Is it necessary to iron a newborn's diapers and why do it?

In matters of caring for a baby, we are accustomed to listening to the advice of doctors, the older generation, and experienced friends. We follow certain canons developed over many years. After all, you want to do everything “as it should” and not do it “as it shouldn’t.” Should a newborn's diapers be ironed? You won’t believe it, but this is the question that causes the most intense discussions on women’s forums. Moms are divided into two camps. The former iron diapers and all children's things on both sides, the latter claim that ironing is a completely useless activity that is not worth wasting precious time on. The former accuse the latter of sloppiness, untidiness and uncleanliness, while the latter accuse the former of excessive pedantry and outdated views. How to reconcile two warring camps? Is there any scientific view on the issue of ironing baby diapers?

Why iron diapers?

The habit of steaming babies' clothes and diapers has been criticized by immunologists. Previously, young mothers were deprived of such benefits of civilization as disposable diapers, automatic machines and baby powders, and careful ironing made sense.

A newborn baby is defenseless against infections, especially in the first 2 weeks, until the umbilical wound has healed. Lacking convenient hygiene products, we previously used reusable cloth diapers. Diapers inevitably absorbed leaking contents, becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

Hand washing did not provide sterility, and boiling made the material too harsh for delicate skin. The only way to provide the child with clean diapers was ironing on both sides. The high temperature killed germs, and mothers could not be afraid of introducing an infection into the unhealed navel. For the same reasons, at first it was recommended to bathe the child in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and regularly treat the wound with an alcohol antiseptic.

Now there is no requirement to additionally disinfect diapers after washing. When using diapers, the baby's things remain practically clean. Washing at 90°C with detergent does a good job of disinfecting fabric.

Creating sterility by ironing is a myth. Particles of dust and microbes from the air instantly land on an item coming out of the iron, but they are unlikely to cause any significant harm to the child. The immune system must train itself to fight bacteria and viruses. Therefore, many pediatricians are against creating artificial sterility around a newborn and recommend not to be overzealous with disinfecting children's undershirts and toys.

The problem of “ironing or not” lies rather on an aesthetic plane. Ironed items look neater than those simply taken off the line. Many people are accustomed to ironing clothes and linens, regardless of whether there is any practical purpose other than to look neat. They just don't like wrinkled things.

But there is another category of mothers who refuse to iron diapers in favor of relaxation and free time. A healthy child will not suffer from this in any way. It is enough to follow the rules:

• wash children's underwear separately from adults;
• choose high temperature mode;
• use hypoallergenic baby powder;
• dry at home so that street dust does not settle on the fabric;
• Carefully hang the washed laundry, carefully straightening out the folds.

The exception is new items from the store. They must be washed and ironed on both sides. It is not known where they were stored, it is better to play it safe and thoroughly disinfect the laundry.

It won’t hurt to steam the diapers and clothes of a weakened, premature baby. If a child suffers from diaper rash, irritation, dermatitis, the skin should not come into contact with folds, seams and rough fabric.

Arguments against ironing

Opinions regarding the need to iron diapers are controversial even among experienced pediatricians. There is a large category of specialists who are convinced that excessive disinfection of everything that the baby comes into contact with is not only unnecessary, but also harmful for him, because:

• Microorganisms, inevitably present in our environment, force the young body to fight infectious agents, thereby creating the effect of natural vaccination;
• Ironed linen partially loses its ability to absorb moisture and can cause heat rash or irritation of delicate baby skin.

As for the issue of healing the umbilical wound - the main argument in favor of the need to iron diapers - this part of pediatricians believes that it is not so much the sterility of the diapers that is important, but the timeliness and correctness of processing the wound itself (see how to properly treat an umbilical wound).

At what age should children's clothes be ironed?

The first months of life, a newborn needs special care. Its own immunity has not yet been formed; the body is protected only by antibodies received from the mother in the womb and through breast milk.

The main entry point for infections in the first days is the umbilical wound. Until it heals, it is better to avoid contact with dirt. Each child's scar heals differently, but on average it takes 14 days. To prevent inflammation, it is advisable to iron undershirts, rompers and diapers. With a healed navel - it’s no longer necessary.

Then each mother makes her own decision whether to iron the clothes. Arriving from the maternity hospital, the child is faced with an attack of foreign microflora. On the one hand, he must get used to his natural habitat, on the other hand, he must not catch a serious infection.

The task of parents is to create conditions where the newborn is well protected from pathogenic microbes, but is not in sterile cleanliness. It is useful for the immune system to have something to “train” on.

The adaptation period lasts about three months. From this age, it makes no sense to disinfect everything the child touches. His body is already able to cope with microbes.

Double-sided ironing

Many people are used to ironing things on both sides and don’t even think about why this is needed.

There is actually no objective reason for this. Usually, such advice is given to young parents by their own parents or grandparents, although they themselves cannot explain why they need to do this.

Steam ironing

Modern irons are very different from the old, heavy devices that our grandmothers used. The question of how to iron a newborn’s things with your own hands became a real problem. Today, irons iron much better, so you don’t need to add more work to yourself - ironing on one side will be enough, especially if you iron with steam.

How to iron things and save time

The problem of lack of time has always been, is and will exist. And young parents don’t even have a free minute. Of course, I want to avoid wasting time and get as much done as possible. Here are some tips on how to iron newborn clothes quickly:

• Iron clothes only on the side that comes into contact with the newborn's skin, that is, on the wrong side.
• Don't save money on an iron and ironing board. The more convenient the ironing process is, the faster you will cope with the mountain of wrinkled items after washing.
• The legs of the board should be adjustable so that you can adjust the height to your height. You should feel comfortable while ironing.
• The iron should be purchased with a steam generator. This way you won't have to waste time using a spray bottle and wetting the fabric by hand. In addition, steam helps smooth the fabric faster.
• Young parents should share responsibilities among themselves to get everything done quickly and in an organized manner. Will honestly take turns ironing things.
• Ironing things can be combined with watching movies, TV series, educational programs and videos, or you can iron them while listening to audio books. This way you will kill two birds with one stone.
• You don’t have to iron diapers after three months of your baby’s life if you don’t have enough time for it. But this must be done within three months.

To save time, no matter what you do, you need to know exactly what you need to do. The same goes for ironing a newborn’s clothes, no matter how simple this activity may seem. The video in this article will clearly show you this process and give you an idea of ​​how to iron baby clothes for newborns correctly.

How to wash and iron newborn clothes

An interesting fact that will help you get down to business if you are simply too lazy to iron: half an hour of ironing burns 400 kcal. So, by ironing things, you not only perform a useful task, but theoretically you can also keep your figure in shape.

Ironing methods

Newborn clothes are ironed in three ways:

• On the one side;
• on both sides;
• steaming.

Good, powerful irons iron right through thin fabric. There is no need to process the diapers on both sides, just go one at a time.

The clothes of an older child are also ironed from the inside out - where the item comes into contact with the body. Only the baby's undershirts are ironed on both sides: first from the inside, straightening out the folds, then from the front, smoothing out the seams.

Using steam makes caring for things easier, saving mom's energy and time. Using a steam generator, you can quickly process several layers of fabric at once - fold the diapers into a stack and iron them.

Arguments in favor of ironing

An equally large category of specialists insists that a newborn’s clothes must be ironed, but only until the navel is completely healed. It's connected:

• With a weak infant immune system. During the first month of life, the baby needs protection from all kinds of bacteria. Even if the baby’s clothes are constantly washed in very hot (up to 90 degrees) water, when drying on the balcony or radiator, germs still get on the fabric. A hot iron and steaming system effectively destroy all microorganisms and disinfect children's clothing;
• During the ironing process, residues of detergents that can provoke an allergic reaction in the baby are neutralized;
• Steaming and ironing can make natural fabric softer. The same happens with the seams: having softened, they do not rub the delicate baby skin.
• Diapers that are ironed will last longer;
• Well-ironed items look aesthetically pleasing, which is important when visiting a clinic or during a visit from your mother-in-law? : a baby dressed in them will look more attractive and well-groomed.

Popular questions:

Until what time should I iron my child’s clothes? - Pediatricians advise to be sure to stroke until the umbilical wound heals.

Do I need to iron a newborn's diaper on both sides? - Actually, it's a waste of time. It is recommended to iron things on one side – the inner side, which is in contact with the child’s skin.

READ ALSO: how and what to wash clothes for a newborn

Secrets of proper ironing

• In order not to burn children's clothes and not switch the iron every minute, before starting ironing, things need to be sorted by type of fabric. Having set the iron control to the minimum value, first begin to iron clothes made from delicate materials (for example, silk), gradually moving on to chintz, cotton and flannel;
• Flannel and cotton are used to make diapers. These fabrics require steaming and ironing at high (190-200 degrees) temperatures. The dried fabric should be sprayed with a spray bottle and set aside for five minutes, allowing it to “depart.” Even if you have a modern iron with a powerful steaming system, you should iron diapers on both sides. This is not done at all in order to destroy bacteria (the steaming mode will destroy them even with one-sided ironing). This is necessary for optimal alignment of the cotton fiber structure;
• For products made from chintz, one-sided ironing and a lower (150 degrees) iron temperature are required. Ironing on the front side will give the fabric a glossy shine, and on the back it will give it a matte finish. Dry chintz needs additional moisture, even if the steaming function is used during the ironing process.

Little tricks

1. It is better to moisten dry diapers with warm water poured into a spray bottle. This water is absorbed faster and softens the fabric much better.
2. Children's clothes can be ironed only on the side that is in contact with the baby's skin: this saves both time and effort for the mother.
3. By adjusting the height of the ironing board to suit her own height, mom can reduce the load on the muscles of her arms and back.
4. An ideal iron should have a comfortable handle, a spray and steam system, and not be very heavy.
5. Before ironing, you need to make sure that the ironing surface and the steam coming out of the iron are clean. Only distilled water should be used for steaming.

After the umbilical wound has healed, you can stop ironing baby clothes and diapers (the only exception is the healing period of the BCG vaccination given in the maternity hospital, which tends to become inflamed a month after it is done; during this period, it is better to resume ironing).

READ ALSO: How to care for children's clothing (washing, drying, ironing, storing): tips and tricks

Here's what mommies write on forums:

sharik (anesthesiologist-resuscitator): I stroked for 2 weeks until the navel healed. I can imagine how crazy I would be to iron until I was 8 months old.

PragMa: My daughter is three months old - I don’t iron anything at all. Without consequences. True, there is a dryer, I wash her things separately and dry them at 120 degrees, not always, but mostly. I think this replaces ironing. I don't see the point in ironing. Germs are everywhere. Destroy them with modern methods of child care - diapers, etc. I consider it a waste of time, effort and money. It is enough that children's clothes are completely dry - in a humid environment there are still more microbes and they reproduce better.

Birch: I only ironed things that were washed and prepared before the birth. After the birth of my daughter, there was neither time nor desire. By the way, there were no unpleasant consequences either!

Anna: The pediatrician told me that she stroked it once after purchase and no more. don't complicate your life. If the child uses them alone, the immune system will be stronger.

melam0ry: When I washed the diapers before the maternity hospital and started ironing them, my husband came up to me and said affectionately: “Katenka, if you have nothing to do, then go to bed and sleep.” This is where we ended ironing the diapers. And as for “aesthetics”... a diaper will be wrinkled if you crumple it after washing and store it in this form, but if you hang it carefully and fold it carefully when it dries, there is no difference between ironed and unironed (I confidently say that I managed to distinguish between 5 diapers I couldn’t do them later)

Well, let's just smile?

Ironing things

When a little toddler appears in the house, everything seems to turn upside down. Young parents immediately have a hundred times more worries than they had before the birth of the child. Newborn babies require a lot of attention; they need to be bathed, fed, dressed, diapers changed, soothed when they cry, and so on. In addition, household chores also do not go away on their own, including washing and ironing things. In addition, now children's clothes appear in the basket that need to be washed by hand, and this also takes time, just like ironing. Of course, many mothers begin to wonder how to iron things for newborns, and whether it is necessary to iron diapers for a newborn. In this article you will receive answers to them and useful recommendations.

How to iron clothes for a newborn

Before ironing, clothes are sorted by material to set the iron to the correct setting. It is usually indicated on product labels. The table shows the main types of “children’s” fabrics and ironing temperatures:

By violating the recommendations, there is a risk of ruining the item. An overheated iron makes the fabric rough, rough, and disrupts hygroscopicity, which is contraindicated for children's underwear. For better smoothing, the function of steaming and spraying water will be useful; if you don’t have it, use a hand sprayer.

Clothes are always ironed from the inside out, starting with small parts (sleeves, pockets). When you need to iron it on both sides, the item turns inside out.

Linen and diapers cannot be stored immediately; they must cool on the ironing board. Then hang it up or put it on a closet shelf.

If necessary?

There is no consensus on this issue (whether it is necessary to iron a newborn’s clothes), but pediatricians unanimously declare that it is still necessary to iron a newborn’s clothes. Why iron a newborn's things? There is a reason for this.

The fact is that during ironing the fabric is exposed to high temperatures, which are destructive to bacteria. The same effect can be observed in boiling water or milk - disinfection occurs.

Baby and pediatrician

The immunity of newborns is still very weak and the health of babies is easily vulnerable. Therefore, when asked whether it is necessary to iron a newborn’s clothes after washing, doctors answer that this should be done at least until the umbilical scar heals.

In addition, there are a number of other reasons why you should iron things for your baby:

• Ironed items are much more pleasant to the touch. A newborn's skin is very sensitive, and freshly washed items can be harsh on it.
• The iron smoothes the seams of the product, which means they will not scratch the skin and cause discomfort.
• If the clothes are new, then they have probably collected a lot of dirt and germs in the warehouse and factory. It must be washed, and ironing will disinfect the fabric to the ground.
• Ironed clothes look more beautiful and neater than wrinkled ones after washing.

Pros and cons and nuances

1. The umbilical wound, of course, is open, but with proper care, no bacteria are dangerous for the child. The baby does not yet have his own immunity; it is “developed” only through contact with foreign cells. The baby’s body will be “lazy” as long as we artificially support its immunity.
2. Natural discharge is not dangerous to the child’s health, especially since a caring mother will change the diaper, the vest, and even the socks if they were worn. If the mother is healthy, then a breastfed baby cannot have infected stool. Likewise, if your baby eats packaged baby formula, you don’t need to make any special efforts to wash his diapers from the “infection”;
3. All washing powders labeled “for children's clothing” are hypoallergenic and have disinfecting properties, i.e. After washing, your baby’s clothes will be as clean as possible and will not require heat treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to wash children's clothes - this is unambiguous and indisputable, and whether they need to be ironed is decided by the mother herself.
4. The opinion about “pollution” by “microbes” floating in the air has no basis, since diapers and “all other baby things” are not dried on the balcony. If washed items can become “infected” at home from sneezing or coughing, then ironed clothes also have this possibility. Mommy simply physically does not have time to fold and put each individual item into a sterile cabinet immediately after ironing in order to “protect” it from contamination.

Proper ironing of things: the vest was ironed, folded, placed on the edge of the table or ironing board. We ironed the next vest, folded it, and placed it on top of the previously ironed one. A stack of vests “grows” on the ironing board until they are all ironed. Only then are all the undershirts put away in a regular, non-medical (not sterile) closet. Can't germs get on shirts that are ironed and stacked? Quite, things are in the same environment as everything in the house. Why then iron things if the possibility of infection has not disappeared? It is enough to fold them carefully and put them in a drawer, but there is no need to iron them.

Important Note

You can’t just wash a baby’s clothes, they need to be washed! Washed and then ironed fabric will become rough and damage the baby’s skin, and any damage to the skin gives bacteria “direct access” to the body. Decide for yourself until how many months you will iron diapers, socks and other “clothes” or you will not do this at all, but do not wash things, wash them thoroughly.