Looking for a new washing machine that gives good rinsing for eczema sufferers

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

I've been looking at Which? and noticed that washing machinese these days have to confirm wtih EEC regs about energy efficiency etc meaning they don't use much water. Now, DS2 has eczema and I find it difficult enough keeping it under control as it is with extra rinses on our machine that is 12 years old (and about to pack up), never mind a modern one that will barely use any water and so how can they be efficient at rinsing the detergent residue off properly?

Our old machine is bad enough - when I put a newly washed facecloth in a sink of water the residue that comes off is disgusting - it leaves film of soapiness on the surface of the water. And this is with about 2 EXTRA rinses after the machine's normal rinse. I have serious doubts about modern machines.......

can anyone recommend one that is good for eczema sufferers that doesn't cost the earth?

[Ponders]

which detergent do you use, CA?

[Ponders]

when you look at the Which best buy table you can sort by rinsing efficiency - Indesit seem to be the best (but are not so good in other areas)

[Ponders]

most of the Indesits are rated poor for water use (ie they use a lot, which is what you're after!) & prices are good too

These are the best rinsers in order:

Indesit Moon SIXL145D £309 (silver)
Indesit Moon SIXL145K £290 (white/black)
Indesit WIB111 £244 (this one rated as using less water though)
Indesit WIXE127 £219 (also uses less)
Beko WM5100W £170 (also uses less)
Indesit Moon SIXL145S £280 (silver/blue)

The Moon looks like quite a good option for you although the report says the 40 degree wash isn't very good.

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

I have a new LG direct drive F1247TD one, it has medic rinses for just this.
Big capacity too, 8kg. I got it from JohnLewis last summer, it was the same price as Argos. I can wash duvets regularly :)

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Ponders, I used Tesco non-Bio. We've tried them all over the past couple of years - Surcare, Ecover etc. Tabs, liquitabs, all sorts. The tesco non-bio seems to be the least problematic.

I have just unloaded the machine and put DS2's clothes in the sink to rinse by hand. Wsa horrified at the soapiness of the water. It's DEFINITELY his clothes doing it, eg he has a ring of particularly bad eczema round his little buttocks, poor lamb, where the elastic on his undies goes.

Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'll google both the Moon and the LG one with the medic rinse. To be honest, even if it lasts only a couple of years cos it's a cheap one, if it rinses better than any of the dearer ones then it'll be worth it to my son.

[Ponders]

Oh poor little boy, it is horrible for them

Have you ever tried \link{http://www.simplywashing.com/products-page/washing-powder/simply-pure-powder-tabs/\Simply Pure}? My DS1 has eczema which comes & goes, & we find Pure is the best for him. You can buy it direct (but they charge postage) or from larger Co-ops & Sainsburys, also Waitrose & Ocado.

(If you look for it in a shop it might be in the old packaging of a dark green tub rather than pink, the last lot we got were still green)

Everything always looks & feels really clean (& residue-free). He swears it makes a huge difference, he goes off back to uni each term with a full tub (& a bottle of Surcare fabric rinse)

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

No, I've never tried that, Ponders, I will definitely give it a go. Thanks

I have ordered a new washing machine today - thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I had a look into them and ordered the LG one that Countess mentions. Got a good price so also ordered a tumble dryer too as ours has been just sitting there broken for over a year!

Thanks again.

[Ponders]

Oh well done - LG have a pretty good reputation these days & the 8kg drum sounds fab!

Good luck with Pure, hope it helps

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Oh I am pleased, the LG is just fab!
We only use Surcare now too, once i tried Ariel bio to get our whites sparkly but only succeeded in giving us all a rash, especially DS.

Ps, the LG's buttons play tunes and it sings a song when it's finished! Great child lock too.

[CarGirl]

I'd go over to using soap nuts - they seem to give no reaction to eczema suffers and they work out really cheap. You can get a free sample from somewhere - but can't remember where!

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Yep, Countess, there are LOADS of happy customers all over review sites for that particular model. So I'm expecting good things of it!

I watched our washing machine on the rinse cycle today and I'm not messing, it just seems to dribble the water on to the clothes. I could hardly see any water in the drum, no wonder the clothes are not getting rinsed properly. I think that model is from 1999 - was that around the time they all started being manufactured with the stricter guidelines on water consumption, does anyone know? I don't think it's EVER rinsed thoroughly really. I remember watching washing machines as a kid years ago and seeing the water sloshing around in the drum to at least half way up the door!

Anyway....half the wash programmes on our current one don't work any more, the "open door" switch has come off and so door has to be prized open to get the clothes out, and the door trim has fallen off and the plastic bit is stuck to the glass bit with duck tape, so it was well time to get a new one! Let's just hope it will perform a bit better....

Cargirl, I will look into the soapnuts too. Poor DS2, I just want to be able to sort it all out for him. Apart from the washing powder, has anyone got tips on what he could wash his hands with? We just use normal soap after he's used the toilet etc but his hands are cracking and he's moaning that eating crisps etc makes his fingers sting! This is despite putting Aveeno on his hands a couple of times a day....

sorry, this has meandered off from washing powder now.....

[CarGirl]

Washing powder builds up in the machine especially if you use it in the drawer.

What is "normal soap" - do you use simple or some other brand?

I have a shower thingy that filters the water that is meant to help eczema suffers as it takes out the chlorine etc???

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Sorry, I just meant a normal own-brand unscented plain, non-moisturising straight forward soap. Tescos own I think the last one was but like Simple. Would the Simple one be better?

[CarGirl]

I don't know but when I was having ahem fanny irritation issues the told me to use simple so I did and it helped!

Have a look at the ingrediants on it.

You can use some of the eczema creams as soap can't you - is it diprobase???? Think there are several of them - they may be better?

This is the shower thingy

www.pureshowers.co.uk/

showers are better than baths anyway. I wonder if you need to try different creams for him etc, I actually found organic sunflower oil with added vit D better than any of the pescribed creams with my dd but hers was mild. Sunflower oil with vit D is the most like natural skin oil, most of the creams actually made her eczmea worse

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

He could use the E45 lotion to wash with, comes in a pump top.

[Ponders]

E45 (in any form) makes my DS's eczema worse

eczema is a very temperamental beast

[CarGirl]

E45 and aqueous cream both made my dd's eczema worse.

The gp insisted that it couldn't.....it sure improved when I stopped using it though!

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Really?! Oh no!! :(
I have been using e45 on DS since his hydrocortisone cream ran out, it never crossed my mind that it wouldn't work!
Bizarrely Avent's Magic Cream (scented, lots of stuff in it) calms DD's sensitive skin (and DID work on DS til we ran out) but now Philips have stopped making it!

[thefirstMrsDeVere]

My DS's specialst derm nurse told me that aqueous cream has been shown to make eczema worse.

E45 has lanolin in it hasnt it? I thought that was why it was so rubbish for most people with eczema.

Just popped in to let you know that we have a whirlpool washer and you can get a special door seal fitted that is grease resistant.

I found out when ours broke AGAIN due to the door seal rotting and the engineer told us about it. Tis a marvel.

[ConstantlyCooking]

I used one of those strange eco-washing balls that are supposed to do something which means you don't use any detergent in washing. (you can get them in John Lewis and Lakeland). They work well but it takes a while to get used to washing not smelling of anything - it just smells of water.
I use them for DD's underwear and bedding and her skin has improved.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Aveeno is the only thing that DS2 seems to be able to tolerate. Some of the things that the GP prescribed (that worked great for my sister's little boy) actually made DS2's eczema MUCH worse, it really flared up. Thank god our GP will put the Aveeno on prescription.

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

DS has been prescribed hydrocortisone and hydromol today so I'm hoping this will help his poor dry little body.
We've gone off topic a bit!

[CarGirl]

I found the name of the free soapnuts place


in a soap nut shell

[yestheyareallmine]

Hi Curly
these are the ones I use www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/ecozone/eco-balls/

Have you tried using coconut oil on DS? I can't use mot of the stuff the GP has prescribed but this works well for me.

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Where do I find coconut oil?