babies

Bringing home a baby comes with bringing home a lot of new equipment. There's bottles, bottle warmers, formula, blankets, clothes, toys, and more. Each day has a parent potentially using a lot of different specialized items without even leaving the house. Throw in a trip out, and that can require even more gear. But before leaving, it's important for the bundle of joy to be clean. One popular trick of the trade involves bathing the baby in the kitchen sink. Is that actually safe? Can it be done properly? The jury is out on whether this is possible to do safely. Some sources point to how many germs infest that spot of the house even after scrubbing. Others insist the right tools make it safe and that with some mindfulness, the baby will remain perfectly healthy while the parents can easily bathe their child. In the world of parenthood and all its gadgetry, the sink bath remains a go-to among many new parents. Can your baby enjoy a healthy bath in the sink? Romper explored the question of bathing babies in the kitchen sink. It's a persistent mystery that many parents would love to be acceptable. Fortunately, it is. There are a few things to keep in mind, though, if you go this route. Yes, the kitchen sink makes a nice bathtub for the baby, but that isn't its only use throughout the week. So, remember that when it's not acting as a bath, the sink is also where you rinse vegetables, sometimes handle meat, wash off raw egg yolk, and more. If the food itself is not something everyone should be wary of (not just babies), the germs on it are. But, just as you'd clean any high-traffic area of the house, you can scrub down the sink to make it a sanitary environment for bath time. RELATED: This Couple Renovated Their Kitchen To Look Just Like ‘The Brady Bunch’ However, Baby Gaga points out that the kitchen sink has the most germs out of any spot in the house. And it remains that way even after a thorough cleaning. This could be because of the many nooks and crannies bacteria can linger. Yes, cleaners will get plenty of spots, and a sink seems like a pretty straightforward location rid of any complexities. But even a small ridge, impossible to fully scrub, can be a haven for bacterial. That's why it's important to clean the hole in the bathroom sink frequently, too. Create the ideal bathing environment It's great to be mindful enough to clean away any food-related germs from the sink before bath time, if you do use this method. But there are a few other things to consider as well. For one, be aware of what cleaner you use. If you use a harsh cleaner, it's important to thoroughly rinse out the sink. Even some residue can mix with the water and irritate the baby's delicate skin. This, in turn, can lead to more problems. Additionally, consider convenience. People turn to using the sink because it's a convenient size and height for washing the baby easily. So, make sure the surrounding area has all the necessities within reach too, so, if the sink does become a bath, it remains easy to work with. All the while, Romper recommends a sink-sized tub. In particular, it points out Puj Tubs as a good size that can change to suit your sink's particular needs. There's a lot to consider when deciding how to bathe your child. Parents want the experience to be safe and stress-free. There's no single answer about the practicality of using the kitchen sink; it has plenty of benefits and risks, like many other things. Ultimately, proper research is important to make a final judgment call.