When it comes to laundry, ironing is certainly on the decline. I know I personally haven’t touched an ironing board in years. However, for any new parents, it is important to iron your baby’s clothing. You may wonder why your baby needs their clothing ironed, especially since most of us do not even iron our own clothes. There are a variety of reasons to do so.
1. For Baby’s Health
The most important is for your baby’s health. While we as adults have a more developed immune system, babies are more at risk of getting sick. As every parent knows, babies are not exactly the most careful when it comes to staying clean. With this in mind, it is imperative to wash and iron all of the clothes your baby wears, as the heat from the ironing will go further to kill the bacteria and germs found on the clothing.
2. For Baby’s Comfort
In addition to the baby’s health, there is the more obvious benefit of making the clothes more comfortable for your baby. The steam ironing process will make the fabric softer and more comfortable on the skin, and this will go a long way towards helping your baby stay happy and comfy.
3. Better-smelling Clothes for Baby
Lastly, it provides the benefit of better-smelling clothes for your baby. As every parent knows, it is challenging enough to keep your baby clean, so it is nice to make the clothes as clean as possible.
On the other hand, time for parents is at a premium. Many may struggle to find the time to steam iron baby clothes in addition to all of the other tasks that require attention. So at that point, the question isn’t whether ironing is beneficial, but rather if it is worth the time. There are conflicting opinions on this, and many moms (including mine) claim to never iron baby clothing.
Between work, chores at home, and taking care of the baby there just may not be enough time. With that being said, the science behind it has been studied and verified, and there is a proven benefit to ironing. However, it is next to impossible to verify how much it really helps. If you are at a severe lack of time and you absolutely can not do it, then the consequences would seem to be fairly minor.
On the other hand, I know as parents you want to do everything possible for your baby, so if at all possible I would recommend ironing your baby’s clothes as often as possible. The benefit is there, and the only requirement is carving out a little extra time out of your day.
Overall, if you lack the time, just iron the clothes for your baby as often as you possibly can. While it is not a necessary requirement, it is still worth doing for your baby. They will appreciate the comfort, and you will appreciate the potential of keeping them far away from harmful bacteria. The benefits of ironing your baby’s clothes far outweigh any negatives and should be done frequently for both the parent and the baby.