Health Tip: Doing Baby's Laundry

Prevent skin irritation

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(HealthDay News) -- Some babies have sensitive skin, so many parents use detergent that's specially designed for babies. Trouble is, it may not get everything clean.

The Nemours Foundation says using a special detergent may not be necessary. If you want to try regular detergent on baby's clothes, test one piece of clothing before washing all of baby's laundry that way. If you don't notice any irritation on baby's skin, you can probably wash all of baby's clothes with the rest of the family's.

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Cloth diapers are an exception, the foundation says, and should be washed separately in gentle laundry detergent for babies.

The fragrances in regular detergents could cause significant diaper rash, the Nemours experts say. Be sure to wash cloth diapers in very hot water and run an extra rinse cycle on those loads.

-- Diana Kohnle