p. 11 | Keeping the Baby Clean by MRS. I. H. E.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 21, 1916

Keeping the Baby Clean

By MRS. I. H. E.

There is no daintier sight than a healthy, rosy, happy baby, fresh from his morning nap and glowing from his bath, delicately powdered, and clothed in the soft, clean garments that are his birthright. The small “prince” is a sight to admire and exclaim over, and he usually receives full toll of approbation from his fond relatives and friends. The little song of babyhood, “Mighty Lak a Rose,” must have been written of some well-loved baby in this stage of supercleanliness.

Look for a moment at his less fortunate brother,—not necessarily of the slums or even of the poorer and more unenlightened homes. We may see him any day on the train, in the street car, or in his small chariot on the sidewalk,—a thin, pale little creature, overfed and undernourished, heavy-eyed and open-lipped. His garments are damp, soiled, and “smelly;” for it is a fact that left to its own devices, neglected even for an hour, any baby may get itself into a state that is the very reverse of attractive.

Between these two conditions stands just one thing—constant and unremitting care. Not for long may the mother of the prince linger over her son’s crib to admire his charms. Resolutely she sets him in the sunshine, with a toy for his amusement, while she turns back to the bathroom, gathers up the soiled garments, rinses the tub, wipes up the splashed floor, puts away the toilet articles, and makes haste to get the little garments washed and on the line while baby is contented.

The Baby’s Clothes

It is a wise mother who, with a sense of true values and a determination to put “first things first,” denies herself the temptation of making her baby’s wardrobe elaborate and overtrimmed. Good taste now taboos the ruffles and rows of fine machine tucking that used to adorn the long dresses and skirts, and year by year the superfluous inches have been cut from the length of these garments. But along with this movement has come the idea of hand embroidery that takes more time than yards of ruffles, and of hand-run tucks that are a source of eye-strain and nerve exhaustion on the part of the mother before the baby comes, and a tax on her time afterward, when it falls to her lot to keep these fine garments washed and ironed.

One of the daintiest babies I ever saw was born and spent the first months of his life in a semiforeign house in an Oriental city. His American mother longed for the batistes and lawns of her own country in preparing the garments for her baby; but as these were out of the question, she used the native linen, and wisely made all the dresses and skirts of the shortest allowable length for “long clothes,” and after the simplest kimono pattern. There were no tucks, and embroidery was conspicuous by its absence. Very narrow lace at the neck and to finish the sleeves was all the trimming used. Yet this little lad, from his first days, was always immaculately clean and fresh, and as a result looked unusually well dressed and attractive.

“It is almost no trouble at all to wash these plain little dresses and skirts,” his mother explained.

Of course with the present price of linen, not many mothers can choose this material for their babies’ clothes, yet the fact remains that few others are so satisfactory. However, batiste, flaxon, nainsook, and other fine white goods answer the purpose well. Some authorities say that starch should never be used on any baby dress; but after the earlier months, most mothers find that a thin stiffening does not detract from the effect of softness desired, while it does keep the garments clean a little longer.

Where the Baby Plays

“We don’t need a floor duster at our house, now Little Son has taken to creeping,” said a young mother rather ruefully the other day. Indeed, one would have guessed it at the sight of the gray “dirties,” the soiled white stockings, and the grimy little hands.

From time immemorial the floor has been accepted as the rightful domain of babyhood. Nevertheless “the floor is the dirtiest part of the house. The feet of the entire family, of friends and strangers, of dogs and cats, carry in and deposit on it the dirt of the streets. Dirt blows in and settles on the floor. Clothes are shaken and brushed on it. Yet it has been considered a safe place for baby’s playground,”—though a few parents, recognizing its perils, have tried other devices. “We made a little cage for Joan,” said one father, and added, “She didn’t like it, though.”

Of course she didn’t. There is something in human nature that resents bars, and this feeling manifests itself very early in life, as every mother knows who has seen her child yelling at the top of his lungs to get on the other side of an overturned chair set across a door to keep him off a prohibited space. However, in view of the dangers to the child’s health, as well as the added work to his mother if he is allowed to act as a floor mop, it is well to buy or make a little play yard, that can be moved from place to place, and to provide some soft quilted pads of the right size, that can be frequently aired, and occasionally boiled.

The Washing

The largest and hardest part of the baby’s wash must be attended to every day during the first few months of its life. If the diapers are boiled, thoroughly rinsed, and hung on the line dripping wet, to dry in the hot sun, they will be beautifully fresh and white. In the winter, of course, they must be often dried in the attic, and with the utmost precaution may not be kept altogether from dinginess.

Another daily care is the flannels—the little shirts and bands and stockings, and for cool weather the woolen skirts. Often after a few washings, these garments lose their creamy color and soft texture, and assume a saffron-like tint and a wooden quality, shrinking at the same time to such an extent that they must be discarded long before they are worn out.

To wash these garments in such a way as to preserve their usefulness and good looks, prepare a lukewarm suds with soft water and wool soap. Never rub or wring these clothes, but squeeze them between the hands. The rinsing water should be the same temperature as the water in which they are washed. Stockings and shirts should be dried on metal or wooden frames, and care taken to prevent their shrinking lengthwise, by fastening them firmly in place by means of tapes, at the open end. If this is done every time, the garments will retain approximately their original size.

The articles made of crocheted or knitted wool are even more difficult to preserve, for they are likely to stretch and fade out of all semblance of beauty. A good plan is to follow the same procedure as in washing the flannels; but instead of hanging these garments up, put them in a double square of cheesecloth hung between two lines by the four corners.

Colored Clothes

The vogue for dainty colors and white for the babies means hard work for the mothers, at the best. Recently a well-known editor called attention to the fact that in their desire to have everything immaculate around the baby, mothers were really doing an injury to their children: “Look at the child in the average baby carriage,” he said. “Everything around it is a glaring, staring white. The sun beats on the white surface of everything, and the reflection is a maddening glare in the baby’s eyes. Few of us elders would stand this discomfort. Surely lap robes may be of soft colors.” So it would seem that for the babies’ sake as well as their mothers’, a little less white might be permitted, and a little more time thereby gained, if only a few minutes a day, for other things.

Colored rompers may replace the white dresses as soon as the baby begins to show any desire to move about on his own hands and feet. Tan-colored stockings stay clean-looking much longer than the fashionable white; and a colored sweater is just as warm as the delicate pink or blue one, and looks far neater after the first wear.

By all means keep the baby clean; but while you are making him “mighty lak a rose,” you mothers, spare a little time for yourselves, that you may be rested in body, serene in mind, and happy in heart, and that you may have time for other things that are really as essential as cleanliness in your home.

MRS. I. H. E.