Once you become a parent, you soon realise that despite their diminutive size, newborn babies are capable of generating an awful lot of laundry. But as a loving parent, you are probably concerned about the effects of washing powder on a delicate newborn baby’s skin, so is it better to use biological or non-biological washing powder to wash their clothes and bedding?
A hundred years ago, there was no such thing as biological or non-biological washing detergent, so any dilemma over which one a parent used was not an issue. Thankfully times have changed and our lives are now much easier: instead of scrubbing dirty clothes in a tub, we can shove them into an electric washing machine, add some detergent, and an hour or so later the clothes are miraculously fresh and clean once again.
What is the difference between bio and non-bio washing detergent?
All types of washing detergent are designed to clean clothes, but although both types of detergent can break down common stains such as milk or juice, the main difference between biological and non-biological washing powder is that they clean stains in a different way.
Biological washing detergents (liquids and powders) contain active enzymes. These enzymes are able to work at low temperatures (30 or 40 degrees) and you do not need to use as much powder or liquid in your washing load, so in theory using biological laundry detergents will save you money in the long run
Non-biological washing detergents contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds. The water-hating hydrophobic compounds are attracted to grease and the agitation process caused by the drum rotating inside your washing machine helps the active components pull dirt and grime away from the fabric fibers and into the rinse water
Is it better to use bio or non-bio washing detergent for washing a newborn’s clothes?
Many parents prefer to use non-biological washing detergent for their baby’s clothes and bedding. The main reason for this is that the enzymes in biological washing powder can sometimes cause skin rashes and eczema in babies, whereas non-bio washing powders are thought to be kinder on delicate skin. In the early weeks and months, a baby’s skin is more sensitive to skin rashes and allergic reactions, so he is more likely to suffer from a bad reaction to products such as washing detergents, but as your baby grows, this is less likely to happen.
When to use biological washing powder
Although it is advisable to wash a newborn’s clothes and bedding in non-biological detergent, not all babies suffer from bad reactions to biological washing detergents. So if you are having a problem keeping his clothes clean at low temperatures, you may wish to try some biological detergent to see if the end result is any fresher.
When to use non-biological washing powder
If skin problems such as eczema run in the family, or your newborn has developed any allergies, it makes sense to stick with non-biological washing detergent from the word go as he is highly likely to suffer from an adverse reaction to biological washing powder. However, it is worth remembering that even though non-biological detergents do not contain enzymes, many do contain bleach. This can be just as irritating to a sensitive newborn’s skin, so if he develops a rash after his clothes or bedding have been washed in non-bio detergent, you may have to try some mild non-allergenic detergent or soap flakes instead.
Watch out for adverse reactions to washing detergents!
If your newborn develops any suspicious rashes and you are certain the rash is not symptomatic of illness, try changing your brand of washing detergent. Some people are sensitive to one brand but not another, so you may have to experiment a little to find the brand that suits your baby’s skin.
About this article: This article has been written by Mary Murphy, the communications manager for Irish based website www.eumom.ie – Ireland’s largest online community for mothers with over 100,000 members. The website publishes regular articles and guides about pregnancy and parenting advice.
