Knits are a usual part of a baby’s wardrobe, be it a gift or a cozy creation lovingly made by grandma or auntie.

Not only are knits cool and comfortable, they are also very easy to care for. Simply throw it into your washing machine and give it a spin on the dryer. They are the type of fabric that you can just pull out of your baby’s drawer and put on your child without requiring ironing because they do not wrinkle.

But for all of their good qualities, knitted clothes also have a negative point: removing stains can be quite difficult for knitted clothes, particularly synthetic knits.

Different stains require different treatments so you might have to try different approaches. You cannot simply treat your baby’s knitted clothes with a stain remover. Not only are some stain removers quite harsh on knitted fabrics, they could also affect a knitted piece’s color and brightness.

Here is how to remove stains on your baby’s knitted clothes.

First, try blotting wet stains on your baby’s knitted clothing using a dry, absorbent cloth. If the stain is already dry, use a clothes brush to try and remove as much of the dried stain as possible.

Next, check the care label of your baby’s knitted garment. If it says Dry Clean Only, do not attempt to get the stains out anymore. Instead, take it to a professional cleaner. Point out the stain and tell them everything you know about it.

For knitted items that you can wash, first soak for 30 minutes in cold water. If the stain persists, pour in a few drops of shampoo or liquid detergent into the stain and work it into the garment using your fingers. Let it soak again for another 30 minutes. For really stubborn stains, soak them overnight in water and laundry detergent or pre-soak powder diluted in water.

Next, wash knitted items in the recommended water temperature which is often cool to warm. Knits cannot be washed in hot water because they could fade or shrink.

After washing your baby’s knitted clothes, check if there are still any stains on them. If there are still stains on the garment, consider using a commercial stain treatment product. Put some of it on the stain and wash the garment over again.

After the second wash, check the garment once more. If the stain still persists, it might be time to enlist professional help

Some things to remember when washing knitted clothes, regardless whether they are baby clothes or adult garments:

Avoid using bleach or items with bleaching properties like lemon juice and vinegar as these can take out the dye from the knit fabric along with the stain.
It is easier to remove stains when they are still fresh so it is important to act quickly and treat stains as soon as possible.
Never use heat (such as a dryer or iron) on a knitted garment before the stain is removed. Heat causes stains to set, making them much more difficult to remove.
Baby Detergents provides objective reviews about the pros and cons of using laundry detergents, and help people to find laundry soap products which are environment-friendly and safe for children.
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Babies have sensitive skin. It is very important that the things around them are cleaned regularly, especially the bed sheets. If taken for granted, dirty bed sheets can cause skin irritations, allergies and different kinds of infection to your beloved baby’s skin. Some may think that cleaning bed sheets are difficult because of its size and thickness. Actually, cleaning bed sheets is not a difficult task at all. There are many laundry detergents available in the market that can help make the job easier. Also, there are different natural alternatives available that can deliver the same cleaning promise but is better for your baby and the environment.

First and foremost, it will be easier to clean a bed sheet if it’s maintained and cleaned regularly. It is recommended not to wait until the bed sheet gets soiled before replacing or cleaning it. This kind of maintenance will help make the cleaning the easier at the same time it can help in prolonging the fabric life and quality. Before you clean the bed sheet, make sure that your baby is not in the same room where you are going to clean it. You don’t want your baby to inhale all the dirt and dust from it right? Make sure that you remove all the dust and dirt in the surface before you soak it in the water. It is important that you know the type of fabric of the bed sheet so that you can carry out the right cleaning process for it. Different types of fabric sometimes require special cleaning instructions. It is recommended to use organic and natural laundry detergents together with natural cleaning practices on all types of fabric since it guaranteed to be safe for your baby. Strong detergents may contain dangerous chemicals for your baby and cause serious health problems. These chemicals can also damage the bed sheets. Using hot water for washing the bed sheets can be a great help in killing additional dirt, bacteria and germs that are present in it. After washing, it is ideal to sundry the bed sheet. Aside from the fact that it can help you save money and energy, sun drying it under the sun is the most effective way of killing germs. It can also remove unwanted odors in the bed sheet naturally.

More and more parents, especially mothers are practicing organic and natural cleaning. Benefits and advantages claimed are already proven and desirable effects are already recognized by the society. It is beneficial for both the society and the environment. Taking care and maintaining bed sheets using natural products may mean a lot when it’s about baby’s care. We all know that babies are sleeping most of the time. Growth spurt of babies happen when they sleep and these developments are very important for a growing baby. It’s a fact that parents always want the best for their babies. Just like adults, babies need to have enough sleep. That’s why it’s very important that the bed sheets are safe and clean for your baby’s health.

Baby Detergents provides objective reviews about the pros and cons of using laundry detergents, and help people to find laundry soap products which are environment-friendly and safe for children.
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ALL ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS CANADA

Baby will require 7500 or more diaper changes from birth to potty training.

Before I had my first baby, I decided on cloth diapers because of economy, but I had visions of myself steaming a kettle of diapers on the stove in order to sterilize them.  I struggled to find a way to fold the square cloth diapers that were standard equipment at the time.  Now the prefolded diapers have taken the work away from folding, and after four children and 36,000 diaper changes, I’ve learned that there’s nothing mysterious or scary about washing diapers either.  (Actually, I learned that after the first month into my diaper-changing career!)  My husband changed cloth diapers too.  With the Velcro closures on diapers and Nikkys, he didn’t worry about poking baby with a pin.  We used the laundry method described on the next page.  Like all parents, we have a busy schedule but with the modern-day convenience of automatic washers and dryers, it takes no more effort than pushing a few buttons to do a load of diapers.

Here are some of the common questions parents have asked us, about diapering.  Hope you find it helpful,
Grace

HOW MANY CLOTH DIAPERS DO I NEED?

Even if you wash cloth diapers every day, you should have at least 3 dozen diapers, preferably 4 dozen.  If you buy less than that, they’ll wear out from the frequent washing, before baby is potty trained.

WILL MY BABY GET DIAPER RASH IF I DON’T STERILIZE THE DIAPERS?

Normally, hot water washing and thorough rinsing will leave your cloth diapers sanitary.  Of course, common sense prevails—a health nurse phoned to tell us her concerns about rinsing cloth diapers in the toilet.  She explained that if the toilet is not kept reasonably clean, it is better to use a separate bucket for rinsing diapers.  Apparently some of the homes she visited had very poor housekeeping habits.  The biggest cause of diaper rash is simply leaving baby in a wet diaper too long, so that the rash-causing bacteria have a chance to multiply in the warmth, darkness, and dampness.  If you are in doubt about the sanitation of your cloth diapers, use 175 ml of vinegar in the final rinse.

SHOULD I USE A PURE SOAP, LIKE IVORY SNOW, ON CLOTH DIAPERS?

We don’t recommend ever using pure soap (as opposed to detergent) on cloth diapers.  Many customers have told us about the problems which have resulted from using pure soap on cloth diapers.  One customer told us that using pure soap had plugged up their farm septic system and that the man who did the clean-up told her not to use soap again, and to switch to detergent.  Some customers have had the hoses on their washing machines clog up because of the soap residue.  Customers have sent us cloth diapers to look at which have actually become water repellent because of the waxy build-up of soap residue.  (Ivory Snow is recommended for Nikky pant laundering, because it helps maintain the waterproofing.  Use Ivory soap flakes, not Ivory Snow liquid–the liquid is a detergent, not a soap.) In one case, the customer had hard water, and the soap had not rinsed out but had actually formed “curds” inside the cloth diaper layers!  If you insist on using soap, despite all this, then use soap with 1/2 cup of washing soda (Arm & Hammer washing soda is one brand, found in the laundry detergent section of any grocery store).  In hard-water areas, rinse first with 1/3 cup of washing soda to eliminate soap ingrained from previous washings, or a curd may form.  If curds form, use 1 1/2 cup of white vinegar to eliminate them.

WHAT CAUSES THIS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOAP AND DETERGENT?

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, “The most important feature of detergents is their ability to clean effectively in hard water.  Hard water contains certain minerals, and many soaps cannot be used to launder in it.  Such soaps react with the minerals to form a substance called lime soap or soap curd.  Lime soap does not dissolve, and so it is difficult to remove from fabrics and other surfaces.  It also causes bathtub ring.  Detergents do not leave such deposits, and they also penetrate soiled areas better than soap does.  The chief ingredients of soap are 1) fats, and 2) chemicals called alkalis.  Manufacturers may use animal fats, or such vegetable oils as coconut oil or olive oil.  Most soapmakers use sodium hydroxide (often called lye, or caustic soda) as the alkali.”

SHOULD I USE FABRIC SOFTENER ON CLOTH DIAPERS IN CANADA?

No, fabric softener leaves a coating on the fibres in the cloth diaper which will decrease absorbency in the cloth diaper.  Also, fabric softener has been found to cause an allergic rash on some babies.  Fabric softener is not necessary if you don’t overdry your cloth diapers.  If you wish to use it anyway, use about 1/5 the amount you would normally use.

HOW TO WASH CLOTH DIAPERS IN CANADA
1.  Store wet diapers in a diaper pail.  Rinse soiled diapers in the toilet, using the diaper duck or rubber gloves.  No water is needed in the diaper pail if you wash within 1 or 2 days.
2.  Put cloth diapers in washer and put through a cold rinse.  (If diapers are not very soiled, you may skip this.)
3.  Remove cloth diapers from washer and fill washer with HOT water and detergent.  DO NOT USE BLEACH, IT WEAKENS THE FABRIC.)
4.  Put cloth diapers through hot wash and rinse cycle.
5.  If desired, put cloth diapers through a second rinse cycle.
6.  If you wish, add 175 ml vinegar to final rinse.
7.  Dry diapers.  If using dryer, use hot setting, but do not overdry as the diapers will not be soft.
8.  If using prefolded cloth diapers, no need to stack them.  Just take them out of the dryer and leave them in a laundry basket near the change area.

For more information on using cloth diapers in Canada please visit

http://clothdiaperscanada.net/

Grace Hope is owner of Kidalog.com

Kidalog has been serving mothers across Canada for over 25 years.

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