How to take care of hygiene in the environment of a newborn and infant?
When a newborn arrives at home, we face a difficult task. A baby's body hasn't yet developed all its defense mechanisms, its immune system is immature, and its skin is exceptionally delicate. We must ensure impeccable cleanliness and hygiene in the newborn's immediate environment , while avoiding the use of harsh detergents. How can we cope with this?
We often emphasize what it is and how important hygiene is in the environment of a newborn and infant. Most experienced parents are aware of this, but it is worth returning to the topic regularly and introducing the rules for maintaining cleanliness at home. We talk about environmental hygiene - what it is and how to maintain it, not only for those who are just starting their adventure with parenthood, but also to remind everyone else, because the proverbial devil is often in the details that we can simply forget about .
Hygiene w surrounding the newborn and troublesome textiles
We've written many times about washing and ironing our little ones' clothes, bedding, and blankets (most recently here ). Washing baby clothes and textiles that come into contact with a baby's skin is a fairly obvious requirement and should be maintained until the baby is three months old.
Expert advises
It is worth remembering about the appropriate washing temperature (at least 60 degrees C), as well as the obligatory ironing, which additionally disinfects the textiles. This requirement also applies to completely new items, straight from the store, because, firstly, they are the habitat of numerous bacteria, and secondly, they are often coated with a finish, which is designed to improve the appearance of the clothes offered for sale. Clothes that will come back with us and the toddler from the hospital are recommended to be washed at 90 degrees Celsius before further use, due to the risk of hospital infections.
Due to the fact that not everything is suitable for high-temperature washing, and some textiles cannot be washed in a water bath at all, or even ironed in the traditional way - the question arises, what to do with such things to keep them hygienic?
Hygiene w surrounding the newborn: without textiles, no move
It is worth remembering that there are many objects in our baby's environment that are touched frequently or regularly, and keeping them clean can be difficult - because they can only be washed at low temperatures or are not intended for washing at all.
Even if we try not to accumulate excess items in our little one's environment, adhering to healthy minimalism in this regard, it would be difficult to deprive them of their favorite stuffed animals and cuddly toys . It's even more difficult to eliminate textile elements from furniture and equipment – for example, many breastfeeding mothers enjoy using specially contoured pillows, cradles, or chairs designed specifically for breastfeeding. Let's also not forget about mattresses in children's beds, or non-removable fabric covers for strollers or car seats.
The power of environmental hygiene enchanted in hand
Steam is successfully used to refresh and disinfect all textiles that cannot be washed and cannot be ironed traditionally. Technology extends a helping hand to us, thanks to which we now have at our disposal something more than an iron, i.e. a steam generator, otherwise known as a steam station. In such a device, a water tank equipped with a boiler supplies hot steam under high pressure via a hose to the soleplate of the iron.
There are generators available on the market with various power parameters, water tank capacity, heating time , with additional features such as automatic setting of the soleplate temperature and steam level, or an anti-drip system.
Expert advises
Thanks to the large amount of high-temperature steam, up to 230 ° C, which is forced into the fabric under pressure (even up to 8 bar), the generator enables faster and more effective ironing compared to a traditional steam iron. The force of the impact during the shot of steam causes the fibers of the fabrics to be softened, which makes it easy to iron even the thickest and most resistant materials (e.g. a crushed jacket, linen fabrics or a pressed edge of a sofa cover).
Benefits and possible applications of the steam generator
The superiority of steam generators over an ordinary iron is evidenced by other very important features. The advantages of using steam generators include:
- these devices do not damage delicate fabrics;
- we do not have to use an ironing board, which takes up a lot of space, and its constant unfolding and folding is also not a pleasure;
- clothes are perfectly smoothed, even in places such as the space with buttons fastened at the front of jackets;
- steam removes unrinsed detergent residues that could irritate the baby's sensitive skin;
- they are a good solution for allergy sufferers, as they disinfect the fabric only with steam;
- it is also perfect for cleaning mattresses, removing dust mites from them;
- clothes ironed in this way are soft, without using any softeners;
- they can also be used to refresh such children's equipment as: a car seat, cuddly toy or a stroller, because the extracted steam, in addition to straightening the crease, also removes unpleasant smells of sweat, fat or tobacco;
- it can also help a young mother in activities where the iron is inconvenient to use, such as ironing curtains, curtains or canopies.
Even if we know perfectly well what environmental hygiene is, we can sometimes miss something in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We should approach the issue of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in a newborn's environment responsibly, as it directly impacts the baby's health and comfort. We should utilize both the support of loved ones and devices that make our lives easier. We should spend less time on chores and more time with our loved ones.
You can read more about what else a steam generator can be used for here.
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