Do You Suffer From Eczema? – Then These Laundry Tips Will Help!

Minimise allergen triggers when doing laundry

When it comes to doing the laundry eczema sufferers are going to find this relatively simple job a lot more difficult. Think about it like this your body is always in contact with clothes of some kind and because of this you need to be very careful when washing your clothes.

So, how and what you use to wash your clothes can have a serious impact! Avoiding a flare-up of eczema may seem impossible but while I can’t deny that it is difficult it can be done and today I’ am going to share some amazing tips to help eczema sufferers everywhere.

Pair of gloves

Always Wear Gloves

A pair of gloves can do some amazing things for eczema sufferers! Putting washing into your washer can trigger eczema attacks and so can taking them out to load into your dryer or hang up to dry so invest in a good pair of gloves to help you tackle this problem.

Best of all if you ever need to do any hand washing gloves will once again come in handy. The best kind of gloves to use are non-latex disposable ones these can be bought in bulk and are relatively inexpensive and are also fully waterproof.

Overloading your washer

Don’t Overload Your Washing Machine

Another easy way to avoid triggering an attack of eczema is to not overload your washing machine, now as we’ve talked about previously overloading your washing machine can cause a lot of problems but one lesser known problem with this issue is that it can trigger eczema attacks.

If you overload your washing machine it will not wash clothes as effectively and the laundry soap will likely not be fully absorbed or washed away either. If you handle these clothes it could trigger an eczema attack so don’t overload your washing machine and if you notice any left-over soap after a wash put the clothes through another quick wash cycle.

Fabric softener is something that should be avoided

Fabric Softener Can Cause A Lot Of Problems.

Soft fabric is what fabric softener is all about (it’s in the name after all isn’t it?) and that sounds like something that would really benefit eczema sufferers doesn’t it? However, when it comes to eczema fabric softener is something that should be avoided.

While fabric softeners come in a variety of different forms including ones with extra-sensitivity they will all usually contain things like fragrances, preservatives, and dyes which can be a disaster for eczema sufferers. So, avoid them at all costs even if they do say they are designed for extra-sensitivity because they are usually never worth the hassle.

Measure your detergent

Measure Your Detergent Carefully

This is another thing we’ve talked about in the past but while overloading your washing machine with detergent can cause a number of problems, it can also cause problems for eczema sufferers.

If you use too much washing detergent, then you will likely end up with leftover soap all around your clothes and handling this can easily trigger eczema. So, make sure you always do a second rinse when needed.

Choose Your Washing Detergent Carefully

Now, this is a very tricky one for eczema sufferers because finding a detergent that can safely wash your clothes without triggering an eczema attack can be very difficult. You need to find a detergent that is free of chemicals or toxins that could trigger your eczema.

You also need to avoid surfactants which include things like bleach, fragrances, enzymes, dyes and much more. So, as you can no doubt guess this is very difficult, and it will no doubt limit your options a bit, but we can help. While eczema sufferers can find suitable detergents in all its forms one of the best is going to be liquid detergents.

Liquid detergents will leave behind less soap residue when compared with powders and tablets which make them ideal for eczema sufferers. But it’s important to remember that no two cases of eczema are the same, so people’s skin will always react differently.

So, if you are using detergent that isn’t bothering you at the moment even if it includes dyes or fragrances then feel free to stick with it in the meantime. Just make sure you have a backup detergent in mind just in case an attack should flare up.

Say No To Dryer Sheets!

You can put dryer sheets down on the list of things to avoid, dryer sheets help soften clothes and reduce static electricity. But while this again might seem beneficial for eczema sufferers the chemicals in these sheets are not going to be of any help so avoid dryer sheets.