It is agonizing for people with eczema to experience the symptoms because of their clothes and bed sheets. Clothes and bed sheets can cause skin irritation and allergies because of laundry practices; it may be how you do it or the staff at the laundry ABC Town.
Laundry practices are not only limited to how you wash and dry your clothes and bed sheets; it includes the detergents you use. Some detergents have allergens, and you may need trial and error in looking for the detergent that works for you. It is important to check the laundry care products or the laundry service used for your load.
What to check in laundry care products
You can start researching safe laundry care products for eczema or sensitive skin or head to the NEA website to check which laundry products have been certified with the NEA Seal of Acceptance.
If you are overwhelmed looking at the laundry care products on grocery shelves, look for hypoallergenic ones or those formulated for sensitive skin. You can also consider checking the laundry products used by the laundry pickup and delivery service to ensure your laundry load is treated with safe products for your skin.
Lastly, when choosing the type of laundry detergent, use liquid ones. A liquid detergent leaves fewer residues than powders. Residues may also cause skin irritation. That’s why alongside this, you need to rinse your laundry twice, or more than if it is a bulky bed comforter.
Wash new clothes and bed sheets before using
What’s new excites us, but it is important to wash them before use. Any fabrics on display at the store have a chemical that makes them appealing and helps maintain the condition of their fabric. The chemical could be the culprit of your skin irritation or eczema.
Moreover, always read the wash label instructions to ensure you use the right detergent and wash cycle. This helps you remove the laundry detergent effectively.
Do not use fabric softeners and double rinse each load.
The most obvious culprit for skin irritation and eczema is laundry detergent and fabric softener. Apart from the chemical components of the laundry detergent, it is important to use them in adequate amounts. Residues cause the skin to act up. That’s why it is essential to double rinse each load. If you are washing a duvet or bed comforter, rinsing it thrice is better.
Moreover, skip the use of fabric softeners. Although it is nice to wear soft and wrinkle-free clothes, fabric softeners have harmful chemicals that flare up your skin when you wear your clothes, or the bed comforter is rubbed on your skin. If you must, you can use distilled white vinegar, an excellent natural fabric softener.
People with eczema who know about healthy laundry practices only use liquid detergents free of dyes and fragrances. But, a more careful group only use natural laundry detergents. Yes, they create their laundry detergent with only borax and washing soda.