Nurseries are a delightful mess. Among the many things we buy for our babies, textiles in the form of clothing, blankets, pillows etc are a major part. Literally every month fresh clothes are bought and after spending a fortune on them, every parent certainly feels that they should last longer. If not for their baby to be passed on to friends and family. But what makes any baby clothing /essentials last longer? When there are several situations of wear n tear and damage possible. This is where “AFTERCARE” methods help us out. Good aftercare of clothes keeps them fresh, clean and hygienic.
At Aagghhoo your baby’s clothes are designed and crafted with a lot of care and love. Careful maintenance of these handmade clothes and essentials honours the product and the craftsmen who created it.
‘Design for Longevity’ is one of our studio values.
Making clothes or any textile product requires a lot of resources. We can reduce our carbon footprint by making the baby’s clothes last with these recommended aftercare habits.
A little bit more care
We cannot control the amount of washing that is required for baby clothes, but what makes a difference is the choice of natural detergent and the method of cleaning. Along with safe washing, proper storage techniques and natural safety from mites and insects will ensure the textiles last long enough.
Baby Wardrobes - Everyone loves cute wooden baby wardrobes. If you sniff through baby things kept inside the wardrobe, you know the immediate environment of the storage. If it's been raining a lot, it will start smelling musty, if not dusted for sometime, it smells of dust and mites being present. Use of natural Bug chasers keeps the wardrobe and baby’s room neutral of any bad odour. This protects special fibres and prevents holes and damages due to mites eating the fibres.
Essential oil Soak - Rinsing clothes in an essential oil bath helps get rid of any smell due to food stains, poop, urine, sweat etc. In one litre of room temperature water add 3-4 drops of essential oil - Tea tree or Lavender oil and leave it for 1-2 minute, squeeze out water and dry in shade.
Natural Repellant ‘Bug Chasers’ - Every time you receive a product from Aagghhoo, you will see a little bug chaser tucked inside the package. They not just smell great but protect baby clothing and accessories from mites, bugs and insects. Place them inside your baby’s wardrobe, chest of drawers, hook them to different nooks and corners and use until the smell wears out. Replace by making a fresh one. Very basic home spices can be used to make these amazing bug chasers. Use of cinnamon, bay leaf, rosemary, cloves, cardamom, camphor, is recommended.
Everyday Stains
Hand washing delicate baby clothes is so much more of a controlled process. It reduces the stress on the textiles. Special fibers like silks and wools can also be taken care of with simple home care measures. Little daubs and dribbles are natural when babies are around.
Stains - The best treatment for stains is to catch them as early as possible. A thorough rinse in room temperature water reduces the chances of stubborn stains. Soak for sometime in a soap solution, if too greasy or tough. Spot cleaning should be done as soon as the spill is noticed.
The most common stains on baby clothing are - milk, poop, spit up, soups, puree, turmeric, fruit juices. Most of the stains can be addressed with simple soapnut wash but if there is a stubborn stain like food stain - soaking in one part vinegar and two parts plain water also helps. Very tough stains eventually fade away. So we really suggest not to worry about bleaching as it damages the natural texture and structure of the fibers.
Studio Mending Services
There are several other concerns that are commonly faced with frequent washing of baby clothes. Some of those concerns can be handled at home - fixing small holes, small areas where clothes get torn, fixing simple things like buttons. Some concerns like discolouration and strong stains can be handled by refreshing the product by a fresh dip dyeing, eco printing and other forms of mending like patchwork, embroidery.
Get in touch if anything needs to be artistically mended.