Bob, Every New Batch, Prewashed Three Times First

The Short Answer: What Three Prewashes Actually Do

Prewashing muslin baby clothes three times before they ship does two things: it pre-shrinks the fabric so the size on the label stays true, and it softens the weave so they already feel broken-in before you ever wash them yourself. Three cycles is where the shrinkage and the stiffness both resolve, not "give it a few washes and it'll be fine." By the time it reaches your door, the shrinking and the roughness have already happened to us, not to you.

The Bali Story

We didn't set out to become clothing people. We were just parents, living in Bali, trying to keep our daughter comfortable in heat that doesn't let up (coastal Bali averages around 27°C/81°F with humidity often above 80% year-round, per Indonesia's BMKG meteorological agency) and humidity that clings to everything, including whatever she was wearing. We noticed her getting rashy and irritable in stiff, synthetic-blend rompers that looked cute on a hanger and miserable on a toddler. We noticed how she'd tug at collars, how sweat pooled under waistbands, how "breathable" on a tag rarely meant breathable on skin. So we started hunting for something better. When we couldn't find it, we started making it ourselves, for her and for families like ours who were tired of guessing.

Why We Prewash Every Batch Three Times

The Shrinkage Question

Muslin is a loosely woven, lightweight cotton fabric, commonly woven at a low thread count, often in the 60–90 range, which is what gives it that open, breathable hand (Cotton Incorporated). Loose weaves move more when they hit water than tight weaves do; that's just how the fiber behaves. If that movement happens in your washing machine instead of ours, your six-month romper turns into a five-month romper in week two, and she's outgrown it early for no good reason. So Bob runs every new batch through three full wash cycles before it's ever folded for shipping. Three washes is where the shrinkage stops: the fabric has already done its settling, so what you unbox is the size it stays.

The Softness Question

Mechanical softening is the process of agitation and rinsing working a weave open with nothing added, no chemicals involved. New muslin, unwashed, can feel a little raw against a newborn's or toddler's skin. Nothing wrong with it, just untouched fiber. By the third wash, that rawness is gone. What arrives at your door already has the broken-in softness that usually takes months of home laundering to reach, which matters most in the first weeks, when skin is most reactive and you don't want to be waiting it out.

What to look for when you're checking if a muslin piece has actually been prewashed:

• A soft, slightly rumpled hand-feel right out of the packaging, not stiff or paper-crisp
• No noticeable shrinkage after your own first wash at home
• A relaxed, slightly textured drape rather than a tight, glossy weave
• Breathability you can feel: hold it up to light, and a true muslin weave lets air and light through
• No lingering "new fabric" chemical smell, since it's already been through water three times

Designed for Exploration

We didn't build Epic for a nursery. We built it for a kid who climbs, crawls through underbrush, splashes in rice paddy runoff, and refuses to sit still in the tropical heat. That's the whole point of the prewash: a garment that's already soft and already true-to-size is a garment you stop thinking about. You're not tugging at a waistband that rode up in the wash, or wondering if a scratchy seam is why she's fussing. Freedom of movement isn't just cut and stitching. It starts with a fabric that already feels like it belongs on her skin, so she can go back to being a kid and forget she's wearing anything at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need to wash it before dressing my child?

Yes, we'd still recommend one gentle wash before first wear, the same way we would for anything new that touches sensitive skin. But you're not doing the heavy lifting. The shrinkage and the stiffness are already handled by our three prewash cycles. Your first wash is just a courtesy pass, not damage control.

What size should I pack for a hot, tropical trip?

Because the fabric has already done its shrinking, you can trust the size on the tag instead of sizing up "just in case" like you might with other cotton pieces. For hot, sweaty days, pack one true-to-fit piece and one slightly loose piece for the muggiest afternoons, when extra airflow around the body makes a real difference.

Is this actually gentler on sensitive or eczema-prone skin?

Yes, this is exactly why we started prewashing in the first place. Loosely woven, pre-softened muslin has less friction against skin than stiff, tightly woven fabric: no scratchy new-fabric edge rubbing against a rash or sensitive patch. We noticed the difference on our own daughter before we ever thought to make this a business.

A Note from Bali

Every batch that leaves us has already been through the water three times before it reaches yours. Not as a selling point, but because that's what we'd want for our own kid, and we figure that's what you'd want for yours too. If you're packing for a hot climate, dressing a sensitive newborn, or just tired of clothes that fight you, take a look at what we've made. We think she'll feel the difference the first time she puts it on.