Kids are notorious for getting themselves messy. Whether they’re playing outside with friends, practicing a sport or doing some arts and crafts in the house, their clothing can really take a beating. While doing piles of laundry is just part of being a parent, you don’t have to spend a ton of time on it. This quick and dirty guide can help you make quick work of cleaning your child’s clothes.
How Often to Clean Them
When you first acquire clothing, you’ll want to give it a good washing. This will help soften, clean and prep the material for your child to wear. How often you should wash an item of clothing really depends on what the clothing item is. For example, a T-shirt that is worn directly next to the body should be washed after every wear. Other items that are worn as second or third layers, such as hoodies and sweaters, can be worn a few times before being washed.
Pretreating Stains
If your child comes to you with an article of clothing that has a stain on it, treat the item before it goes into the wash. There are a few different products you can purchase for stains, but you can also treat a stain with things that you have around the house. For example, sprinkle a little baking soda on a spot, and use a little bit of dish soap to scrub the stained area gently. Leave it on for as long as possible before washing.
Be Cautious of Harsh Detergents
It can be tempting to use a strong detergent with your kid’s clothes in hopes of removing stains. However, many detergents can be very harsh on clothing. They can fade bright colors quicker, and the scent can be very irritating to kids. Tide Pods are particularly dangerous, so use them with caution. Natural alternatives to laundry detergent can be safer, as they tend to have less volatile and more eco-friendly ingredients.
Getting into a good routine with your children’s laundry can make a difference in how often you’re washing and folding items. If this isn’t your favorite household chore, try to come up with ways to share the responsibility. You might not be comfortable with letting your child sort the dirty laundry into whites, colors, and darks, but there is no reason your child can’t take on the responsibility of folding their clean items and putting them away.
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