause awful respiratory problems.