Interview with Malabar Baby founder, Anjali Harjani

(閱讀中文版本)

 

Malabar Baby is an authentic and relatable lifestyle brand that integrates easily into today’s modern family. Every collection is slowly made and has a personal story weaved through and through. Hong Kong Mom and Founder, Anjali Harjani says, she feels “passionate and proud to have an opportunity to share India’s rich culture and handmade heritage with the world.”  Malabar Baby is a must-have on almost every HK Mom’s baby list. Be it their famous organic watercolor muslin swaddles or handmade block-printed quilts, which take 7 days to make!

We were excited to interview her, as she knows exactly what Mama needs to get the stains out of clothes and keep fabrics staying soft through the years.

 

Anjali: I was the typical mom who hand-washed all her baby clothes during the nesting phase. I washed everything so far in advance, I had to wash it all over again before my little guy, Aryan arrived (because I was scared it had collected dust!). I’ve learned a lot since those days and I’m really so happy to have found ecostore.

 

Q: Share with us a few tips on washing baby clothes.

 

A: I’m not a huge fan of hand-washing baby items. Soaking organic fabrics and delicate natural dyes for a long time in harsh soaps is just a no-no in my opinion. A lot of water actually gets wasted when washing out the soap from your clothes and a lot of nasties stick to fabrics. These nasties can actually create skin allergies and newborn rashes. Most of the time people add extra soap to get things squeaky clean but, the residue from soaps has a tendency to stick to your little one’s jammies. Most importantly, a lot of handmade items or very soft natural cotton lose their goodness when they are rubbed harshly together, by hand. While I don’t love handwashing, I highly recommend that all baby items are always washed separately and never with the rest of the family’s laundry. And my go-to washing soap is ecostore Ultra Sensitive Laundry Liquid.

 

Q: What product do you use to wash your son’s clothes at home?

 

A: I’m the kind of mom who puts everything in the washing machine, on a quick but, thorough cycle and all delicates go in a mesh bag. Anything with a zipper or delicate trimmings (e.g wearable sleep bag) goes inside out. And about 1 cap of ecostore Ultra Sensitive Laundry Liquid goes in. I really like this product because it is free from fragrance and colorants, which makes it super safe for sensitive skin. A lot of the kids who use our bedding and loungewear also have eczema and skin allergies so I’m a fan of detergents and cleaning solutions that are effective but, won’t irritate the skin. The Ultra-Sensitive formula works well in cold or warm water washes and it passed my test on tough smelly stains too!

 

Q: How do you keep clothing items in good shape?

 

A: Removing clothes promptly from the washing machine is really the key to helping my family keep things crisp and not faded. I hang dry a lot of our clothes and bedding or use a low setting on the dryer when necessary. The lint we find in our dryers is literally our clothes breaking down and wearing down, which is clearly not ideal. For many households, a clothes dryer is one of the most energy-consuming appliances and by reducing the use, you can reduce your carbon footprint tremendously. I don’t think people realize that after you buy a sustainable product, it’s just as important to keep the lifespan of the product intact with “responsible” washing and care. Small things in our daily routine really matter and how we wash our clothes and how many times we wash things really does make a material difference. I was completely surprised when I read a recent statistic that 860 liters of water are used to care (at home) for the average pair of jeans (after you purchased them!)

 

Q: What do you think about ecostore products, which one have you tried and would you recommend them to fellow mums?

 

A: Other than the laundry liquid I mentioned earlier on, I also really love ecostore Baby Oil. Baby massage is something really important in many cultures and in particular being Indian, I massaged my baby from birth. This oil is very gentle, plant-based, and moisturizing. I also discovered that it is suitable for mom to use too. The non-mineral oil works well on stretch marks. It’s a product that can be used way beyond the baby years and it is infused with lavender which is natural and lovely.
Now that my son Ary is a bit older, he loves to play in the tub and nothing makes him happier than bubble baths. We love ecostore Kids Bubble Maker. It’s really light on the skin, smells great, and makes a mean bubble! I feel a lot better knowing he’s not soaking in chemicals that give him rashes later.

 

(Featured image credit: @the.reynolds.family)