Babies and children hold a special place when it comes to laundry cleaning, just like in all other areas. Specially produced baby detergents and other products that can meet children's increasing needs are of great importance in this regard.

It is necessary to choose different products for baby clothes and children's clothes. In other words, the clothes of an individual in the infancy stage should not be washed with children's detergent, just as children's clothes should not be washed with baby products.

There are different options available to meet the dermatological needs of each age group. The first condition for washing babies' and children's clothes hygienically and safely is to use the most suitable detergents.

The requirements for properly washing baby clothes and children's clothes are different from each other. Here are some key details that stand out:

• How to Wash Baby Clothes?

Baby clothes should be washed using special detergents until approximately the sixth or seventh month. These clothes should not be washed together with parent laundry. Also, the clothes of children older than 2 – 3 years should not be washed simultaneously with baby clothes.

The first detail regarding washing baby clothes is that you should choose the right detergent. Focusing on the ingredients rather than the price of the products can be more beneficial during this process.

It is not recommended to use products with regular perfume or anti-allergic perfume additives. Ultimately, perfumes consist of chemical compounds and may have harmful effects on your baby.

To prevent skin irritations and to take precautions against complications that may occur later, pure soap can be used. All baby detergents contain varying amounts of chemical substances.

Even products with the least additives can negatively affect the natural bacterial flora on babies' skin. Your priority should be using pure soap bars instead of liquid products. Using quality and additive-free soaps can provide maximum hygiene for your baby's clothes. Additionally, soaps do not kill beneficial bacteria due to their lower chemical content compared to liquid detergents. For the skin health of the baby, certain beneficial bacteria that live in their body and transfer to their clothes are important.

• How to Wash Children's Clothes?

Expert dermatologists warn parents regarding children's clothes. Because it is recommended to wash these clothes separately until about the early stages of puberty. The fast development processes of children, which can be easily observed, should not mislead parents. Although physical development is rapid, the sensitivity of children's skin takes a long time. It can be said that children's skin is sensitive until the physical changes seen during puberty occur.

Various bodily fluids such as dead skin cells from adults or teenagers in the house; saliva, sweat, vomit, genital fluids, or bacteria colonies residing in clothes can have harmful effects on children. If you do not separate your child's clothes and wash them together with your own laundry, you may not have made a big mistake. However, irritation, wounds, skin peeling, and skin shedding may occur in children with sensitive skin. It is advisable to wash children's clothes separately as a precaution. For children's clothes detergent, you can prefer natural products without perfume additives.

How to Remove Stains from Baby Clothes?

Baby clothes frequently get stains from food and vomit. Babies can easily dirty themselves because their chewing and swallowing skills are not sufficiently developed. When choosing a detergent, the ability to remove stains should also be prioritized. However, it should not be forgotten that detergents with stain remover effects often contain many additives.

When purchasing detergent for washing baby clothes , you do not need to choose chemically additive products by considering tough stains. If you are looking for an effective solution for vomit and food stains, here are some details to consider:

• Washing should begin immediately after a stain occurs on the clothing. If your baby has soiled their clothes by spitting or vomiting while eating, the waiting time for washing that clothing should be kept short. Because over time, the stain on the threads dries and becomes permanent.
• Washing with hot water helps soften the fabric threads and makes it easier to remove the stain.
• While washing stained baby clothes, you can use natural washing soap along with a little baking soda and lemon juice. A few drops from a cut lemon on the stain and a sprinkle of baking soda over the same area is sufficient.
• Although it is not highly recommended due to the negative effects it may have on your baby's skin, you can drop some dishwashing liquid detergent on stubborn stains that you cannot remove. This product, used in dishwashers, can be considered a method to tackle persistent stains. However, it is best not to use this product too frequently.

At What Temperature Should Baby Clothes Be Washed?

You can wash your baby's clothes in the washing machine. However, before doing so, you should not forget to run the machine on a drum cleaning program. You can wash at 30 – 40 degrees using specially designed baby softeners and detergents. It is not recommended to keep the temperature too high or too low, but white clothes can be washed at higher temperatures than colored ones.

How Long Should Baby and Children's Clothes Be Washed Separately?

Washing baby and children's clothes separately is an important detail. Baby clothes are sensitive items that should be washed separately until at least the seventh month. Regarding washing children's clothes, there are no restrictions. Some mothers wash their child's clothes together with their own from the age of three, while others wash them separately until puberty. Considering the skin sensitivity of babies, it is essential to be careful during the first 6 – 7 months.

At What Temperature Should Children's Clothes Be Washed?

If the right choice has been made regarding baby and children's laundry detergent, you can determine the ideal washing temperatures. Baby clothes are more delicate products in terms of manufacturing and should be washed at lower temperatures, while there is no harm in washing children's clothes at higher temperatures. You can wash all clothing items of children, including during puberty, at 40 – 60 degrees.