The Common Product To Keep Out Of The Laundry When Washing Baby Clothes

Anyone who does laundry regularly is well acquainted with the many rules regarding certain items. Some articles of clothing can only be washed on the gentle cycle, others should be hung up to dry, and a select number of pieces must never be put in a washing machine or dryer. When it comes to washing baby clothes, however, you might be unaware that the addition of a common laundering product could spell danger for little ones. That's right — you should keep fabric softener out of the laundry when washing baby clothes. But why?

Despite being a seemingly innocuous product to add to your laundry, fabric softener has a number of drawbacks. The ingredients that make up the product (whether in liquid or sheet form) can build up in your washing machine and dryer, leading to residue that can accelerate the growth of mold and bacteria. The danger to your little one's clothing, though, is that this same residue can inhibit the flame resistance of certain fabrics. Polyester sleepwear, which is often treated with chemicals to prevent it from burning if exposed to fire, has been shown to lose its flame resistance when washed with fabric softener. The takeaway? Just like you should avoid using dryer sheets when drying children's clothing, it's best to avoid adding fabric softener to baby clothes in order to protect them from fire risk.

Keeping baby clothes soft is a priority for many parents and caregivers, but choosing the safest approach should always be paramount. If you're just now learning about the dangers of fabric softener on baby clothing, you might be on the hunt for a better and safer alternative. While you might be tempted to do away with any fabric softening additions entirely, polyester fabrics are notorious for their tendency to hold static more than other materials like cotton and linen. This means that if you want your baby to be as comfortable as possible, it's best to ditch the fabric softener and try these alternatives instead: vinegar and wool dryer balls. 

If you've been laundering your baby's clothing with fabric softener regularly, buildup could prevent it from being as flame resistant as intended. As such, you might be wondering what you should do with the affected clothing items. While some websites and online forums recommend the practice of laundry stripping (which involves creating a soaking concoction to remove heavy product buildup from fabrics), this process can also be hard on fabrics and impact their overall lifespan. Instead, simply washing your baby's flame resistant clothing with vinegar will go a long way towards removing softener buildup and restoring them to their original state. Why should you be using wool dryer balls, though? Beyond being easy and safe to add to your laundry routine, they are also a cost-effective option for keeping baby clothing soft.