250 Part Three Infants
Caring for Baby Clothes
Parents can care for baby clothes
properly by following these practices:
Before cleaning clothes,
read labels and tags. Follow
directions. Pretreat stains before
washing clothes to prevent the
stains from setting. Also, mend
tears before washing to prevent
them from getting larger.
Infants’ and children’s clothes
often need to go through more
rinses than other clothing. Extra
rinses help remove detergent
from clothes. Babies’ skin is
more sensitive than adults’, and
detergent residue may cause
skin rashes. Parents might also
want to choose a gentle detergent
designed for infant clothes.
When washing baby
sleepwear, do not add fabric
softener to the load. The
chemicals in fabric softeners
can reduce the fl ame-retardant
qualities of the clothing.
Many parents store baby
clothes for future children or as
keepsakes. Before storing, clean
the clothes. Soiled spots change
over time, and then stains cannot
be removed. When clothes are
clean and dry, they are ready to
be stored. Do not use plastic bags.
Fabrics need air to maintain their
strength and oils. Store light and
dark clothes separately to prevent
the transfer of dyes. All clothing
should be stored away from
damp areas. Dampness promotes
mildew and insect damage.
Diapering a Baby
Babies require frequent diaper
changes throughout the fi rst year.
This is a skill parents will soon
perfect. (You may want to refer to
Chapter 7 to review the steps used in
diapering.) When using disposable
diapers, the baby will change
sizes as he or she grows. Cloth
diapers can be folded differently to
accommodate older babies.
Older babies wiggle more and
may protest when diapered. This
makes the task harder for adults. To
keep a baby’s interest, it is a good
idea to talk, sing, and play with the
baby during diaper changes. Offering
the baby a toy may also help the baby
keep still during the change.
Adults must keep
diaper-changing areas very clean.
This is crucial to prevent the spread
of germs. To do this, dispose of any
paper used on the changing table.
Clean visible soil with detergent and
water and then rinse with water.
Spray the entire changing surface
Good Consumer Sense
Because babies quickly outgrow clothing, good
consumer sense is important. The following tips can
be helpful when shopping for quality and comparing
prices. What other tips would you add to this list?
Look for built-in growth features. These
include a double row of snaps or buttons at
the waistline to lengthen the garment from
shoulder to crotch. Two buttons on straps
used for lengthening is a good feature. Also
look for stretch waists and stretch leg and
arm openings.
Choose more stretch knit garments than
woven garments. Babies can wear
these longer.
Look for fl ame-retardant fi nishes
on clothing.
Look for ease-of-care labels.