Giving your baby regular, gentle baths is a crucial way to both keep them clean and introduce them to water and cleanliness, but many parents worry about the best way to go about bath time. Fears of hurting, choking or drowning your baby aren’t entirely unfounded, but they’re probably overblown. For the most part, bathing your baby is a relatively simple and straightforward process. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind that can make the process easier and safer. Here are five tips for your baby’s bathtime to keep your child soothed and calm in the tub.

1. Use a baby bath tub

Bathing your infant in a full bathtub can be quite a challenge, particularly when they’re still too young to sit up. Many parents find that using a baby bath tub makes the process of scrubbing their newborns down significantly easier.

A baby bath tub limits the amount of water your child can sit in and holds them at an angle, so they don’t need to support themselves and aren’t lying on their backs in the water. However, many parents complain that their children outgrow baby bath tubs too quickly to justify the expense. A functional alternative is the BabyDam, which allows you to section off a chosen portion of the tub to fill so that your tub space can grow with your child. Avoid bath seats, as your baby could knock it over and trap themselves in the water.

2. Keep the water mildly warm

Babies don’t like cold water, but they also don’t like to be scalded, and their skin is more sensitive than an adult’s. It’s important to keep the water at a comfortable temperature. The best way to gauge whether the water is at a good temperature is by sticking your elbow in. The temperature should feel warm, but not hot or boiling. If your baby’s skin looks red or irritated after entering the water, it’s probably too warm.

3. Look for baby-safe soaps

When it comes to choosing products for your baby, look for soaps that are dye, perfume and sulfate-free. You don’t want anything that can irritate your baby’s eyes, so when possible, look for tear-free as well. There are many soaps on the market sold as hypoallergenic shampoo and soaps, so keep an eye out for these. Apply the soap by lathering up a soft washcloth and gentle rubbing your baby’s skin until it’s sudsy, then rinse it off.

4. Don’t overbathe your baby

Although it’s important to keep your baby clean and fresh, it’s also important not to irritate or dry out their skin by overbathing them. Although children get dirty frequently, before babies can move they mostly don’t develop dirt, grime or sweat that quickly. Some spots need regular washing, including the diaper region, face and neck, but your baby only needs a full bath two or three times a week on average. After you bathe, you should also look for gentle moisturizers, particularly if you live in a dry or cold climate, to prevent the bathing from drying your baby’s skin out.

5. Keep everything close by

When you’re sitting down to give your baby a bath, make sure that all your supplies are arranged beside you. Set everything up before you bring the baby into the bathroom - the tub should be set up, and towels, soap and moisturizer should all be within reach. This will ease the process of bathing, prevent you from turning away or leaving your baby in the water to fetch something and minimize the chances of you dropping or slipping in a wet bathroom. You don’t want to leave your baby alone while you rummage around for the soap because you can’t find it. Although you should be cautious when bathing your child, the process is neither difficult nor onerous. It requires a bit of planning, but with some prep work your baby can be in and out of the bathtub and wrapped in a towel in half an hour without a hitch.