The baby's immune system still has to develop. This is why babies are particularly susceptible to pathogenic germs. The immune system also develops through contact with germs. This development is promoted by a good balance of hygiene measures and contact with germs. The smaller the baby is, the more dependent it is on a hygienically clean home. However, clean does not mean sterile. As a rule, cleaning and wiping with water is sufficient. Disinfectants are only necessary if the baby is particularly at risk due to an illness or if family members have infectious diseases that are very dangerous for the baby.
In a household with a baby or toddler, there is often a certain amount of chaos. For many parents, however, it is much more important to spend time with their child than to devote their attention to their home. And that's perfectly okay, after all, it really doesn't have to look spotless and tidy all the time. And it certainly doesn't need to be sanitised in every nook and cranny. After all, your child's immune system should also be able to deal with your "family germs" so that it can grow strong. So don't be afraid to give it a rest.
On the other hand, it is important that the baby is protected from pathogenic germs. Because the immune system first has to mature, the baby is more likely to experience serious illnesses if it is infected with pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
It is therefore important to find a good balance between "excessive cleanliness" and important hygiene measures. What 'excessive cleanliness' means is also an individual judgement. It is important that your need for tidiness and cleanliness does not put you under too much stress. A personalised hygiene hierarchy based on well-founded health aspects can help you with your assessment. One example would be that clean nappy piles are allowed to pile up on the changing table, used nappies are allowed to be thrown away. Nappies However, they should always be stored in the (odour-tight) container provided for this purpose, which is then emptied regularly.
Hygiene also means that nappies should be changed regularly. This is not only for your baby's comfort, but also prevents skin irritation and infections. You can find out more about baby care here on my blog.
Hygiene tips for the bathroom and toilet in the baby household
The view of the hand basin revealed: Soap is clearly in charge here. Its role is more important than ever, because the Hand washing is of paramount importance in a baby's household. If possible, use moisturising or pH-neutral products, your skin will thank you for it. And above all, choose care products for your sensitive skin. Baby skin carefully to avoid allergic reactions. Gentle hypoallergenic products that do not contain preservatives, emulsifiers, perfume, alcohol or urea are the healthiest choice for the youngest children. And for the very little ones, lukewarm clean water and a fresh flannel will suffice.
It should actually go without saying that visitors should wash their hands thoroughly before touching the baby. My experience as a midwife has taught me that this is not a matter of course for many visitors and that a note to visitors is therefore good protection for the woman who has recently given birth and the baby.
However, the bathroom and toilet deserve even more of your attention. When it comes to hygiene, fresh towels should always be placed next to the washbasins, for example, as well as regular and thorough cleaning of the washbasins and bathtub to prevent the build-up of bacteria. They grow and thrive particularly well here due to the often high humidity.
Moulds also love the moisture in bathrooms. Children are particularly sensitive to mycotoxins (mould toxins). The tricky thing is that mould is only visible when the infestation is already very severe.
Regular ventilation (open all windows fully for 5 - 10 minutes) and a room temperature of at least 16 degrees make it difficult for mould to spread in the bathroom.
Regular cleaning of the toilet bowl and floor is also an important part of household hygiene with a baby.
Hygiene in the kitchen in a baby household
Pay a lot of attention to this area, because this is where you prepare meals, possibly also baby bottles, this is where the dishes are cleaned, this is where you store the food - and in many families this is also where they eat. The kitchen is therefore a particularly sensitive area when it comes to hygiene.
Sponges, cloths & co: Do you actually know what the biggest germ spinner in a household is? No, it's not the toilet seat, as many people wrongly assume - it's the washing-up sponge in the kitchen with its many diarrhoea germs! A household with a baby should therefore do without this utensil altogether and use a dishwashing brush instead. This can also be put in the dishwasher regularly and boiled from time to time. Nasty germs also like to accumulate in tea towels and cloths that are used for drying or cleaning surfaces. We recommend changing them every day. This also applies to the separate towel that hangs in the kitchen for your hands. Special cleaning cloths with silver or copper threads must also be washed regularly. They can only develop their disinfecting effect directly on the surface. Damp cloths and other cloths used to clean a small child's mouth after eating should be changed at least daily.
It is also important that the sink and the work surfaces, chopping boards and utensils are cleaned consistently, as pathogens also collect here quickly. Wooden boards are best left to air dry.
The refrigerator is second only to the washing-up sponge as a place for germs. With normal hygiene, it does not contain any diarrhoea pathogens, but it does contain plenty of germs. You should therefore keep it clean (e.g. wipe it out with vinegar water at least once a month and defrost it every six months), because you may have Expressed breast milk stored. And don't forget: Check the fridge temperature regularly, which should not exceed 7 °C.
The child's dining area: If the baby is already sitting at the family table in the highchair, this is sure to be transformed into a real work of art almost every day. Pureed carrots are transformed into modern masterpieces and yoghurt mutates into abstract paintings on little children's faces. This creative chaos of small children is simply marvellous! Nevertheless, it remains crucial that not only the children's crockery used, but also the high chair is cleaned regularly so that germs don't stand a chance. Clean food in a clean environment not only supports your child's health, but also promotes good eating habits!
The introduction of complementary foods is a good opportunity to get your child used to washing their hands before and after eating. Children do not yet need soap at this age.
Hygiene tips for baby's environment
Babies explore their world with their mouths. Therefore, everything that children touch (because germs enter the mouth via the children's fingers) and what they are allowed to put in their mouths should be kept clean.
Therefore, regularly clean your child's toys, the changing table and other areas with which they are in frequent contact. At some point, this will also include the bars on his cot, for example. Many washing machines have washing programmes for children's toys such as Lego bricks. To ensure that neither the toy nor the washing machine is damaged, it is important to wash the Lego bricks in a washing bag at 30 degrees. Do not spin-dry the toys. After washing, they must be allowed to dry thoroughly.
However, only use safe cleaning agents that do not leave any harmful residues. And cleaning products should not emit "clean odours" either. So opt for odourless, biodegradable products. Harsh antibacterial cleaners or disinfectants should not be used in a household with a baby or small child.
The best natural cleaning agents include vinegar, lemon juice, washing soda and salt.
And make sure that the baby is always supplied with fresh air wherever it is in the home. So always ventilate sufficiently!
Oh yes, and then of course the floor in your home - it will be a real paradise for your child when they start crawling. How exciting are the different types of flooring: carpet and sisal runners, floorboards, laminate and parquet, tiles or vinyl. Every crawling tour from room to room is a journey of discovery for the little ones. It goes without saying that the hoover and possibly also the mop will be used more often. However, if you follow the golden rule that street shoes should be taken off right in front of or behind the front door, you will save yourself a lot of cleaning work: it will then usually only need to be done once a week.
My tip: Many families with babies or small children keep a small, handy cordless hoover in the kitchen, where things are most likely to end up on the floor. This sucks up crumbs, scraps of paper and other troublemakers in no time at all.
Washing baby's laundry
The younger the child is, the more sensitive its delicate skin is. Of course, newly purchased baby clothes are lovely to look at. Parents may find it a shame that the clothes have to be washed before they are worn for the first time. But you would be right to put all of your baby's first clothes and any new clothes you buy later on through the washing machine at least once at the specified water temperature. This is the only way to remove residues from production, often in Asia, such as chemicals, excess dyes and other harmful substances. This applies not only to all new items of clothing, regardless of their origin, but also to new bed linen, sleeping bags and cuddly toys. And even for products that have been awarded the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for textiles that have been tested for harmful substances.
It is best to use a mild powder detergent for the wash cycle. And avoid using fabric softener if at all possible! Instead, put the laundry in the tumble dryer, where it will also become cosy and soft.
My tip for stubborn stains: Before you machine wash your child's shirt or bodysuit with a "carrot pattern" on it, for example, dampen the stained area (cold or lukewarm water) and treat it with Grandma's good gall soap. It almost always helps! After the soaking time, put the item in the drum.
Many parents also ask me whether they should always wash baby's laundry separately. But why? Family is family - and as long as the others' laundry isn't covered in dirt, there's nothing wrong with washing together. You should only use a mild detergent when washing the youngest family member's clothes.
A word about the child's cuddling habits - e.g. the "Schnuppi", which is actually a T-shirt from mummy in baby's bed, or the "Zippel", which is never missing as a cuddle cloth made from a discarded pillowcase, or the "Affi", which the child has chosen as its favourite cuddly toy. They are all good friends who give the child a sense of security, familiarity and safety - also through their odour, which they take on over time. Nevertheless, I would advise you to be very cautious when washing your cuddly friends. They don't have to disappear into the washing machine every week. The most important thing here is to wash them too seldom rather than too often!
Special case: bacteria on the smartphone
The mobile phone deserves a few sentences of its own. You've probably read everywhere that the display is teeming with bacteria. But that's only partly true - because your hand hygiene is crucial here! If you wash your hands frequently, you can significantly reduce the number of germs. In addition, micro-organisms do not find good living conditions on the smooth, dry and nutrient-poor touchscreen where they can thrive. And last but not least, most people only use their mobile phones themselves, so they don't move from hand to hand.
However, the environment in which you use your smartphone is also crucial. Hygiene researcher Prof Markus Egert from Furtwangen University points out in an interview with geo.de, for example, that using it while cooking can be problematic: "Only a few people think about this. For example, you're defrosting a chicken, listening to music on your mobile phone or watching a cooking video. In a situation like this, you are much more likely to contaminate your smartphone with food pathogens. There are millions to billions of germs per cubic centimetre on such a piece of meat. What's more, when you flavour something, you might put a finger in your mouth." The expert recommends: If you wash your hands regularly, you will also keep your smartphone clean. Otherwise, wipe regularly with a slightly damp cloth. "You can do this well when you've been cooking or visiting the hospital."
Hygiene checklist for parents
Whew, that was a lot of information. But don't be discouraged by hygiene issues - because despite all the chaos, your love for your little bundle will remain unshakeable. Even if the lively child tries to unroll the toilet paper across the flat or use the toothbrush as a magic wand, the mood usually remains unclouded. Hand on heart: a smile from this tiny person more than makes up for any hygiene nerves, doesn't it? So parents don't just brush away the leftover food from little teeth, but also those moments that didn't seem so funny - with a pinch of humour, an extra portion of love and an awareness of the most important aspects of hygiene in the baby household.
Below I have put together a hygiene checklist for baby households that I think is useful for your guidance. It can of course be expanded. So feel free to write to me if you have any further tips!
▶︎ Hand hygiene
I've already mentioned this: for parents, regular exercise is Hand washing a must, especially before handling the baby, after changing nappies or before preparing meals.
▶︎ When breastfeeding and expressing
- Shower or wash your breasts once a day with clean water and put on fresh underwear - this is enough and also prevents breast inflammation. If possible, change your towel every day and only use it yourself.
- Wash your hands before every breastfeeding session - always touch your breast with clean hands. But be sure not to "clean" your breast before and after each feed, e.g. with a flannel. Firstly, this constant manipulation is not good for the breast - and secondly, it would lose its enticing odour, which is so unique for your child and gives it orientation and security.
- Allow your breast to air dry after breastfeeding if possible.
- For example, if you use breastfeeding shields, you should rinse them well after breastfeeding.
If your baby is ill or a premature baby, stricter hygiene rules may also make sense. It is best to talk to your midwife or doctor about this.
▶︎ Expressed breast milk...
- is with Room temperature (16 to 29 degrees) for up to 6 hours,
- in the Refrigerator (approx. 4 degrees) for a maximum of 5 days,
- in the Freezer or four-star freezer compartment (at a minimum of -18 degrees) for 6 months.
You can fill your breast milk, for example
- in sealable glass containers (note: not suitable for freezing!),
- in plastic containers made of polypropylene (PP),
- in special breast milk bottles, cups or containers as well as in breast milk bags made of polyethylene (PE).
Everything else, for example normal freezer bags or other plastic containers, are not suitable. I recommend breast milk bags for freezing. And don't forget to always store your milk: Always note the filling date and, if possible, the quantity on the container. Then nothing can go wrong.
You will soon find detailed information on my blog about the collection, storage and handling of breast milk.
▶︎ If you bottle feed your child...
... you should also observe certain hygiene rules. For example:
- Boil the water for preparing the milk meal. If you are unsure about the water quality, use water from (glass) bottles that is intended for the preparation of infant formula. This is especially important if you are travelling with your baby to distant or unfamiliar places. Travelling are.
- Always prepare the milk food fresh. You should not feed leftovers at the next meal.
- Always clean the bottle and teat carefully with hot water and washing-up liquid immediately after use. Then rinse well. For cleaning, use a bottle brush that is only used for baby bottles.
- Place bottles and teats upside down on a clean cloth to dry.
- It is best to cover stored bottles and teats with a fresh tea towel.
- If you are using a bottle warmer with water bath technology: Clean daily and fill with fresh water.
- Silicone teats do not need to be boiled. However, rubber teats, which can harbour bacteria over time, should be boiled from time to time (about once a week). If they have become rough: simply replace the teat.
One more hint: I am often asked by parents whether they can suck on the bottle themselves to test the temperature of the milk. For a long time, the doctrine was that caries could be transmitted to the child if parents put a dummy or teat in their baby's mouth. This is because there are a large number of different microbes in the saliva. However, the German Society for Preventive Dentistry has long since distanced itself from the recommendation not to suck dummies and teats. In 2018, a US study from Detroit also reported that, on the contrary, this sucking could have a positive effect on children's immune systems. However, this finding is not yet fully confirmed, especially as only a small number of cases were examined for the study.
Therefore I recommend you: Only clean your child's dummy in your mouth if there is no other option. Otherwise, simply rinse it with clear water if it has fallen. And continue to check the temperature of the warmed bottle milk very conservatively with a few drops on the inside of your wrist.
▶︎ Hygiene on the road
Most families have wet wipes to hand for short trips in the neighbourhood. These practical helpers for travelling are easy to store in the pram or buggy and are quickly to hand. Soft disposable flannels for babies also often do a good job.
You should exercise a little caution when changing babies in other people's nappy-changing areas. After all, nobody knows whether a baby with a stomach bug has just been changed here. Or whether the nappy-changing area has been cleaned as you would like it to be after use. But probably not, if only due to a lack of suitable cleaning facilities. It is therefore advisable to lay your child on a surface you have brought with you. And/or actually use a disinfectant that you have brought with you, just to be on the safe side.
Anyone travelling with a baby or toddler, perhaps to faraway countries, will not find the same standard of hygiene everywhere as at home. Particularly feared are diarrhoeal diseases caused by eating food or drinking contaminated water, which are dangerous for young children. That's why parents need to be careful: Just don't catch it yourself so that our baby doesn't catch it from us. The best way to protect yourself is to follow the simple but most effective rule when handling food: Boil it, fry it, peel it - or forget it!
My conclusion
Observing basic hygiene rules at home and when travelling also helps to ensure that the baby can grow up safely and healthily. However, when it comes to hygiene, every baby has individual needs and some also have special requirements. Every family has to find their own "hygiene path". If you are unsure or have any further questions, please contact your midwife or paediatrician. You are also welcome to contact me in my Online midwife counselling contact.
