Is it necessary to iron baby clothes for a newborn after washing: how to do it correctly

Ironing things
When a little toddler appears in the house, everything seems to turn upside down. Young parents immediately have a hundred times more worries than they had before the birth of the child. Newborn babies require a lot of attention; they need to be bathed, fed, dressed, diapers changed, soothed when they cry, and so on. In addition, household chores also do not go away on their own, including washing and ironing things. In addition, now children's clothes appear in the basket that need to be washed by hand, and this also takes time, just like ironing. Of course, many mothers begin to wonder how to iron things for newborns, and whether it is necessary to iron diapers for a newborn. In this article you will receive answers to them and useful recommendations.

Should I iron my newborn's clothes?

How to iron baby clothes for newborns? Wrinkled items look untidy and can chafe the body. Why then should a child walk around and be in unironed clothes? Parents want to give the best, so why not iron every seam, vest and cap. Disputes about the correctness and necessity of constant ironing have been going on for a long time in different circles: among doctors, mothers and grandmothers. The world around us is full of pathogenic microbes and viruses, and a hot iron can cope with some of them. In order for children's things to protect the baby's fragile body and bring aesthetic pleasure, they must meet certain criteria:

Be clean.
Ironed.
Made from quality materials.
Soft, do not rub delicate skin.
Be comfortable.

Why ironing of children's clothes is necessary, the pros and cons

Not a single pediatrician or experienced mother can say for sure why you should iron a newborn’s things. In addition to the aesthetic principles of how a child looks, ironing helps to make linen softer, smooth out all seams, disinfect things with hot steam, and remove residual soap and powder. Studies show that after washing, traces of feces and urine remain, and hot steam successfully fights them, leaving germs no chance.

Many experienced parents claim that ironing is an essential attribute of any care, and they will be right. The baby is surrounded by many negative factors. And due to his unformed immunity, he is very vulnerable to any microorganisms. Therefore, the task of adults is to make this acquaintance softer and more gradual. The baby was in the womb in sterile conditions, he has delicate and sensitive skin that rubs easily and irritation may occur, the umbilical wound only heals. In the first month you can’t do without an iron.

Tip: for washing children's underwear, use phosphate-free powders and laundry soap marked for children's underwear.

On the other hand, excessive protection and guardianship over the baby, protection from the outside world does not form strong immunity. And how he will cope with diseases in the future depends on his exposure to viruses in childhood. In addition, frequent machine washing at high temperatures kills most germs. Baby powders are specially formulated with antibacterial properties. There is no need for constant ironing.

Little tricks to make work easier

If ironing children's clothes is an obligatory ritual in the house, you cannot do without special devices:

An iron with a steam function will save time and also make the ironing process easier.
An ironing board with a height adjustment mechanism can be adjusted to suit a person of any height. This is especially true for families where the “ironing duties” are performed by different people.
In order not to clutter up the space in the apartment with a “children’s” ironing board, it is enough to purchase a second cover. It is used only when you need to iron a baby's clothes. This way you can follow doctors’ recommendations without sacrificing free space.
Different fabrics require different processing temperatures. Having sorted things in advance according to these indicators, you will be able to iron them without the risk of accidental damage.

The most important thing is that a young mother should learn to delegate authority to her family. A husband or grandmother can handle the ironing; all that remains is to put the ironed items in the closet. At this time, it is better for the mother to monitor the child so that he stays away from the ironing board.

How to properly iron baby clothes after washing

Clothes do not have to be ironed. How to iron clothes for newborns correctly? Ironing clothes is not difficult; even dad can handle this task. Things are processed on both sides, the reverse is ironed more carefully, since there are seams that are neatly straightened without creases. The baby will thank you with healthy skin, cheerful laughter and restful sleep. You need to go over the entire fabric, between buttons, fasteners, snaps. Things are ironed immediately after drying.

Tip: to make your laundry softer, before ironing you need to spray it with clean water from a spray bottle or use damp, wrung out gauze.

To iron or not to iron, that is the question

In the end, what decision you make is up to you. Each option provides something to think about.

No one will say you are a bad mom if you choose what you think is right. You want the best for your child and will care for him or her no matter what. What could be more important?

If, nevertheless, you are more inclined to the option: “I want to iron my baby’s clothes,” then the technology for ironing children’s clothes itself will now become a pressing issue for you, which you should pay special attention to.

Things that need to be ironed

The list of things that need to be ironed is not that long. First of all, this is underwear that touches the body (rompers, vests, bodysuits, panties and blouses). In the first months, scrupulous parents iron everything and this is the right approach. You need to gradually introduce your baby to harmful bacteria. But whether a newborn’s diapers need to be ironed after washing is something everyone decides individually. If the baby has already grown up or is used as a lining in a stroller or crib, then it is not necessary. If the diaper is used to swaddle a baby, then additional processing is required.

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Diapers

Every mother knows that the more diapers, the better, otherwise you simply won’t have time to wash them. However, after washing comes ironing, and then it becomes clear that you can’t iron diapers that easily. So is it necessary to iron a newborn’s diapers at all?

As mentioned above. Ironing will rid diapers of bacteria and protect the baby. In addition, the baby will feel much more comfortable on ironed soft fabric.

Diapers

You need to iron diapers correctly. The instructions below will tell you how to do this and give a clear idea of whether it is necessary to iron a newborn’s diapers.

First, you should sort the diapers by fabric type, if you have different ones, because each type requires its own ironing mode. You will need to change the mode after you finish ironing one type and move on to another.
Before ironing, fill a spray bottle or bowl with water to spray items while ironing. If you have a steam iron, then you can skip this step, since the iron will moisten things for you.
Remember that hot steam kills germs on clothes more effectively, so don’t forget to use a steam generator.
If the fabric is too hard, use a steamer.
After ironing, be sure to cool things down to avoid the greenhouse effect in a closed closet. To do this, leave them on the ironing board for a while, or hang them carefully (so as not to wrinkle them), if possible.
Fold the diapers and put them in the closet.

Do I need to iron a newborn’s diapers and clothes on both sides?

There is a widespread belief among parents that it is enough to process things only from the inside out, which is in contact with the body. If there is not enough time, there are no assistants, then it is possible as a temporary measure. Modern household appliances have many useful functions, such as washing, spinning until semi-dry, steaming, ironing. With smart technology, the issue of whether it is necessary to iron a newborn’s baby clothes immediately after washing disappears by itself. For maximum cleanliness and germ safety, yes. The process depends on the degree of humidity of the laundry, the availability of an iron, steamer, and free time.

All the Pros and Cons

Many mothers with rich life experience will beat their chests, proving that this must be done! What are they guided by? It is believed that a baby just born is especially vulnerable. He must be protected from everything that can harm him. One such danger is germs. The baby is susceptible to various negative factors, especially when the umbilical wound has not yet healed. Things that come into contact with the child's body must be very clean and sterile. In addition, after ironing, things become softer. The baby's delicate body feels pleasant and comfortable. Also, ironing with a hot iron neutralizes the effect of the washing powder and your precious child will not have irritation.

Also, another important factor is that urine or feces that gets on clothes or linen cannot be washed off. That is, the stains themselves can be washed off, but germs and bacteria cannot. Therefore, ironing things with a hot iron provides protection from such consequences.

On the other hand, new, recently conducted research in the field of pediatrics gives a slightly different answer to this question. If the baby is so intensely protected and looked after, how will he learn to cope with everything? The child’s body will not be ready for the fight. The immune system will not be able to strengthen if the child is in a dome all the time. It is believed that the baby’s clothes should be very clean, but not necessarily ironed. This idea is confirmed by the logical statement that no matter how you smooth it, the child does not live in a sterile world, and still quickly picks up these same microbes. It is like an antidote, so that the body gets used to it, it is administered in small doses.

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If you completely isolate your baby from the outside world, his immune system will not learn to adequately repel the attacks of microbes and viruses. The most important reason why you need to iron a newborn's clothes is the desire to protect the umbilical wound from infection. But it can be processed and disinfected. And make sure that no dust or dirt gets on it. This means that it is not at all necessary to stand at the ironing board for hours, ironing every seam and inch of children's clothing.

What happens if you don't iron it on both sides?

In the first month of life, all the baby’s clothes are ironed on both sides. This is done in order to maximally disinfect the laundry from various microorganisms, making it soft and comfortable. If you haven’t ironed the back side once or twice, then nothing bad will happen, of course, but it is advisable to be careful and find time for quality ironing.

Each mother independently determines whether to iron the baby’s things or not, how often, on both sides or on one, whether it is necessary to iron the newborn’s diapers based on busyness, personal preferences and necessity.

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Benefits of ironing

When a child's clothes are treated with a steam iron, all germs that could easily get on them when drying clothes on the balcony are destroyed.

Important! This is an argument that is given in response to the statement that when washing clothes at 90 degrees in a washing machine, all germs are destroyed. Don’t forget about the drying process, when clothes are subjected to a new “attack” of pathogenic bacteria.

In order for the umbilical wound to heal as quickly and without problems as possible, the underwear should be ironed, because an open wound is a kind of “bait” for infections.
In the first months of life, a baby’s skin is extremely sensitive and is not adapted to the aggressive factors of everyday life. After ironing the fabric, you eliminate detergent residues, making the material softer and more pleasant.
The seams on clothes after ironing are not so rigid, this prevents chafing of delicate skin.
New, newly purchased items need to not only be washed, but also ironed. This will help eliminate all production contamination.
The last argument, which plays an important role for many, is neatness. Your daughter or son will look much nicer and neater in ironed, clean clothes than in crumpled ones.

Important! According to the recommendations of pediatricians, you should not refuse to iron clothes for a newborn baby.

When can you partially iron?

• Shake and straighten items thoroughly before drying. After things have dried in this way, they become softer and some of them do not require ironing. The rest are easier and faster to iron.

• Do not iron children's bedding and towels. They will wrinkle 5 minutes after use. In addition, ironed fabric absorbs moisture and natural skin secretions less well.

• Try to purchase wrinkle-resistant items. Such clothing contains the “Non iron” label. This means no ironing is required. Some manufacturers specifically add 5-10% synthetics to their compositions - such clothes breathe well and wrinkle less.

Ironing faster with an ironing press

With better quality, and most importantly – 4-5 times faster, you can iron a newborn’s linen and clothes using a press. Moreover, both small and large products, folded 4-8 times.

To do this, they are placed on the bottom panel individually or in a row, the top panel is lowered, not reaching the products a few centimeters, so that the steam supply is turned on.

After processing, the press is placed closely on the items, steam generation is turned off. Things are ironed and dry in a couple of minutes.

The ironing press has several modes: for cotton, linen, silk, wool, nylon. Heating temperature, steam impact force, steaming with one or both panels are regulated by settings.

Video: How to quickly iron children's clothes using an ironing press? [Viewing time ~ 6 minutes]

Choosing the right iron

To prevent ironing from turning into daily torture, give preference to an iron that is suitable for you, which will make the monotonous task easier. It is important that the iron has spray and steam functions. In addition, the unit should not be heavy in order to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

Instead of an iron, you can use a steamer - it will significantly speed up the ironing process and enhance the antimicrobial effect.

Ironing secrets

A few simple rules will help the baby’s mother significantly save time on the ironing process, protect the linen from drying out and thinning, and keep the baby and herself healthy.

If you steam and moisten the diapers with warm rather than cold water, the absorption time will decrease and the fabric will become much softer.
When the baby is one month old, the diapers can be ironed only on the side that touches the baby’s skin. The outer side of the laundry no longer needs to be processed.
It is important that the height of the ironing board is comfortable for ironing while sitting. There is no need to perform this process while standing: the back is already under stress while carrying the baby.
The iron should not be too heavy, but should have a comfortable handle and a good steaming system.

What do doctors advise?

Pediatricians do not have a clear opinion on this matter. A large group of pediatricians are convinced that excessive sterility is not only unnecessary, but even harmful for the baby. After all, from an early age he is surrounded by microorganisms with infectious agents, natural vaccination occurs. In addition, ironed cotton loses its ability to absorb, and the baby may experience heat rash and skin irritation. The question regarding the umbilical wound is commented on as follows:

It is not so much the disinfection of diapers that is important, but the correct and professional treatment of the umbilical wound.

Another category of pediatricians is categorically in favor of exposing clothing for newborns to high temperatures. But not for long - until the navel heals, that is, at least 1.5 months. It is also associated with the weakness of the newborn's immune system. Even if you wash baby clothes at the highest setting, 90 degrees, during drying, germs will still get on things. And only an iron can kill all germs.