How to wash children’s clothes in an eco way
There are three certain things we know about newborns and that is 1) that they smell fantastic; 2) that they are small, fragile and with delicate skin; 3) and who are able alone – between stains of milk, regurgitation and poop – to produce in a short time a mountain of clothes to wash! Strong, isn’t it?
Here, among the new tasks that new parents are called to perform, there is precisely that of washing the newborn’s layette in a continuous cycle. And the difficult thing is to do it without ruining the garments, sanitizing everything well and possibly without waste and in an eco-friendly way.
How to wash children’s clothes in an eco way
As I said, washing babies’ clothes requires attention especially because their skin is extremely delicate and sensitive. For this reason, the most recommended thing is to do laundry using some precautions and using neutral and hypoallergenic detergents, or specific products created specifically for the skin of newborns, better if they are ecological and if they do not contain phosphates.
Wash with eco and organic products
There are now all kinds of eco and organic detergents on the market, especially because there are more and more people who want to use safe and ecological products. But what are the real ecological and organic detergents and above all how to recognize the serious ones from the smart ones?
In an ecological and organic detergent: 1) the ingredients must all be of vegetable origin, 2) they must be indicated on the label through the INCI name and not through the chemical composition, 3) the detergent must have a certification and not a self-certification, 4) the products must not be tested on animals.
Therefore, during the purchase, care must be taken and read the labels well. In fact, it happens that some products claim to be “green” without really being green. For this reason, the manufacturer’s self-declarations are not enough, but European certifications must be present. Here are the most common ones that it is good to learn to recognize
Wash without detergents
Another way to do laundry in an eco and organic way is certainly to wash without detergents. Yes, I know it may seem unsafe for hygiene, but many do not know that, especially clothes and accessories that are not dirty or that are washed frequently, can be equally cleaned thanks to the cleaning action of the water alone, made even more effective by the mechanical washing of the washing machine. To have an even more energetic action and increase its effectiveness, I read that some mothers put tennis balls or even a potato tucked into a sock in the basket. Trying does no harm.
Use natural products/detergents
However, if you do not want to give up detergents, a valid alternative is to do laundry with natural products. The most used ones are vinegar, bicarbonate, percarbonate and sodium carbonate, citric acid, Marseille soap, hydrogen peroxide, sodium citrate, seaweed soap. To use them in the best way, you need to follow the recipes with the right doses and ingredients. DIY laundry detergents are in fact valid substitutes, but you need to know the mechanism well and make them in the right way. On the web, however, there are so many recipes to make DIY detergents that it is difficult to orient yourself and to find the right one and understand if it is right for us. Unfortunately, you have to try them all. I point out two that seem to work better than others: →DIY sodium citrate detergent recipe→ecological detergent with seaweed soap
Less detergent in the washing machine
Another good tip to try to do an Eco laundry is to use less detergent than you are used to using. In fact, many think that a greater amount of detergent corresponds to a greater cleanliness of the garments. It’s not like that. Often to wash children’s clothes well you do not need to abound with detergent, but pre-treat the stains with Marseille soap or natural products and make a good soak before putting everything in the washing machine. It is good to rub the linen vigorously with stubborn stains such as bibs and towels and be more delicate with bodysuits and onesies. The results can be amazing!
Methods of whitening naturally
Although having a shiny laundry is certainly pleasant and rewarding, the first products to be absolutely not recommended for babies’ laundry are chlorine and chemical bleaches. In addition to being enemies of the environment, they are too aggressive and can cause irritation to the skin of children. To whiten naturally you can:
- Add half a cup of white vinegar to your regular detergent or let it soak in water and vinegar for a few hours before washing.
- Add half a cup of baking soda to the detergent and do the normal wash. If the stains are resistant, baking soda can be applied directly to the stain and pre-treated.
- Prepare a solution with soapy water, a spoonful of salt and the juice of two lemons and leave to soak.
- Add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide to the detergent or pre-treat by applying it directly to the most resistant stains.
Do not use fabric softeners
One of the products not recommended for eco laundry and for children is fabric softener. In addition to having a strong impact on the environment, commercially available fabric softeners leave “waxy” residues that are not easy to remove and can cause irritation.
To have soft laundry without using fabric softener, many recommend adding vinegar to the laundry. However, I have read that citric acid is preferable to this , which is less polluting than vinegar (yes, vinegar is also a bit polluting) and is much more effective. To make a good ecological DIY fabric softeneryou can pour 100g of citric acid on a container containing a liter of hot water and always shake before use. For each wash, just pour 50 ml of the solution into the softener compartment.
Since citric acid -considered by those who have tried it as a natural product excellent for laundry and cleaning- is not found in all stores, I put the link where you can find it online → where citric acid is found
How to wash washable diapers
Among all the things to wash of children there can also be diapers. In fact, more and more families, both for an eco choice and for reasons of savings, decide to use washable diapers. To wash them there are no real rules to respect, except to follow the advice that every manufacturer writes on the label. However, to learn more, you can read how our Francesca does → In fact, more and
As in all things, however, even to do an eco laundry you have to use common sense. So yes to natural and certified products and a controlled use of soaps and detergents, yes to be careful not to waste water and energy, yes to inform yourself well in the case of DIY products.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.