How to Care for your Newborn Photography Props

Newborn Photography Props are made to be delicate for those brand new babies. Many props are made with delicate fabrics, yarns, and ribbons. They have raw edges and each outfit is hand sewn. All of these things make baby props a little bit tricky to wash, but they still get dirty and need to be taken care of correctly. Here are some tips on taking care of your newborn photography props. 

1. We always recommend washing your props individually by hand and laying flat to dry. This will lengthen the life of each one of your props and will ensure that none of them are destroyed in the washing machine or dryer. 
2. We also know that life gets busy and sometimes it is easier to just throw things in the machine. As you read the tips below, just be sure to keep #1 in mind. 

Outfits

Hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry.

Each of our newborn photography outfits are handmade with love. They are sewn by machine, but are not made to withstand everyday wear and tear. These outfits are made to be used in photo shoots only, and should be treated delicately when washing. Outfits can be put in the washing machine, but to extend the life of your outfits we highly recommend that you wash by hand only. Fels Naptha soap is awesome for getting out baby poop! See below for a tutorial on using Fels Naptha soap. 

How to Clean Baby Poop from Outfits and Fabrics

Fels naptha soap is your best friend for stains and baby poop.

1. Rinse out the stain with cold water as best you can.

2. Rub the Fels Naptha soap all over the stain so it is sudsy.

3. Either throw it in the washing machine or rinse out all of the soap with cold water.

4. If the stain is still present, repeat steps 2 and 3.

5. Once the stain is removed, lay flat to dry.

Backdrops

Machine wash cold on the gentle cycle with like colors. Lay flat or hang to dry.

Again, we recommend washing by hand, but you can feel better about washing backdrops in the machine. However, DO NOT DRY IN THE DRYER. Drying in a machine can change the texture of your drop, so do so at your own risk!

Fur/Knit Layers

Spot clean only with warm water and mild soap. Lay flat to dry.

Be super gentle with knit layers. Get a small rag wet and very gently rub out the soiled area. You can add a tiny bit of mild soap, but will usually be able to clean it up with just water. Knit layers may come apart a little bit as you are cleaning them, but should be fine once dried. 

Pearl Layers

Do not put pearl layers in your washing machine. Hand wash and hang or lay flat to dry. Pearl layers are made from a really delicate fabric and if used too harshly will get snags and holes in it. 

Additional Tips for Washing Baby Props

• Take out Bonnet strings before washing. Most of the strings are small strips with raw edges and they will get completely ruined in the washer. If you are washing by hand you should be fine to leave them in.
• DO NOT WASH TIEBACKS. They will be destroyed in the washing machine and the flowers will fall apart if they get wet. If needed, you can hand wash the strip on the tieback and lay flat to dry.
• Wash like colors together especially the first time you wash them. The darks will leak on the lights and stain them or the dark colors will have the lighter color lint all over it, which is a huge pain! 
• Wraps and backdrops all have raw cut edges. This means that it is likely that they will unravel a little bit or fray when used and especially when washed in the machine. Just be aware that this will happen and usually it is okay. Sometimes it adds to the texture and organic look of the wrap, and can be really beautiful. There are some delicate fabrics that will be destroyed in the washer so please be careful when choosing to wash in the machine. 
• Do not put any of your props in the dryer. Always hang or lay flat to dry. 

We hope this guide can be helpful to you as you are washing your newborn photography props. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or other tips for us! Happy washing!