Do baby clothes need to be ironed after washing?

With the appearance of a child, in addition to joy, a lot of worries fall on a woman. And here you need talent to correctly prioritize.

You also need to have knowledge of how to optimize the household chores process. Perhaps some of them are generally useless? For instance, ironing baby linen.

Do baby clothes need to be ironed on both sides after washing, is it necessary for newborns and for how long? You will find answers to questions in the article.

Points for and against"

Today, there is no consensus among medical professionals about the need to iron children's clothes. Old-school pediatricians actively recommend that young mothers iron their clothes thoroughly.

The opinion is based on the fact that:

• harmful microbes are destroyed;
• residues of detergent are removed;
• fabric and seams on clothing become softer;
• the service life of things increases;
• the need for beauty and accuracy is satisfied.

No scientific research has been done on these items, and the benefits of ironing are questionable... For each of the arguments, you can give more than one counterargument.

Undoubtedly, when a newborn appears, the physical load on a tired mother increases significantly. In maternity hospitals, diapers and clothes for newborns are not heat-treated after washing.

The arguments against ironing are that:

1. The child does not need sterile conditions, so the newborn is, if possible, immediately applied to the mother, discharged from the hospital for 2-3 days. In this case, the baby is populated by the microflora of loved ones and home environment. This tactic contributes to the normal formation of the child's immunity.
2. Children under 1–1.6 years old relieve themselves in diapers, then in their pants, and dirty their blouses. If you don't use diapers, then a huge amount of laundry will accumulate during the day, which is difficult to handle.
3. If you use special detergents for washing children's clothes and rinse thoroughly, then ironing is not necessary.

Doctors advise ironing the linen from the inside without fanaticism in the following cases:

• until the umbilical wound has healed;
• if there are inflammatory processes in the navel or skin.

Do I need to iron things for a newborn - the opinion of a neonatologist in this video:

Up to what age and why?

From a medical point of view, ironing of baby clothes can be justified until the navel is completely healed, that is, until the age of 2–4 weeks. However, with proper care of the wound, wrinkled clothing does not pose any danger to it.

The practical experience of women demonstrates diversity to extreme positions. For instance:

• thorough ironing of clothes for children throughout their lives;
• up to the age of the baby 1–3 months;
• up to six months, a year, 2-3 years;
• exclusively on the "exit";
• do not iron at all.

How many families, so many options. In this matter, every woman has the right to her position. Unanimity is noted only in the fact that going out for a walk, in the clinic, for guests, necessarily requires ironing.

How is it correct, safe and comfortable?

If for some reason there is a need for regular ironing of children's clothes, then it makes sense to make this time-consuming process more comfortable and enjoyable:

1. Get good tools for the job. An iron with a steam generator function, an automatic temperature control system and a high-quality ironing board will shorten the processing time.
2. If you have an ordinary iron in your arsenal, then you need to sort things out by type of fabric and adjust the temperature for each pile.

So that the product does not lose its appearance over time, it is impossible to cross the boundaries of the temperature regime for different fabrics:

• linen — 1900–2000;
• cotton — 1100–2000;
• wool — 1400–1650;
• natural silk — 1150–1400;
• viscose — 850–1150.

Knitted items are often present in a child's wardrobe. After washing and ironing, this fabric loses its shape, so such a thing is ironed from the inside out in a slightly damp state.

In this case, you do not need to actively drive the iron, but gently apply it to the fabric. It is not recommended for children under 5 years old to use synthetic items.

There are alternatives!

In addition to various models of irons, high-tech mechanisms are presented on the modern market for quick and efficient tidying up of things.

Along with the inventions of the century, there are simpler and more economical ways to iron clothes. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The table shows alternative devices and ways of ironing without iron:

What will happen if you do not iron on both sides?

During the period of caring for an infant, it is dangerous for a mother to load herself with extra work... Postpartum recovery, hormonal changes, and daily household chores all contribute to the accumulation of excessive fatigue.

If the child is healthy and developing well, there is no need to iron the linen thoroughly, especially from both sides.

And if you use modern advances in technology, then ironing can be fun. Knowing the basic rules of washing and drying things will help you completely forget about ironing.

The only disadvantage of refusing to iron children's clothes is possible condemnation from relatives, loved ones, friends. Some moms find it difficult to endure this moment.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

The renowned pediatrician believes that it is much more important for a small child to have happy parents than perfectly ironed things.

According to the doctor, the washing of children's clothes must be done with special means. Rinsing should be done in 2-3 cycles.

The issue of ironing is strictly individual, the main thing is not to the detriment of family relations.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion on washing children's clothes in the video:

Tips and bans

In order for the child's clothes and underwear to be neat and serve for a long time, you need to know some tricks... Among them:

• it is not advisable to iron terry products, they become rough and poorly absorb moisture;
• clothes with stains should not be heat treated, then it is difficult to remove them;
• you cannot pull a thing;
• first, small items of clothing are ironed (collars, cuffs, sleeves);
• things made of dark fabric are ironed from the inside;
• the product is first processed across, and then along;
• prolonged heat exposure to the fabric will make it rough;
• do not overdry things, if this happens, then you need to iron with steam or spray with water;
• after ironing, the laundry should cool for 1–2 hours on the board, and only then put it in the closet, so the clothes retain their shape longer.

Conclusion

The issue of ironing baby clothes is more aesthetics than practical for the child. If the situation is that you cannot do without ironing, then you need to make the process as convenient as possible.