Oh FGS. More washing powder and allergy problems again

[tectonicplates]

Please, no replies like "have you tried [name of washing powder]". We've already been through this too many times.

I used to use Ecover Zero until they changed their ingredients earlier this year so I had to stop. After numerous posts on here I tried endless products - Surcare liquid, Bio D, Ecos, Waitrose Sensitive, Violets, bicarbonate of soda, DP liquid soap, and probably a few others that I can't think of right now. All of them either made me itch or burn, and/or smelled so bad they made me feel sick.

I finally thought I'd found success with Surcare powder (different to Surcare liquid). We had two or three successful washes and I thought we'd finally sorted the problem out, but now it's gone back the other way. It's as if now that the product has built up on my clothes, it's making me itch again. I know it's possible to become allergic or sensitive to products after a while if you've used them for a long time - it's happened to me a few times with shampoo over the years. But this has happened after only two or three washes.

I've already done the thing of doing extra washes with just water, and extra rinse cycles etc, but after doing this twice with a pile of clothing I'm still itching. I just don't know what to do any more. I thought I'd found a solution but it lasted about five minutes.

And now I actually have a UTI. I'm convinced it's caused by my clothes and underwear having been washed in this stuff. I'm seriously at my wits end right now.

Have you tried neutral? I will see if I can find a link

www.ocado.com/products/neutral-sensitive-washing-liquid-35-wash-383931011

I feel your pain!

My emergency standby used to be Johnsons baby shampoo but they have changed the recipe for that too now so it's out.

Tesco non bio powder, use only a tablespoon or so for a full load. Don't overfill the machine and do an extra rinse cycle.

Mix the powder in a jug of hot water to dissolve it before pouring into machine just in case your cold fill is not doing it properly.

Lenor meadow fresh fabric conditioner seems ok for us, dilute to a fifth or sixth.

Tumble dry as much as you can to defluff/departicle. Hoover your mattress, wash and dry your pillows without any powder.

I also have to wear as natural fibres as possible (avoiding lycra etc) and wash new clothes before wearing and if wrong powder has been used I need to wash inside out quite a bit to get rid of allergen.

You could try just washing without any powder for a while or put in a squirt of baby shampoo (experimenting with asda stuff right now - seems ok) until you get things under control. Take paracetamol as well as antihistamines, once your immune system over reacts it can keep going and going in a vicious cycle. Use anaesthetic on specific itches.

I am in a soft water area and would have to move if forced to live with hard water.

DD2 reacted to ecover earlier this year after being fine using it since she was a baby! It's a pita but we're lucky that she seems to be ok with fairy.
I really feel for you, poor DD really struggled for a while 😥

I feel your pain. I had loads of random allergies after giving birth but luckily for me they mostly eased up over time.

Do you have hard or soft water? I find that I get loads of soap residue on fabric after washing and so use a tiny fraction of the recommended amount but have recently started putting a water softener in with the laundry and it makes such a difference esp on towels.

And I did ask for no more "have you tried [name of washing powder]" as it never works.

So what do you want from the thread?

I know you said no "have you tried?" But I was reading that pure soap can be used (it always was used of course prior to powders) I saw a recommendation to use soap de Marseille with olive oil for washing clothes (you flake it off) there's none of the ingredients in standard washing powder so could be the answer. I'm allergic to the powders but not liquitabs, I've been told it's probably an anticaking agent that I'm sensitive to (I'm also allergic to certain sunscreens, moisturisers etc but never isolated the ingredient so it's hit or miss)

I'm similar, sunscreens and moisturisers set me off too.

I know the sunscreen agents I react to bit everything else is an ever changing mystery. Stress makes my reactions worse.

Maybe some Dr Bronners liquid castille soap? Or grated savon de Marseille? I love that stuff on my skin. Bizarre but that particular soap is far less irritating on our skins here than shower gels etc etc.

So what do you want from the thread? 

^Exactly what I was wondering.

@Badabingbadabum Bedding is always a problem at first but then it wears off after a few days.

@oldenoughtobehavebetter Yes we live in London so very hard water! But I've never had this problem before in until the Ecover change, when I've lived in London my whole life.

@MrTumblesSpottyHag I've smelled the Fairy one in a couple of shops and it made my eyes water. Maybe it's good for some, but for people with perfume allergies I'm afraid it's just another perfumed washing powder.

I've already tried Dri-Pak Liquid Soap and it made me burn all over. Also it left a greasy residue all over my clothes which took several washes to remove.

I think you need to look at the ingredients of the soaps you react to and identify which chemicals cause your reaction. Then look for soaps free from those until you find one that works.
Also, clean your washing machine- mildew spores can cause an allergic reaction.
Also, avoid all fabric softener or tumble dryer sheets.
Also, do not use chlorine bleach to wash whites because chlorine has a oily residue that can cause reactions.
Also, wear natural fabrics. Many people are allergic to polyester and get rashes when they wear even shirts that are 35% poly and 65% cotton.

I'm kit entirely sure what you want us to do then. I think Dr Bronner or savon de Marseille might be worth a try but if even soap plain soap is too much then your gp needs to refer you asap.

I got an emergency derm appointment with my sunscreen/cosmetic allergy.

So what do you want from the thread?

We have already discussed other things here like doing extra rinse cycles, hard water issues, or seeing your GP, so I was looking for other things like that. I've already seen an allergy specialist who couldn't help, and my GP is no longer interested.

Agree about the mildew spores, known skin irritation agent.

Sons exzema was worst when he had a damp patch in his room with mildew. This was near his bed. Sorted the window and patch, itching gone with no other treatment.

Lime scale and mildew attached to it could be the issue? Get a washing machine cleaner and clean it. Twice. Then Calgon in washer?
White vinegar in conditioner tray for hardness?

Or, you could try washing with no detergent or soap at all.
I have used vinegar in the past. But there is new stuff now like this crystal wash
“Crystal Wash started from a desire to change the way we wash clothes... by naturally cleaning our clothes, saving us money and enhancing the longevity of our clothes.

Everyone has to do laundry and the average household goes through gallons and gallons of laundry detergent a year. What if you could wash your clothes as effectively as laundry detergent without using any of the chemicals, dyes, perfumes or detergents? And even better – what if you simply didn’t need to spend money on laundry detergent anymore?

Crystal Wash is a new proven technology that will last for up to 1000 loads of laundry. Using the power of Bio Ceramics from the earth, you can naturally clean your clothes as effectively as laundry detergent and it is better for your skin, the environment and more gentle on your fabrics.

These special Bio Ceramics were developed using various minerals with very effective antibacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

The pH level of laundry water impacts the wash greatly. If the water is overly acidic or alkaline it can damage delicate clothes and fabrics, cause colors to fade and cause clothing to still seem dirty even after washing. Most detergents on the market are a pH level of 6.5 – 9, but they use chemicals to achieve these levels.

The key to Crystal Wash is that the Bio Ceramics create two key benefits in the laundry water

2key benefits
crystal wash bio ceramics
Deep cleaning
As Crystal Wash moves around in your laundry machine during a cycle, it changes the chemistry and raises the pH balance of the water. The higher Alkaline water created by Crystal Wash enables dirts and soils to be soaked free naturally.
crystal wash hydrogen peroxide
Disinfecting
This process creates a natural Hydrogen Peroxide type effect, which disinfects your clothes... killing bacteria and odors.

secure.crystalwash.com/?mcp=12784&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkYTkgZvQ5AIVF4rICh352AHzEAQYAiABEgJAmPD_BwE

I think you need to look at the ingredients of the soaps you react to and identify which chemicals cause your reaction. Then look for soaps free from those until you find one that works.

I've tried this so many times but I've never been able to find out what ingredient it was. I've been trying to work it out for ages but I've still been unable to work it out.

I got an emergency derm appointment with my sunscreen/cosmetic allergy.

My GP refused to refer me, so I had to pay a lot of money to see a private one who couldn't help anyway. All he did was recommend Surcare which worked for about five minutes.

I have used both bicarb and soap nuts a few years ago in the past with no problem, and I've only become allergic to them recently. And Surcare was fine at first, but became a problem after a few washes.

So there is clearly something else going on, something more just changing your washing powder.

Press your GP for a eternal for allergy testing. If you know what the offending product is then you can avoid it.

I know you don't want any more suggestions but I use liquid soapflakes with a tsp of dr bronners salsuds.

If you are worried about smelly pits I make up my own oxy spray of 1 part bio d washing up liquid with 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.

Maybe you could try that with ecoegg?

I see you've tried liquid soap flakes.

I second looking at the hardwater and second rinses.

I have a softwater washing machine or fitting a water softener are options.

For smelly armpits, I use vinegar (put on armpits of clothes for 15 mins before washing). If you think vinegar would be ok, you could do that and then a wash with no detergent at all, and see if that was any good.

We live in a very hard water area and have recently installed a water softener. This has really help us as we can use much less of whatever product to wash clothes (variety of allergies including liquid soap in our house)

have you looked on the National Eczema Society website? they may be able to give you some alternative advice - you could be allergic to dust mites in your bed or moulds (they bloom at this time of year from leaves in the garden or in the house) we use to use Fairy non bio ...

Request for patch testing? Dd had this done recently and discovered certain preservative chemicals in cosmetics toiletries was a problem

I have multiple allergies + eczema and used to believe that I reacted to some washing powders, but after a move abroad (where choice is more limited) and a change in washing machine I can now use any powder. If I react to clothing it's more likely to be because the fabric has wool in it, or because the item has been line dried and has pollen on it.

The pattern you describe sounds more like the washing powder is a coincidental factor and the real problem lies elsewhere.

Other people have given some good ideas and I agree that mould could be a factor. I'd suggest cleaning your washing machine with a boil wash, avoiding line drying in pollen season if you have a pollen allergy and asking your GP for daily antihistamine therapy (or you can just buy cetirizine or loratidine over the counter and take one every morning when you wake up).