pinemarten I think the main reason is to get the chemicals off the clothes which are on all new fabrics. They can sometimes cause a reaction for the baby.
Also there's the hygiene thing mentioned by cinnamon.
So for those reasons I guess it's preferable to have at least a good warm thorough wash rather than handwashing them, but I wouldn't fret too much if you can't use the machine.
Test a couple of less valuable baby clothes in the machine first perhaps?
Also there's the hygiene thing mentioned by cinnamon.
So for those reasons I guess it's preferable to have at least a good warm thorough wash rather than handwashing them, but I wouldn't fret too much if you can't use the machine.
Test a couple of less valuable baby clothes in the machine first perhaps?