Balancing life as a new parent: Laundry hacks to save time 

They might be cute, but your new baby comes with a whole new list of chores to get done daily!

How much more work can a teeny tiny baby make, really? Actually … it’s a whole lot! Just the laundry alone from a new baby can easily add up to an additional eight to 12 loads per month. Eeep!

Remember, this is ON TOP of your regular household laundry, so it’s a great idea to get some systems in place to help you manage your time without getting burnt out.

With a consistent laundry routine, you can better plan your day and ensure that laundry doesn’t interfere with other essential tasks or your much-needed downtime as a new parent.

How does a little baby makes so much extra laundry?

A new baby can significantly increase the amount of laundry you need to do. We don’t mean to alarm you, but on average, a new baby can add anywhere from two to three extra loads of laundry per week!

It’s important to use a detergent that’s gentle on your baby’s skin, like Cold Power Sensitive, to keep their clothes fresh, clean, and irritation-free.

The extra loads of laundry will depend on various factors like:

Frequent Outfit Changes: Babies often need multiple outfit changes throughout the day due to spit-ups, nappy leaks, and general messiness.

Burp Cloths and Bibs: Burp cloths and bibs can pile up quickly as they’re used to catch drool, spit-up, and food. These handy items might be small, but they require frequent washing.

Bedding and Swaddles: Babies often spit up or have nappy leaks on their bedding, swaddles, and sleep sacks. These items might need to be washed more frequently, especially in the early weeks.

Reusable Cloth Nappies: If you’re using cloth nappies, you’ll have even more laundry. Cloth nappies are fantastic, but they usually need to be washed every two to three days, adding an additional two to three loads per week.

Towels and Washcloths: Babies require frequent baths, leading to more used towels and washcloths. These items will add to the laundry pile as well.

Parents’ Clothes: Don’t forget that your own clothes might also need more frequent washing due to spit-up, food spills, or nappy-related accidents while holding or feeding your baby.

Laundry hacks and tricks to help you stay on top of it all

When you have a system in place, you don’t have to think about laundry constantly. It becomes a predictable task rather than something that piles up and demands urgent attention, which can be mentally draining, particularly in the early days of parenting.

Here are some practical laundry hacks to help you save time as a busy new parent:

Pre-sort Laundry Baskets: Use separate baskets or hampers for different types of laundry (e.g., whites, colours, delicates). This way, you can toss clothes directly into the right basket, making laundry day quicker.

Mesh Bags for Baby Items: Place small baby clothes, socks, and mittens in mesh laundry bags. This prevents them from getting lost in the wash and makes it easy to grab them all at once for folding.

Use a Quick Wash Cycle: Many modern washing machines have a quick wash cycle that’s perfect for lightly soiled clothes. Use this for small loads or when you need something cleaned in a hurry.

Pre-treat stains with Cold Power Sensitive: Pre-treat any stains with a gentle, baby-safe detergent. Choose a premium dermatologically tested detergent like Cold Power Sensitive that’s free of dyes and fragrances to keep your baby’s skin from becoming irritated. Apply a small amount directly to the stain and gently work it in with your fingers or a soft brush.

Cold Power Sensitive delivers great performance while being gentle on sensitive skin. It contains no dyes, enzymes, and fragrances, which means it removes residues and potential irritants while softening the fabric. Your baby’s clothes will be clean, soft, and extra comfy.

Prevent Pile-Ups: Regularly doing laundry in manageable loads prevents it from becoming overwhelming. Large piles of dirty laundry can take much longer to sort, wash, dry, and fold than smaller, more frequent loads.

Hang Dry Immediately: To avoid wrinkles and reduce ironing time, hang clothes to dry as soon as they come out of the washer. If you use a dryer, take clothes out promptly when the cycle ends.

Fold as You Go: If possible, fold laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer or off the line. This prevents clothes from piling up and becoming overwhelming.

Simplify Sorting: For baby clothes, skip the sorting by colour and wash everything together on a cold, gentle cycle using Cold Power Sensitive. Most baby clothes are made of similar materials and won’t bleed.

Double Up: Have multiples of essential baby items (like onesies, pyjamas, and burp cloths) so you can go longer between laundry days without running out of clean clothes.

By staying on top of laundry, you avoid the panic of discovering that you or your baby are out of clean clothes or linens. Taking the time to get a good system in place will reap you big benefits in the long run. When you have clean clothes ready and organised, getting dressed in the morning or preparing for outings becomes quicker and smoother!

Brought to you by Cold Power.