How to get rid of bio washing powder residue in clothes

[Aetae]

I've bought a few things off eBay from people who clearly don't have the same raging allergy to bio washing powder that I have. I've washed the stuff several times but still can't get rid of it. Does anyone have any tips for how I remove it?

A week out on the line in the rain.

For once the weather isn't playing ball on that tactic :)

Hmm - maybe white vinegar?

Washing soda crystals might help, they are great for stains, cleaning up grey whites etc. try a good couple of tablespoons instead of washing stuff in the drawer and put the clothes on for your longest cycle as hot as the clothes will take

Thanks all - I'll try your suggestions, fingers crossed :)

Maybe you need a new washing machine that rinses more efficiently.

I used to think that it was washing powder that caused DD's eczema. I used Ecover non bio and washballs. It turned out that by using non bio powder it encouraged the mould spores to develop in my washing machine and my washer was beginning to smell.

I did a couple of hot washes using Ariel bio and have been using it ever since. DD's eczema has disappeared.

Every so often I run a boil wash for my towels which (based on the bubbles) removes detergent residue nicely - probably not appropriate for anything apart from towels though!

I assume you are putting them through a wash cycle with no detergent or softener in a 'clean' (i.e. post maintenance cycle) machine?

Perhaps try machine wash then soaking in clean water overnight then washing again?

the "hot hot hot" wash with white cotton towels and no powder or fabsoft is very good for washing away the residual soap sludge from inside your machine and out of the towels. A cup of washing soda crystals helps.

If the water foams up and goes grey, that's the old soap sludge dissolving, so do it again until it stays clear.

Modern washing machines only fill up with enough water for the size of load they sense, so filling it up with cotton towels means it is sloshing around right to the top of the tub.

Hot water and washing soda is the best way I know to remove soap residues. Don't add more soap.

Hmm. I don't think it's the machine itself - I always use tea tree oil and vinegar in the wash to disinfect / de-limescale it and fairly regularly also do a boil wash.

Everything else seems to come out fine, it's just the allergy-inducing bio wash powder residue that I can't seem to get off a few items of clothing. They aren't cotton things either so I can't boil wash them :(

Soaking sounds promising though, perhaps it will lift out the enzymes? I was hoping there was something that would de-nature the enzyme proteins as that's what I think causes the allergy...

something that would de-nature the enzyme proteins

The enzymes are almost certainly designed to react with dirt. If the clothes are clean, the enzymes have nothing to do. Not sure if it would be oil/grease or another kind of dirt but could you get them a bit dirty in some way?

Otherwise, just keep washing.

TBH, I've never needed more than a wash or two to get rid of bio residue so is there maybe another issue/allergy with you?

I like that idea :)
I'll squish them in some kind of dirt... Now I just have to think if something that's not too gross!

It's definitely the bio that I'm allergic to, I'm just very sensitive to it plus the clothes in question are synthetic - I find the fibres hold on to things more than natural fibres do.