Cleaning and Maintaining Bibs

In this article, we will go into detail on cleaning and maintaining the My Little Love Heart range of bibs. This includes;

• Once Received
• Use
• Washing
• Drying
• Ironing
• Storage
• Removing Stains

Once Received

Once received, read the product label to inform yourself about the product and wash it per the below instructions.

Use

To use our bibs place them around the baby’s neck. All our bibs have a KAM fastener system which has two adjustable fasteners so you can adjust the size to fit your baby. Once secured, slide a finger between the bib and your baby’s neck. This should be tight enough so drool doesn’t flow under their chin. But it shouldn’t be too tight that it’s strangling or causing the baby distress.

Washing

Ours are handmade from cotton and bamboo and can be machine-washed. This should be a gentle wash at 40 degrees with similar colours. This is to prevent colours from seeping into each other and changing colour. You should use a scent-free baby detergent like the Pigeon Brand.

Drying

To dry, you can either hang them up or use a machine tumble dryer. Drying by machine will keep the bib softer but will cause it to lose a little of its absorbent properties. While air drying will make them last longer but they won’t be as soft. Bibs should be washed and dried straight away to prevent mould from forming.

Ironing

Once your bib is dry you can either store it immediately or iron it. To iron them there are different ways for the different types of bibs. For the smaller bib, large toddler bibs and boho bibs you lay them flat and run a cool iron over the top. The bandana dribble bibs should be ironed to make pleats. These absorb and capture the drool. Making it an important step in keeping your baby dry.

You should only iron the cotton material. And be careful not to place the iron on the snap fasteners. If you do this there’s a chance they will melt and make the bib unusable. To learn more about bibs materials read this article.

Storage

Storing our bibs is easy. They can be stored with other baby accessories in drawers or hung up on clothes hangers. Make sure they are totally dry before storing them to prevent mould from forming. and they should always be stored in a dry environment.

Removing Stains

Babies are messy and your bibs are bound to get stained. Here are some options to remove stains based on what you’re trying to get out.

Milk

The yellow stains you see on your bibs are milk enzymes. These stains occur either from formula or breast milk. And once dry it creates a yellow colour stain. This will normally occur on the baby style of bib. As this is used during the feeding stage. These stains are hard to remove but in general, the best solution is;

1. Blot the milk with a clean towel
2. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and 2 cups of cold water
3. Gently rub this mixture onto the stain
4. Rinse in cold water and repeat until the stain is removed
5. Place in the normal washing cycle

Drool

When your baby is around 2–3 months their teeth are starting to come through. When this occurs you will need a dribble bib. As the bib is getting wet from saliva you don’t need to clean this in any special way. Just by the normal washing process above.

Food and Grime

As your baby gets older the stains will differ. You will find that you will have grime and food stains rather than milk or drool. This normally occurs on the larger bibs for toddlers. This is because toddlers are a lot more active and get dirtier. They are also learning to feed themselves and making more of a mess. The best way to clean grime and food from bibs is;

1. Create a vinegar and water mix. Mix 1 part water and 2 parts vinegar and soak for 10 minutes.
2. Wash as per usual in the washing machine at 40 degrees for 30 minutes.

Black Spots

Black spots can appear on any type of fabric bib and this is bad news. These spots are a sign that mould has started to form. If this happens you should throw them out. But if you are determined to try and clean the mold off read this article. It discusses different options to try and remove the mold. These are;

• White distilled vinegar
• Bleach
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Household soap
• Borax

We hope that this article has given you suggestions on how to clean and maintain your bibs. To learn more we have provided additional resources on everything you need to know about bibs. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.

This article was written by Luisa Figueroa — I am the owner, designer, and maker of the My Little Love Heart range of handmade bibs and accessories.