You’ve spent months researching the best products for your new baby, and loading up on organic essentials. Then the baby comes, the laundry piles up and you want to make sure that you are caring for your new garments in the best way possible.

Caring for your babies organic garments does not have to be complicated. If you’re new to washing organic cotton clothes, you may worry that laundering it will be complicated, with hard-to-find cleaners. But don’t fret, it is a simple and pure process.

Here is a quick guide to caring for your organic baby clothes:

Picking the Right Detergent for Organic Baby Clothes

Studies have shown that there is at least 1 potentially cancerous ingredient in over 1/3 of all fragranced laundry detergents. Ordinary detergent can also contain harmful phosphates, chlorine, petroleum-based surfactants, and other carcinogens. Not only are these bad for your little ones; they’ll also degrade the fibres and dyes in your organic baby clothes.

That’s why you should only trust a biodegradable natural cleanser and disinfectant to clean any clothing. This is especially true for washing organic baby clothing which can fade or deteriorate under harsh chemicals and bleaches. Natural cleansers are fragrance and phosphate-free. Many are plant-based, and offer comparable cleansing power to standard detergent when used properly. If you previously used a non-eco detergent, put your empty washing machine through a rinse cycle before washing organic garments.

Because organic fabric uses eco-friendly dyes, a little extra care - just for the first few washes - can lock in colors and keep them from fading and bleeding. Specifically, do not wash dark and light colors together, and turn patterned clothes inside out.  The very first time you launder, add ¼ cup of vinegar to the final rinse water.

Removing Stains from Organic Baby Clothes

It is easy to panic when organic cotton baby clothes become stained, and it will happen quite often. You don’t want to use harsh chemicals to remove the stains, so how do you do it? There are a few tricks to eco-friendly stain removal, depending on the nature of the stain. For food and drink stains, try pouring boiling water over the stain. Try applying baking soda to any oil-based stains, let it absorb into the fabric, then brush the stain gently with an old toothbrush.  Once the stain is dry, apply some eco-friendly dish soap and let it soak in, before placing the garment in a bowl of lukewarm water.

Putting the garment through the washing machine afterwards should completely remove the stain. If it doesn’t, repeat the process until the stain disappears. For the toughest stains, look out for eco-friendly stain removal liquid that is suitable for organic cotton.

Conventional textiles are treated with chemicals to prevent shrinkage. As organic baby clothes are chemical-free, we’d suggest drying on a low heat to keep the shape.

Natural air is the best way to dry your clothes, but don’t be afraid to run them in your dryer. Put them on slow tumble for the best results. Otherwise, you can just dry them outside under some shade, and make sure they are inside out. Line dry or flat dry. Make sure to smoothen any wrinkly area before hanging them on your line to dry.

Caring for organic baby clothes is not much more complicated than caring for conventional garments. Buying organic clothing can be a larger investment in the beginning, but the benefits will last a lifetime. Choosing a small collection of quality garments for your new baby will save you time, and keep your baby safe and healthy.