TLDR version: I don't know whether I should go to a walk-in centre this evening for a possible UTI and "allergic" reaction that most people can't see.
I used to wash all my clothes in Ecover Zero liquid until about a year ago when they changed their ingredients and scared off half their customers. For several months I went through a washing powder crisis where we tried every "hypoallergenic" washing powder under the sun, most of which were awful and made me itch and burn all over. Believe me I have tried them all. I even ended up with a UTI through all the irritation.
I can't use Eco Eggs as they contain bicarbonate of soda which is an irritant. I also went to see an allergy specialist who said he couldn't do patch testing on me as I only get itching and burning, and patch testing only works for rashes, eczema or things which are visible to other people, so I don't have a "true allergy".
We eventually settled on Surcare powder as the best of a bad lot. But it's not perfect, we still have to be very careful to use only a tiny bit and also do an extra rinse cycle, and even then it still makes me itch a bit sometimes, and some fabrics are affected more than others.
Recently I've worn a couple of jumpers that haven't been worn or washed for about a year, since last winter. They were fine for wearing, but now that I've washed them in Surcare all hell has broken loose and the jumper is making me burn very badly. I don't understand why but I feel like some kind of chemical reaction has gone on between the two detergents. Or it might be because they both contain a small amount of wool, and all my other knitwear is made of cotton or acrylic.
But yesterday I was burning all over, even though I'd just sniffed the jumper and not even put it on. I even got a small rash on my forehead which seems to have gone now but I can still feel it. I took an antihistamine tablet but it only worked a little bit, which is unusual. I even had to change the bedding. And I think I might have a small UTI but I'm not sure.
Is there any point in going to a walk in centre this evening for a possible UTI and allergic reaction even though they can't see it? I still feel like my face is burning. My GP is not interested - she just tells me to take antihistamine and doesn't look at the long term problem.
Also, how can I stop this from happening in the long run with clothes I wear again after not having worn them for ages? The reaction makes no sense. Surely my old clothes should be okay but they cause a problem as soon as I've washed them in Surcare, which doesn't happen with my other clothes that I wear regularly.