Discover the Appliances SG Family
11/7kg Electrolux UltimateCare 700 Washer Dryer
Designed to simplify laundry while keeping your clothes fresh and protected. With intelligent care technology and energy efficiency, it’s the perfect all-in-one solution for modern homes.
SensorWash helps remove up to 53 stains.
King-sized duvet* treated and dried in 60 mins.
DelicatesPlus provides gentle care for delicates.
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Blog posts
How to Wash Baby Clothes Safely: A New Parent's Guide
Baby skin is thin and sensitive. Baby clothes also get messy fast, with spit-up, milk, diaper leaks, and food stains. If you're a new parent, laundry can feel like one more thing to worry about. The good news is that washing baby clothes isn't complicated. A few simple habits go a long way. Here's an easy guide to keeping your baby's clothes clean, soft, and gentle on their skin. Should You Wash New Baby Clothes Before the First Wear? Yes, it's a good idea. New clothes can carry dust, leftover chemicals from manufacturing, or dirt from shipping and handling in stores. Washing them first removes most of it. Here's how: Remove all tags and packaging. Check the care label for the right temperature and any special instructions. Wash with a gentle detergent (more on that below). Dry completely before folding or storing. Do this with everything, including blankets, swaddles, burp cloths, hats, and socks. Hand-me-downs are worth washing too, since they may have been stored for a long time. Choosing a Detergent You don't always need a special "baby" detergent, but you do want a gentle one. Look for a detergent that is: Fragrance-free, or mild, since strong scents can irritate some babies' skin. Free of harsh dyes and unnecessary additives. Designed for sensitive skin, if you want extra peace of mind. A few more tips: Use the right amount. More detergent doesn't mean cleaner clothes. Too much can leave residue, which can bother sensitive skin. Consider an extra rinse cycle, so any leftover detergent is washed out. Skip fabric softener, or use it sparingly. It can leave a coating on fabric. Some babies' skin reacts to it. Try a patch test. If your baby has eczema or very sensitive skin, ask your pediatrician which products they recommend. Every baby is different. If you see redness, rashes, or dry patches after switching detergent, stop using it and check with a doctor. Do You Need to Wash Baby Clothes Separately? It's not strictly required, but many parents do it for a while, especially in the newborn stage. Washing baby clothes on their own means they don't pick up adult laundry residue, and you can use a gentle detergent without changing your whole laundry routine. When your baby is a little older, many families switch to washing everything together with a mild detergent. Check with your pediatrician if you aren't sure. What you should always separate: Very dirty items, like diaper-leak clothes or heavy food stains. Rinse them first so they don't spread germs or stains. Dark and light colors, to avoid color transfer. Items with Velcro, zippers, or buttons, which can snag soft fabrics. Close Velcro and zip zippers before washing. Which Temperature Should You Use? Follow the care label on each item first. In general: Warm or cool water works for lightly soiled items and keeps colors bright. Hotter water can help clean heavily soiled items, such as spit-up and diaper messes, if the care label allows it. Delicate items, like wool, silk, or special occasion outfits, may need a gentle cycle or hand washing. Always check what the label says, since high heat can shrink some fabrics. How to Handle Common Baby Stains Baby stains are a fact of life. The key is acting quickly. Spit-up and milk. Rinse in cool water as soon as possible, then wash. Hot water can set milk proteins into the fabric. Poop (breastfed or formula). Scrape off solids, rinse with cool water, and pre-treat before washing. Food stains (fruit, vegetables, baby cereal). Rinse right away and pre-treat with a gentle stain remover. Spit-up smell. Wash soon. Clothes left damp can start to smell sour. Handy tips: Pre-treat before washing, and let the stain remover sit for a few minutes. Don't rub hard, since it can push the stain deeper and damage the fabric. Check for stains before drying. Heat can set them permanently, so re-wash if the stain remains. Use a baby-safe or fragrance-free stain remover, and rinse well afterward. Sunlight can help fade some stains, like those on white cotton, if you dry them outdoors. Drying Baby Clothes in a Humid Climate Drying is harder in humid places like Singapore and Malaysia. Damp clothes can develop a musty smell, and in the worst case, mold. This matters even more for baby clothes, since they touch sensitive skin. Make sure clothes are fully dry before putting them away. Even slightly damp clothes can grow mildew. Don't overload the rack, so air can circulate. Use a dryer if you have one, following the care label. Dry outside or by a sunny, ventilated window when you can. Don't leave clothes in the sun for too long, since it can fade colors, and always take them in before the afternoon rain. Use a dehumidifier or fan indoors if you dry clothes inside. Store dry clothes in a clean, dry drawer or wardrobe. Humid air can creep into closed spaces, so avoid packing clothes tightly. Keep Your Washing Machine Clean Too A dirty washing machine can leave smells and bacteria on your clothes. Every month or so: Wipe the door seal and detergent drawer. Run a hot cleaning cycle with a washing machine cleaner, or follow the manual. Leave the door open after laundry so the drum can dry out. Not sure how to clean your machine step by step? Read our guide on how to clean your washing machine. Safety Checks Before Dressing Your Baby After washing, give each item a quick check: Loose buttons, snaps, or threads that could come off and become a choking risk. Tight elastic or ribbons around the neck, wrists, or ankles. Long strings or ties that could wrap around a baby. Scratchy tags or seams that could irritate skin. Small hairs or threads around fingers and toes, especially in socks and mittens. They can wrap around tiny fingers and toes. Also keep detergent, stain removers, and laundry pods well out of reach of children, ideally in a locked or high cupboard. A Simple Baby Laundry Routine Sort the clothes by color and how dirty they are. Pre-treat stains. Wash with a gentle detergent on the right setting. Add an extra rinse if you can. Dry completely. Check and fold, then store somewhere clean and dry. Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to wash new baby clothes before use? It's a good idea. Washing removes dust, dirt, and leftover chemicals from manufacturing and handling. Is baby detergent necessary? Not always, but a gentle, fragrance-free detergent is a good choice. If your baby has sensitive skin, ask your pediatrician. Can I use fabric softener on baby clothes? It's better to skip it or use it sparingly. Some babies' skin reacts to it, and it can leave a coating on fabric. Should I wash baby clothes with adult clothes? Many parents wash them separately for the first few months, then switch to mixed loads once the baby is older. Either way, use a mild detergent and rinse well. How do I get rid of spit-up smell? Rinse in cool water soon after it happens, pre-treat, and wash. Dry clothes completely, since damp clothes can smell sour. How often should I wash baby clothes? Wash them whenever they're dirty, which may mean daily in the newborn stage. Items that have been worn once and aren't soiled can be rewashed less often, but when in doubt, wash them. The Takeaway Washing baby clothes safely comes down to a few things: wash new clothes first, use a gentle detergent, rinse well, treat stains quickly, and dry everything completely. In a humid climate, drying is the step that deserves the most attention. Keep it simple, and you'll have soft, clean clothes for your little one. Making laundry easier at home? Browse our home appliance collection →
Powder, Liquid, Pods or Sheets: Which Laundry Detergent Should You Use?
Walk down the detergent aisle and you'll find the same basic product in four completely different formats. They don't all perform the same way, and — especially if you're running a front-load HE washer, as most Singapore households do — the format you pick affects everything from cleaning power to how much residue builds up in your machine. Powder detergent Best for: heavily soiled loads, budget-conscious households, hot water washes Powder is the most cost-effective format per load and tends to have more eco-friendly packaging than liquid or pods. It's formulated at a slightly higher pH than liquid detergent, which gives it an edge on heavily soiled items like sports kit, work clothes, or anything with mud or grass stains. Because you're measuring it yourself rather than using a pre-dosed pod, you also have direct control over exactly how much goes in. The trade-off: powder doesn't dissolve as reliably in cold water or short wash cycles, and undissolved granules can leave a gritty residue on dark fabrics. It also needs to be kept dry — a damp laundry area or humid storage cupboard will clump it over time. Liquid detergent Best for: everyday use, cold-water washes, stain pre-treatment Liquid is the most versatile all-rounder, which is why it's the format most laundry experts default to recommending. It dissolves quickly and completely regardless of water temperature, rinses cleanly, and — uniquely among the four formats — can be applied directly onto a stain before washing, which makes it useful as a spot-treatment as well as a detergent. The trade-off: it's typically more expensive per load than powder, and because it's easy to free-pour rather than measure precisely, it's the format most associated with overdosing — which, in an HE front-loader, is also the leading cause of detergent residue buildup and musty smells (see our washing machine cleaning guide if that's already an issue). Pods / capsules Best for: convenience, consistent normal-sized loads, avoiding measuring altogether Pods remove the guesswork entirely — one pod is calibrated for a standard load, so there's no scooping, no pouring, and effectively no risk of the kind of overdosing that's common with liquid or powder. They're compact, mess-free, and store easily. The trade-off is exactly that fixed dose: a pod doesn't scale down for a small load or up for a heavily soiled one the way liquid or powder can, so you either accept some inefficiency on light loads or add a second pod for very large ones (check your specific product's guidance before doing this — doubling up isn't always the right call). Pods are also the most expensive format per load, don't always dissolve well in cold water, and need to be kept well out of reach of children and pets — their bright, candy-like appearance has made accidental ingestion a genuine safety concern. Detergent sheets Best for: small households, minimal storage space, cutting down on plastic packaging The newest format on the shelf: thin, dissolvable sheets, usually plant-based, that come in compact cardboard packaging rather than a plastic bottle or tub. They're lightweight, take up almost no storage space, and are a genuinely lower-plastic option compared to liquid bottles or pod tubs. The trade-off is real: independent testing has consistently found detergent sheets clean less effectively than liquid, powder, or pods, particularly on tougher stains and in shorter or cooler wash cycles. They're a reasonable choice for lightly soiled everyday loads if minimising plastic matters to you, but not a like-for-like replacement if you're regularly washing heavily soiled laundry. Quick comparison Format Cost per load Best for Main drawback Powder Lowest Heavily soiled loads, hot washes Can leave residue in cold water Liquid Moderate Everyday use, stain pre-treatment Easy to overdose Pods Highest Convenience, standard loads Fixed dose, poison-control risk with kids/pets Sheets Moderate Small loads, minimal packaging Weakest overall cleaning power
How to Clean Your Washing Machine (Yes, It Needs Cleaning Too)
It sounds backwards — the appliance that cleans everything else also needs cleaning itself — but a musty smell in your laundry, or a sour towel straight out of the machine, is almost always the washer, not your detergent. Here's what's actually going on, and the routine that fixes it. Why front-load washers smell musty Most washing machines sold in Singapore today are front-load, high-efficiency models, and their design is exactly why they're more prone to smell than old top-loaders. The rubber door gasket traps moisture and detergent residue in its folds, and a sealed drum that never fully dries out between loads becomes exactly the damp, dark environment mould and mildew need. Add detergent or fabric softener residue building up in the dispenser drawer, and you've got the classic combination behind almost every "why does my washer smell" complaint. The good news: this is almost entirely a maintenance and habit issue, not a machine fault, and it's genuinely easy to prevent. The full clean (do this once, then repeat monthly) 1. Clean the door gasket. This is the single biggest source of odour, so start here. Pull back the rubber folds — this is where debris, hair, coins, and mould most often hide. Wipe thoroughly with a cloth dipped in a mix of equal parts water and white vinegar, or a mild bleach solution, then scrub any visible mould spots with a soft brush. Dry the area with a clean towel afterward. 2. Wash the detergent dispenser drawer. Remove it completely — most slide out with a firm pull and a release catch. Rinse under warm water and scrub the corners and compartments with an old toothbrush to clear out caked detergent and softener residue, which is a common hidden source of bacteria being recirculated into your next wash. Dry before reinserting. 3. Wipe the drum and door window. A general-purpose cleaner (ammonia-free, if wiping the glass) is enough for the drum interior and the inside of the door. 4. Run an empty hot cleaning cycle. Add about half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum (not the dispenser, where it can clump) and run the longest, hottest cycle your machine has — many front-loaders have a dedicated "drum clean" or "tub clean" setting for exactly this. For a deeper clean or if odour persists, follow up with a separate empty cycle using 2 cups of white vinegar in the drum, or a dedicated washing machine cleaner tablet. 5. Clean the drain pump filter. Most front-loaders have a small access panel near the bottom front of the machine. Place a shallow tray or towel underneath (some residual water will drain out), twist the filter counter-clockwise to release it, and clear out any lint, coins, or debris trapped inside. This filter genuinely accumulates more than most people expect — it's worth checking every few months even without an obvious smell. Daily habits that prevent the problem entirely Leave the door open after every load. Closing the door immediately traps moisture inside and is the single biggest contributor to mould growth. Leave it ajar for at least an hour, or until the drum is dry. Wipe the gasket dry after each wash. A quick pass with a dry cloth takes seconds and prevents residue from building up between deep cleans. Don't overdose your detergent. This is the other half of the smell problem, and it's the one most people don't connect to odour at all — using more HE detergent than needed leaves residue behind that the low-water cycle can't fully rinse out, and that residue is exactly what feeds mould and mildew over time. If you're not sure how much to use, our detergent dosing guide covers the right amount by load size and detergent type. Skip liquid fabric softener if odour is a recurring issue. It leaves a film that mould can cling to more readily than detergent alone; dryer balls or sheets are a lower-residue alternative if softness matters to you. Run a maintenance cycle monthly, even with no visible smell — baking soda or a commercial washer-cleaner tablet, on an empty hot cycle, is enough to stay ahead of buildup rather than fixing it after the fact. If the smell won't go away If you've done a full clean and the musty smell persists, check the drain hose — it should only sit 6 to 8 inches into the wall drain pipe. Inserted too far, it can siphon foul-smelling wastewater back toward the machine, which mimics a "dirty washer" smell that no amount of cleaning the drum will fix. This is also a good point to check whether your machine is sitting level — an unlevel washer can trap water in low points of the drum that never fully drains between cycles. Shopping for a machine with better mould resistance Some newer front-load washers include features specifically aimed at reducing mould and odour — self-clean or steam-sanitise cycles, auto-open doors after a cycle ends, and improved drainage design. If odour has been a recurring frustration with an older machine, it's worth checking for these features when you're due for a replacement. Front load washing machines — browse current models, including steam and self-clean options
