If repurposing your old onesies into brand-new bibs sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. And it’s kind of gross, too.
We’ve seen countless baby hacks and trends pop up on social media over the years (and still sometimes find ourselves debating whether ‘cheesing’ your baby was funny or mean), but this new bib trick has us scratching our heads. The video below shows a person taking a regular old baby onesie, cutting off the bottom (the part with the snap fasteners) and then placing it around a baby’s neck as a bib.
@xotiny__Baby hack #fypシ #babyhacks #momhacks #xyzbca #hacks♬ original sound – A
At first, the trick seems pretty genius, especially since it feels like babies outgrow those newborn onesies practically overnight. And let’s be honest, the promise of getting any extra use out of those fleeting baby clothes is tempting. But after a bit of thinking, we’re left wondering if the latest TikTok hack actually has any value whatsoever.
Here are five reasons you won’t find us turning old onesies into bibs anytime soon.
1) It’s a straight up strangulation hazard
We’re surprised to see so many TikTok users (and even other parenting media brands) excited about this hack without mentioning that it’s really not the safest idea. Health Canada warns parents to never put anything like a necklace, string or ribbon around the neck of a kid under age three because of the possibility of strangulation. Because it has no clasp or fastener at the back for quick undoing, this homemade bib wouldn’t get the OK from your paediatrician.
2) It’s a bit…gross?
Since cutting up a brand new unworn onesie to make a bib doesn’t make a lot of sense (even if your baby has outgrown it, wouldn’t it be better to donate it, or save it for your next kid?), it’s safe to assume that the hack is meant for used onesies. But do you really want to put something next to your baby’s face that’s almost definitely already been the victim of at least one recent poop explosion? Not to be precious here but you have to admit, it’s a bit ew.
3) You’d probably only get a few uses out of it
You’d have to stretch the onesie fabric to be able to get it on and off your baby, and without a seam or hem to keep the onesie-bib’s shape, it would probably stretch out after the first few uses. And if the fabric sags and droops below your baby’s neck, that makes the bib pretty useless. You might as well just freestyle it and go bib-free.
4) It won’t be the most absorbent bib in your roster
Baby onesies are usually made of soft, thin lightweight cotton, which isn’t really equipped to handle heavy-duty spills and spit-ups. It might be helpful for a little mouth-wipe here or there, but you’d probably need to layer the onesie bib over top of an actual bib to get decent absorbency and spill-prevention. At that rate, you might as well just stick with a traditional bib.
5) It doesn’t save you money
Even if money’s tight, you can buy a bib for a buck at the dollar store. In fact, here’s 10 bibs for slightly less than a dollar each. So if this hack is about saving money, it’s a stretch.
