It'll Surprise You How Often You Need To Wash Your Baby's Sleep Sack

When you become a parent you quickly realize how many pieces of baby equipment you'll need, and how little about that equipment you'll actually know. For instance, it won't take long before you're hit with the realization that you have no idea how often you should wash your baby's pajamas or bed sheets or, well, anything that touches your precious bundle of joy. So, how often do you need to wash your baby's sleep sack? Like almost every piece of baby equipment you're sure to purchase (or borrow, because there ain't no shame in the borrowing game), there isn't an exact recommendation. Thankfully, you can piece together enough information to get an answer you, and your washing machine, feel comfortable with.

While experts haven't really come down with a firm ruling on how often you should wash your baby's sleep sack, you can make a pretty good guess based on how often you should wash your baby's pajamas, and how dirty your kid gets while they sleep. While on average, according to a 2015 study by Ergoflex, the average woman waits 17 days before washing her pajamas. The Good Housekeeping Institute, however, recommends your pajamas should be washed every three days. That's a good rule to follow when washing your baby's pajamas, and sleep sack, too.

You won't likely have your baby sleeping in a sleep sack when they come home from the hospital, and really even think about purchasing one until your baby has outgrown their swaddle. According to The Baby Sleep Site, you should stop swaddling your baby around 3 or 4 months of age, or when they're able to break free from their swaddle and/or roll to their stomach. So, once your baby can do any of the aforementioned, you'll want to transition out of the swaddle to reduce the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and maintain a safe sleep environment for your baby.

The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that until a baby turns 1 year old, they shouldn't have loose blankets in their crib because of the risk of SIDS. So if blankets aren't an option and your baby has outgrown their swaddle, how do you keep your baby warm enough at night in their crib? Two words: sleep sacks. A sleep sack will keep your baby warm but won't add any risk of SIDS for your baby while they're sleeping.

It's safe to assume most parents come up with a schedule for laundering sleep sacks on their own due to a lack of information online. It really comes down to how dirty your baby gets while they're sleeping. If your baby drools, sweats, spits up a lot, or pees through their diapers at night, you'll want to wash their sleep sack more often, perhaps every night.

But because sleep sacks are worn over pajamas and rarely even touch the baby's skin, if the sleep sack seems clean you can get away with washing it every few days or once a week and along with your baby's bedding. If it smells clean and looks clean, feel free to save yourself a little laundry and not wash it with every use.

Although you'll probably still want to stock up on a few extra sleep sacks so you're not stuck without one if your typically clean baby does have an accident, it's OK to give yourself a break and wash the sleep sack periodically and when you think is best.