Could you be allergic to your laundry
May 21, 2007 by laura
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
If you are anything like me, you are allergic to almost any kind of artificial scent. Perfumes, household cleaners, air fresheners. You name it, and I am allergic to it. One of the worst culprits being laundry detergent. I use a detergent for sensitive skin, and I make sure that I rinse my loads at least twice before putting them in the dryer. However, its not always effective.
Today, I read an article on MedPage Today, called “Laundry Methods Matter for Busting Allergens“ . In this article they discuss the best methods to remove allergens. I always thought that I was in the clear, by using sensitive skin detergent and by rinsing more than once. However, it turns out I was mistaken (I realize all of your jaws are hanging on the floor, right now). The best way to remove allergens, is to wash your laundry at the highest temperature possible, always.
It also turns out, that what I thought I was allergic to (being the detergent residue) is not exactly right either. Apparently, when you wash your clothes they don`t exactly come out as clean as we think. Our clean laundry still has dust mites, and pollen residue, and dog dander.
The article states the following findings:
Regarding dust mites
- Cold water killed only 4.7% to 8.0%.
- Warm water killed only 7% to 10.7%.
- Both the hot water wash and the steam drum killed 100% every time.
Regarding dog dander
- Hot water and steam removed significantly more allergens than either cold or warm water when laundry was rinsed once or not at all (P<0.05).
- Nearly all allergens were removed by all wash temperatures when rinsing twice or more (0.0% to 0.01%, P=NS for all).
Regarding oak pollen
- Hot water was significantly more effective than cold or warm water when laundry was not rinsed (P<0.05).
- Rinsing at least once eliminated differences in pollen removal between wash temperatures.
So it seems that hot water works best for people who are “blessed“ with allergies. I always thought that washing your laundry at higher temperatures was really bad for your clothes. Now, I understand that washing my clothes and linens at cooler temperatures is not good for me – even if it might the material last a little longer.
**Picture Source www.laundrylocker.com
I know this really affected me when I was trying to sleep… I ended up having to change my pillowcase daily to keep the allergies under control. It worked too!
Hi Coops,
I change my pillowcase quite often, while not everyday ~ I do change it a few times a week. However, if we are talking about pillowcases I will share my trick. I put a pillowcase wrapped in a bit of plastic and put it in the freezer for a little while. So I can always have a cold pillowcase. I definitely can not sleep if its warm….especially in the summer.
Great suggestions though….and I always suggest changing linens often, especially when one is sick. And make your bed everyday…its the best way to those bed bugs and stuff to stay away.
I’ve always felt that clothes get cleanest washed in the warmest water the fabric can take. We use one of the “-free” detergents – no fragrances, etc. added. I’ve also found that Oxi Clean works very nicely to get rid of many things, and doesn’t annoy us (I, my daughter, and my partner all have many allergies/sensitivities). I have the washer set to always do an extra rinse, too.
I wonder if there have been any good studies done on the effects of using vinegar in the rinse cycle? That does seem to work quite well, and it is often recommended to get rid of detergent residue.
Hi Cynthia,
I am going to try the hot water thing for a while, and see if it makes any difference, at least I will try for linens for the next bit anyway.
I have heard about vinegar as a cleaner. I am hesitant to put it in my washing machine though…only because I am afraid what it will do to my head. When I was younger, my parents would wash the floors (hard wood) in their house with vinegar – and it would give me a headache for days….and this was pre CFS!!! But it did make everything clean.