A mum-to-be’s list of newborn essentials is never complete. Just when you think you’ve included everything to ensure your bub has all the right supplies to have a warm and welcome arrival and stay at home, another must-have item pops into your mind or crosses your path on a shop’s window as you’re making your way to the supermarket.

An effective and affordable strategy I’ve found to be useful was focusing on items that could be reused and repurposed in more ways than one. That way you save up both money and space when you have a 2-in-1, 3-in-1, or even more in the same design. The cute and soft newborn blankets are the perfect example of items you can use time and time again, and repurpose in numerous ways.

What Do You Use Baby Blankets for?

No baby shopping checklist is complete without a breathable and comfy blankie that can turn into quite the versatile piece in the nursery. Available in a range of colours and designs, it’s also made from different materials, so you’re sure to find it in natural fabrics like 100% organic cotton, wool, and bamboo.

This would give you the peace of mind your little one’s delicate skin won’t in any way be negatively impacted. The incredible softness and feel of the skin with the amazing textures also provide the baby with the chance to experience the world around them through the tactile and visual senses.

The blanket is an essential item that can be found in various sizes too, so you can choose one (or more) depending on what it is you intend to use it for. To give you some ideas, in addition to serving as a bedding piece that’s made to keep your precious baby warm without causing overheating, it’s the ideal choice for swaddling too when you want to keep your bub calm and extend its sleep duration.

As your baby grows, the newborn blankets can further be used as the perfect layers of warmth for those pram strolls through the park in the cold autumn and winter days. They’re just as great for covering the pram to protect your baby’s eyes from the harsh UV rays or used as an underlayer cover for the base of the pram so your baby can rest on the needed level of softness.

Speaking of covers, you won’t have to fret nursing time when you two are out and about as the blankies can be repurposed as layers that are great for protecting your privacy. When you find yourself on the road, or going on adventures with the family, there are so many supplies you need to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for your little one.

You can reduce the list of necessities by bringing a blanket for a newborn that could be used additionally as a makeshift bib/burp cloth, playmat, and picnic blanket. Lastly, the beautiful accessories they are, these baby supplies can easily become part of the nursery décor with their textures, knits, and designs. Whether draped over the crib when not in use, or thrown on the nursing chair and changing station, you’re sure to boost the bub’s room with a delicate aesthetic.

How to Take Care of Baby Blankets?

Utmost care is essential when it comes to items your child comes in contact with, and this includes the favourite blankie. To ensure the cleanliness, while also maintaining the needed dose of carefulness to prolong the durability, it’s important to pay attention to the care instructions indicated by the manufacturer.
Natural and delicate infant blankets like those made from cotton and wool require more care when washing and drying, and in addition to the recommended hand washing, you could do gentle machine washing at most. As for the drying, avoiding tumble drying while focusing on air drying is the best course of action.

Minding the choice of detergents is crucial too, so you should do your best to find products that are as gentle on the bub’s skin as possible, and lack the nasty ingredients responsible for irritations and rashes. If you prefer, you can make your own detergent with a few ingredients: castilla soap, washing soda (or baking soda), and borax.

As for how often you should wash the blankets, unlike the sheets that need to be cleaned every week, you can do with once every two weeks, or more in case of stains. Then again, it depends on which blanket – if it’s the case with the one you use outside that’s exposed to the elements, once a week would be the better option.

When stains are present, what you should do to prevent any damage is dab a little of the detergent and soak them for a while before throwing the blanket in the washing machine. By doing so, you avoid the harsh scrubbing which can result in fabric damage.