Ok, so, here’s my silly question for this week. I’ve lost my mind for serious, so forgive me.
I need to wash a baby blanket before presenting it as a gift. Is baby laundry soap necessary or would regular detergent be okay or should I go with Eucalan? I’m assuming the baby detergent thing has something to do with sensitive skin, so that kind of rules out Eucalan, I would think, too… What about adding a tiny drop of Borax to the wash just to brighten things up a bit?
AND since I’m writing, this is the first time I’ve washed a knit blanket… for a baby size, would you use a garment bag to protect it or just the small washer load?
It’s that blankie in the Sirdar Chatterbox and Tiny Tots, one is 90% acrylic 10% poly, and the other is 43% nylon, 58% acrylic, if that helps.
I have kids and I just use regular detergent on everything. Knit items and all. I’d put a knit blanket on a wash cycle for delicates/knits, though. You are right about baby detergent being used because their skin can be more sensitive, so if that’s an issue for the baby you knitted it for, you might want to go that route. Sorry if I’m not much help.
no, that’s lots of help, thank you!!! really, when i think about it, i think the mom will be able to tell it’s washed and probably even recognize not in baby detergent if i don’t use it, so if she feels it necessary to rewash it, i’m sure she will. but when i think about it more now that i’ve said that, i don’t think most mom’s wash their own clothes or skin in baby soaps, and they rub up against the little ones all the time… i could be wrong in that. i’m sure if there was an obvious skin issue, that might not be the case, but just in general. call me cheap, but I was just really wanting to avoid spending !!!$7!!! on some Dreft. What in heck happened to detergent prices!!! Lordie!
My kids and husband have really sensitive skin. For the first baby, I was brainwashed to use Dreft. Second baby I used a “Free” detergent such as All Free or Tide Free (or Costco equivalent). No problems, much cheaper and I could use it for the whole family
In my experience, if I don’t use the dye-free/scent-free detergents, my guys (husband included) break out in a rash.
Just an idea, you know how you can buy travel sized bottles of shampoo and that sort of stuff…I wonder if you can find travel/sample sized packages of detergent anywhere?? Drug store, maybe?
Another thought (or two!)…I wonder if laundromats provide or sell small quantities of various detergents??
OR, I’m wondering if it would be completely distasteful to give the gift as is, along with a note with washing instructions because you are unsure of her washing habits??
I think that washing it with whatever detergent you regularly use will be fine. A dye/perfume free kind would be ideal, but I wouldn’t make a special purchase just for this one use. There is a high likelyhood that if she is concerned about the detergent used for her baby’s stuff the recipient will want to wash everything she receives herself before using it anyway. So I would give it a wash to make it nice and pretty for gifting, and the include washing instructions - because if she doesn’t want to wash it right away, it will certainly end up with something on it and need a wash once it is in use!
I agree with jhelanee, wash it in your own detergent and if the mom wants to wash it again, then let her do it.
I’m sure she’s received tons of clothes from other people. All that needs to be washed before putting it on the baby. What’s another blanket added to the bunch going to do? Just add instructions so she knows that it’s OK to wash and dry it.
I think it’s fine to wash it in your own detergent too. It’s better than not washing it, and mom will probably wash it again if it’s that important to her anyway.
But, IMO, a box of Dreft detergent is part of a knitter’s equipment. I have a box put away in the laundry room for just such an occaision. But then, I knit baby gifts if I hear that someone might be pregnant. LOL
I think washing it in whatever you have is fine. Many of my friends have became moms in the last few years and whenever they got clothes, blankets, etc they would wash them all with their baby detergent. It didn’t matter if they were gifts, hand-me-down, straight from the store… so I don’t think a mom would mind at all!
I think the biggest question here is whether this blanket is for a 1st or subsequent child. If it’s for the first, mom-to-be will wash it again no matter what you do or what kind of detergent you use.
If it’s for the 2nd or 3rd it doesn’t matter as long as it looks kind of clean. If the baby gets a rash, she’ll just wash it in her detergent later. No big deal!
i didn’t get the response notifications, sorry ladies!!! (and projectgal, hysterical!)
i totally forgot that i had to go to target to return some shorts and when i bought the shorts, i also bought a bottle of Purex yummy scented with yummy scented softener already inside (I love those) I started using Purex because they were the only readily available laundry soap that did not test on animals, but I just realized that is not the case any longer. (sigh :() I digress. Since I was there returning anyway, I exchanged that one for the Purex Free and Clear kind, but then mom tells me I need to add fabric softener since I’ve done that… (and silver, I will totally invest in a box of Dreft one of these days, I’m just trying to avoid spending the RIDICULOUS amount of cash for it at this moment in time, but it’s on the list! I totally agree (and wouldn’t be having this problem! ;)))
I digress again. The real question I meant to post is the garment bag thing. I used the wrong word, I guess lingerie bag is more appropriate (like Dreft for Silver, that is knitter’s equipment to me, I have no lingerie, I promise! :rofling:) Do you all think I need to place the blankie in there using a laundromat washing machine to wash it or am I being overprotective of my first (still not finished, but will be my first finished and it BETTER be tonight) knit blankie?
hey guess what! i’m a total dork! i went BACK to target because i discovered that Method Products, which I always thought was a Target thing, but apparently is not, are cruelty free and without animal derived ingredients except for the softener sheets, which contain tallow, but still no animal testing. AND they make a baby detergent NOT for $10! YAY!
Kinda OT in my own T now, I know, but had to share my exciting news!
and I agree, Jennifer, I’m going to go with that. How is that Adamas going? Tried it a few times, couldn’t hack it, but I will give it another go some day because it was GORGEOUS.
It’s coming along nicely. Slow going, but that is mostly because I have been working on other things as well. Once I figured out the construction and how the increases/decreases form the pattern it made much more sense. I am now on my seventh repeat of the body chart. The biggest obstacle to faster progress is a lack of “concentration knitting” time - I have plenty of time to knit, but most of it is while chatting or watching TV and I can’t do those while paying attention to the pattern and counting stitches yet!
[color=indigo]Just add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the final rinse instead of fabric softner. That will remove all residue of whatever soap/detergent you used. No, it will not end up smelling like vinegar. It will have no odor at all. No perfumes from the soap/detergent.[/color]
you can always wash it in whatever deturgent you want to and then run in through a second rinse cycle. I have 2 kids and have done this before when I ran out of dreft…worked fine.
