DIY Network

Top Five Baby-Shower Gifts Top Five Baby-Shower Gifts From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" episode DQOC-128

Figure A

The amount of messes that a baby can make often comes as a surprise to a new mother. Who would have thought that so tiny a creature could create so much havoc in a formerly well-ordered household? With that in mind, here is a helpful list of five excellent baby shower gifts that every mother will need eventually (figure A).

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• High chair Include a plastic tablecloth that can be placed under the chair at meal time. It will catch food that's dropped on the floor and can be cleaned in the washing machine as needed. Add a cleanser that can be safely used to wipe down the babies tray table and chair.
  

  	Figure B
  	Figure C

• Cleaning supplies Cleaning supplies make a great gift, and safe, natural cleansers are always needed. Put together a basket filled with lemon juice, nature's disinfectant, and baking soda, a safe cleanser for anything and a natural deodorizer. Include unseasoned meat tenderizer, which removes stains on colored clothing when mixed with cool water; enzymes in the unseasoned tenderizer dissolve proteins in the stain. Club soda can be used on any stained areas that can take water; the carbonation bubbles stains up and the salts prevent them from setting. White vinegar is also an effective deodorizer and cleaner. Borax is a great laundry additive; it's safe for babies and gives a boost to laundry detergents. And finally, add a book of cleaning tips, such as Talking Dirty with the Clean of Queen (figure B).

• Baby bath essentials Fill a small plastic-mesh laundry basket with soap, shampoo, baby oil, lotion, powder, bath sponges, baby socks and bath toys (figure C). Once the baby is able to sit up it can be dangerous having them sitting in a bath tub. A laundry basket can be used inside the tub to help support the baby; put the baby in the mesh basket, place the basket in the tub, wash the baby in the basket, then lift the basket and the baby out of the tub, maintaining a controlled environment. Slip the baby soap in one of the baby socks to make it easy to hold onto during bath time.

• Easy-to-clean toys Put together a basket of small, washable toys, such as rattles, toys for teething, and colorful toys that can amuse the baby. For easy cleaning make sure they can all be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher.

• Portable diaper changing station A portable diaper changing station can be kept in the room where the family spends the most time, so the baby can be changed quickly and easily. Put a changing pad in a big basket and add small toys, baby wipes, lotion, powder, diapers and cleaner for the changing pad.
  

Figure D

Tip: Baby car seats get a lot of wear and tear, and dirt can build up on the surfaces, but since you can't take a baby anywhere without them, they can't be sent out for cleaning (figure D). Although the seat should be wiped down on a weekly basis, baby wipes are great the quick clean-up of daily spills and messes. They are safe for a baby, and the oil in them is an excellent cleaner for removing food and sticky beverages from hard and fabric surfaces. Alcohol wipes are also useful to have on hand and work well on fabric surfaces, since they dry quickly. Keep both in the diaper bag and when you see a spill or stain, do a quick clean-up.

Tip: Always sterilize baby bottles, rubber nipples, caps and rings before using them. Place in boiling water and leave for 10 minutes, then allow them to air-dry.