How do you wash your baby's clothes?

Desiree Bobby
Dec 28, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

During the postpartum period, your washing machine is often working overtime. Mini clothes, muslin cloths, sheets... and yes, that includes stains like blood, spit, milk, poop, and urine.

But what's really necessary? Should you wash baby clothes separately? And which detergent is safe for baby skin? And how do you get those stains out? Here's a simple overview without unnecessary rules.

Always wash new baby clothes first

First, it's wise to wash new baby clothes before wearing them. This removes chemical finishes, loose dyes, and production residues. This reduces the risk of skin irritation for your baby.

Should you use unscented laundry detergent?

For babies unscented laundry detergent is the gentlest choice.

Why?

perfume = common contact allergen
Baby skin = thinner, more vulnerable and more permissive to irritants.
Small amounts of detergent remain in clothing, which can be irritating.

That's why, for most babies, a mild, preferably perfume-free detergent without fabric softener like this one is the best choice.

A good rinse helps remove any detergent residue, and if you have sensitive skin, you can use an extra rinse.

Should you wash baby laundry separately?

Short answer: no. For most babies, it's not necessary to wash clothes separately.

Yet many parents believe it is necessary, and that's not surprising. This advice has largely evolved historically, out of caution. Let's delve into this in more detail.

In the past, washing machines and detergents were less effective, and infectious diseases were more common . Therefore, it was recommended to wash baby clothes separately. Today, modern machines and detergents clean much better, making separate washing unnecessary for most families.

From the 1970s and 1980s onward, detergents and fabric softeners became increasingly heavily scented. Because perfume can cause skin irritation and contact allergies, especially in sensitive skin or those with eczema, maternity nurses and dermatologists at the time recommended washing baby laundry separately.

Things have changed now: there are many fragrance-free, skin-friendly detergents available. As a result, baby laundry usually doesn't need to be washed separately, as long as you wash gently and fragrance-free, and if you have sensitive skin, you might need to rinse it off.

Practical considerations also play a role. Many parents wash baby laundry separately because babies need clean clothes more often, the clothes are often light or white, small items are easily lost, and because it's "always said that way." So, a gentle tip eventually becomes a habit.

What does modern advice say?

Summarized from pediatric and dermatology guidelines:

Baby laundry does not need to be washed separately as standard
Choose perfume-free detergent, especially for young babies or those with eczema
An extra rinse can help with sensitive skin
It is best to avoid fabric softener , especially with hydrophilic cloths.

When is it smart to wash separately?

Consider this when:

eczema or sensitive skin
atopy/allergies in the family
strongly perfumed family laundry
work clothes with oil/chemicals
illness or diarrhea & stool/blood spots

Washing together is allowed unless there is reason to be extra careful.

And now: removing stains

In baby laundry (or maternity laundry) you will mainly encounter stains of blood, milk, spit and feces.

Important to know: these stains contain proteins .

Egg white hardens in hot water and then the stain sets into the fabric.

Therefore: always rinse or pre-treat with cold water first.

Blood

Cold rinse
Dab (do not rub hard)
Soak for 30–60 minutes with pre-soak agent
Wash at 40°C
Do not dry until the stain is gone, heat sets

Spit / Milk

Cold rinse
Leave to work for 30-60 minutes
Wash at 40°C
Yellow haze? Daylight bleaches mildly.

stool

Carefully remove any solid residue
Cold rinse
Soak for 30–60 minutes with pre-soak agent
Wash at 40–60°C (follow label)

Urine

Rinse with cold or lukewarm water
Wash at 40°C
Extra rinse in case of odor
Air drying helps against residual odor

Hand hygiene is really important

Washing with blood, feces, or diarrhea requires extra hygiene. Feces and blood can contain bacteria and viruses. If you don't wash your hands properly afterward, you can unknowingly transfer these microorganisms to other surfaces, your baby, or yourself, for example, via door handles, your phone, or while feeding.

Therefore, always wash your hands with soap and water after touching this item, especially before handling your baby or preparing food.

Handy hack for your day

Do you have several rompers or hydrophilic cloths with blood, spit or

Poo stains? Here's what you can do:

take a small bucket like this
fill it with cold water + a little liquid Biotex
Place stained clothes here to soak until washing time

Using a small bucket often fits perfectly in the opening of the washing machine . You can then pour the water and wet clothes directly into the drum , without having to wade through the dirty water with your hands.

Handy: take two buckets ; one for light/white laundry and one for colored laundry, so you can separate them straight away.

What temperature did you wash your baby clothes at?

For most baby clothes, 40°C is sufficient. It's gentle on the fabric and cleans very well even with modern washing machines and enzyme detergents. Thanks to modern detergents, clothes become hygienically clean even at 30–40°C.

60°C is only necessary for:

illness or infection
diarrhea or fecal leakage
after a hospital stay
or when the laundry is really heavily soiled

What washing program do you use for baby clothes?

For most baby clothes, you can simply use the "Cotton" or "Mixed Wash" program at 40°C . This is strong enough to wash thoroughly, but still gentle on the fabric.

Use 60°C (preferably also 'Cotton') only when absolutely necessary — for example in case of illness, diarrhoea/faecal leakage or heavily soiled laundry — and only if the label allows it.

For wool, merino wool, or other delicate fabrics, always choose the 'Wool' or 'Delicates' program at 20–30°C with a wool detergent and a low spin cycle.

An extra rinse can be helpful for eczema or sensitive skin, as it helps to minimize detergent residue.

Situation	Program	Temperature	Pre-wash?	Extra rinse?	Extra / Please note
Normal baby laundry (rompers, pajamas, clothes – cotton/cotton blend)	Cotton / Mixed	40°C	Not necessary	Optional
Clothing with protein stains (blood, spit, milk, feces)	Program by fabric type	By fabric type	Only if heavily soiled	Optional	Always pre-treat
Sensitive skin / eczema / atopy	Cotton / Mixed	40°C	Not necessary	Yes
Illness / diarrhea / stool leakage / lots of spit-up	Cotton / Hygiene	60°C	Only in case of visible high levels of pollution	Optional	Before treating + Check label to ensure material can withstand temperatures of 60°C.
Muslin cloths / spit cloths	Cotton	40°C	Usually not necessary	Optional	60°C in case of illness/feces.
Sheets & fitted sheets (cotton)	Cotton / Bedding	40°C	Not necessary	Optional	Pre-treat + 60°C in case of illness/urine/faeces.
Wool/merino clothing or sleeping bag	Wool / Delicate wash / Hand wash	20–30°C	Never pre-wash	Optional	Wool detergent with lanolin. Low spin cycle or none. Dry flat.
Bamboo / viscose / other delicate fabrics	Fine wash	30°C	Not necessary	Optional	A laundry bag is nice.
Cuddly toys (cloth)	Delicate wash / Hand wash	30°C	Not necessary	Optional	In a washing bag, dry well.