How can I clean my baby's clothes and bedding after a flood?

The BabyCenter editorial team

Our panel of health writers

When you can get back into your home and all your appliances are working again, you'll have a lot of laundry to do.

If your washing machine got wet in the flood, get it checked by an electrician before using it. Once both the washing machine and your water supply are safe to use, run the washing machine through once on its hottest cycle, adding disinfectant, such as chlorine bleach, or sanitiser. This should disinfect your machine.

Take any clothes, bedding, cloth nappies or soft toys that may have been contaminated by flood water, and shake out any dried mud or dirt. Hose off muddy items outside.

Put the items in the washing machine on a hot wash (60 degrees C or the highest temperature recommended on the clothing label).

You may not be able to wash synthetic fabrics at a high enough temperature to be sure they’re really clean. Check the label and wash them at the hottest temperature recommended.

Add a very small amount of household bleach to the wash cycle, and rinse the washing well. The bleach will remove most mildew and sanitise your laundry. Bleach can fade or damage some fabrics, though, so check labels first. Domestic washing cleaners, such as pine oil cleaners, can sanitise fabrics that can’t be bleached.

Hang the clothes outside to dry if possible, as sunlight helps to destroy bacteria, too.

Once dry, check the items for spots of mould. If you find any, or the clothes still smell, you could risk washing them at a higher temperature. Otherwise, you’ll have to throw them away.

Always wash contaminated items separately to those that aren’t contaminated.

Find out how to clean your baby’s toys and equipment after a flood.

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