Your Stories - Laundry Care

Brightening Detergent gave me Allergic Contact Dermatitis - Julie

I ended up with Allergic Contact Dermatitis after using a popular brightening detergent for colored clothes. Throw in a malfunctioning washer that didn't drain properly when trying to get the detergent out of everything I washed and you end up with 6 months of rashes apparently.  After all was said and done I ended up with a $500 ER bill  to get rid of the itching initially, a $600 bill  for a new front loading washer, and whatever expenses I gained  from buying lotion more frequently. It has been hell.  Ultimately I decided to stop trying to fight everything with cortisone creams and steroids because it always came back so much worse after I stopped using them. When I tried to work with my skin is when everything changed.  Here is a run down of what I did, it's not huge or life changing so probably anyone could give it a shot. I stopped using soap on the parts of my body with dermatitis for one. I went to the store and bought a big container of old fashioned oats and ground them up in a blender at home.  Every morning I would put some in a coffee mug with water and let it sit for a few minutes then I would gently rub it over the affected skin then rinse.  This felt gross and oats were all over my shower but it really helped A Lot. I started eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, cutting out what little junk I had left in my diet.  I bought a fish oil, zinc, and b-vitamin complex from Whole Foods. I bought a tanning package and went 2 or 3 times a week for a month and definitely saw a difference. And last but not least I've been using the Shea Butter and Honey body butter from
Burt's Bees as well as the Coconut Foot Cream from Burt's Bees.  That Coconut Foot Cream is what really made a huge difference.  And importantly, don't use a sugar scrub...it will just irritate it as  I found out the hard way when I thought it was safe to exfoliate. I hope this helps and more importantly I hope no one has to go through what I did. (April 2009) Contact Julie

Melaleuca - Deana, Texas, USA

All 3 of my boys have severe eczema. My twins (now 3 yrs old) were diagnosed when they were about 6 months old. They developed cradle cap at approximately 3 months of age. It became so severe that their heads were raw, open wounds. Eventually that healed but the 'rash' traveled down their bodies, from their head down to their toes. That 'rash' would not go away. Then they were diagnosed with eczema by a pediatric dermatologist at 6 months of age. Over the course of the next 2 years they were treated with over the counter hydrocortisone creams, Elidel, Protopic, and Triaminclone. We, of course, also used lotions such as Cetaphil, Aveeno, Eucerin, Jergen's, Huggies, Johnson & Johnson, Aquaphor, and probably many more that aren't coming to mind right now. We used name brands and store brand versions of these lotions. NOTHING WORKED!!! We were told by our sons' doctors that they would not prescribe a higher dose of steroids to someone that small. The next step would be oral steroids and that would cause way too many negative side effects. The doctors said we were just going to have to try to 'manage' their symptoms the best we could to try to slow the progression to allergies and full-blown asthma. Needless to say, we were desperate to find something to help our boys. I felt so bad for them. They would wake up crying and bleeding because they itched so much! Our lives changed when I was introduced to the company Melaleuca. Melaleuca manufactures laundry, cleaning, & personal care products that are environmentally friendly and naturally based. Their products do not have harsh abrasives, bleach, ammonia, phosphates, or formaldehyde. We converted our household to these products the middle of June 2006. By the beginning of July 2006, just 2 weeks later, their skin had dramatically improved. Friends & family were coming up to us asking us what we had done to the boys' skin because it looked so good! All we did was switch what products we use in our home in our everyday life. I know there are so many other parents out there desperate to help their babies. Feel free to contact me and I will be happy to give you more information about the products we use! Contact Deana

Eco Balls - Ian, Hamilton, UK

Eco balls and Dryer balls! We tried, we liked, they work and we'll continue using them. Very good products! Fiona and I were sceptical at first. While we waited for our Eco balls and dryer balls to arrive, we washed a load with no washing powder/liquid and yes they were still dirty and smelly, but now wet. The washing machine was loaded with 'whites' - ¾ full - and the 3 eco balls were placed on top of the clothes. The quick cycle took 30 minutes, since you wash at a lower temperature <=60C and require less rinse cycles, because there are no chemicals to rinse out. When the cycle finished we carefully inspected and smelt the clothes and they were clean and odour free. Fiona also reckoned that they felt softer. We've also found that prolonged use of conditioner makes the dish towels and bathroom towels less absorbent. We placed our 2 dryer balls - £10 - plastic balls with dimples that last for years - in the tumble dryer. The makers claim that the dryer balls will make your clothes 'noticeably softer', will reduce your dryer time by up to 25%, reduce creases and produce less lint. Again, we found the results to be good and all the things they claimed we found to a certain degree i.e. no worse, but overall probably better than before. (August 2006) Contact Ian

Double Wash Clothes - Alastair, Maynooth, Ireland

Our son Cormac has/had severe eczema (hospitalized twice due to it when he was 2; he is now 5); our daughter Caoimhe also has some dry skin, but nothing severe. One trick we learnt from a friend was double washing clothes to remove soap residue; it really works. We first wash the children's clothes in Persil (non-bio), then wash them a second time with just water, no washing powder. They are noticeably more itchy when we forget the second wash; it really removes the soap residues. (April 2005) Contact Alastair

Nontoxic Cleaning Products - Julie, Boise, USA

We switched 100% to NONTOXIC cleaning, personal care and laundry products. No more chlorine in our home. No more chemicals, no more dangerous toxins. Also, a water softener has helped keep the chlorine off my daughter's skin. Also, RENEW lotion has been amazing.
(September 2004)

Surcare is better than Fairy - Julie, Tamworth UK

About 3 months ago I visited the talk eczema website as my husband and my six year old son were both suffering with eczema. I had previously changed to Fairy washing powder which even affected my own skin. My husband also has patches of psoriasis and his back would be like sandpaper even just showering in water without soap or shower gel.
I bought a box of Surcare tablets and within a few days there was a huge improvement in my husbands/sons skin. Now if they wear anything that hasn't been washed in Surcare their skin becomes dry and itchy once more. I only use Surcare now for all of us and I have recommended it to friends and family. (August 2004)

Surcare has made a huge difference - Matthew, UK

I have had eczema since I was a baby and have found it very hard to control until I started using Surcare that is. The worst time for me was about four years ago, when it was really uncontrollable. Now, it still is bad but not as bad. This is due to a number of reasons, and I consider Surcare to be the main one. The other factors are the sun. I found when I go abroad the sun heals it but when you get back to England it appears again within about one month. I have used a number of treatments prescribed by my doctor. But these treatments only seemed to slow the process of it spreading down. These include Oilatum, Vaseline and now I use Eumobase to keep moisture and to stop it from itching. I also use simple soaps to wash. I belong to one support website, talkeczema. This website is a great help on advising me and I would like to thank them for all there advice. I first heard about Surcare on talkeczema's website. I have only been using Surcare for a couple of months but have noticed big differences. Certain shower gels irritate my skin and soaps. These are normally scented soaps and shower gels. I went over a number of things that might irritate my skin and this included: things I ate and the washing powder that I used at the time. I realised that it was the washing powder I was using. Eczema has had a big impact on my life, I find when I am nervous I really start itching. It is really embarrassing. Sadly also I have eczema on my hands. Which is a real pain, so certain things also irritate my fingers.

Surcare has really made a difference I no longer have to worry about the washing powder irritating my skin. Thanks to surcare my eczema has begun to gradually get better and does not itch anymore which is really good. My mum also has eczema and she also agrees that it has made a real difference. So I would advise anyone who suffers with eczema to try Surcare. I guarantee you will notice a difference with Surcare. So thank you Surcare for making my life much better with no worries about my eczema. (October 03)

Surcare - Ioana, Rochdale, UK

Our son has had eczema since he was 4 months old and your product (Surcare) is the only detergent/softener that does not aggravate his eczema. As yet we do not know what exactly triggers his eczema but we know that if we switch to a different brand it makes his eczema worse... He is currently treated under the care of a dermatologist with Protopic 1%. (October 03)

I tried a Surcare sample and it's great - Diane, Motherwell, Scotland

I am, a mum of a 6yr old son who has had eczema since he was about 1 month old. We have tried different types of soap powder and conditioner for long months on an end. Up until recently I had found Bold to be best and had been using it for a few years, but I received a free sample of Surcare and I was so pleased with the result. I went out and bought a box of Surcare and some conditioner and what a difference this has made. My son's washing is all done separately from the rest of the household, which some people say that it is inconvenient and more expensive with different washing powder. But I really really don't mind I'm so pleased with the results that Surcare has made to my son's skin. (September 03)

I am converted to Surcare - Stephanie, Luton, UK

Just to let you know we've started to use Surcare as my daughter who is 5 months old has eczema, my son 11 has sensitive skin and had infantile eczema, my partner has psoriasis and I have allergy related eczema.

I applied for a sample of the washing powder and purchased a small box of tablets and used them exclusively for a week. We now use it all the time. At the week end I purchased washing up liquid and used it without the drying and cracking problems. I shall be using it exclusively for a week just to check but first signs are fab thank you. (September 03)

Melaleuca - Jayne, Toronto, Canada

As a Mother living with Excema in our home. (Son, myself.) I have found that Melaleuca products are Non-Prescription cure to this horrific problem.
Growing up with eczema as you know, is not easy. Laundry detergent, toxic cleansers in the home, and creams with perfume, are difficult to steer away from. Melaleuca makes all of these products. By removing all toxic chemicals, phosphates, and adding Melaleuca to our lives, we are suffering less. Much less. Now, if we could only take all the synthetic fibres out of Hockey jerseys, Football jerseys, and elastic from our socks! Melaleuca rules, where very expensive prescription ointments couldn't help us...

Rinse clothes twice - Jane, Milton Keynes, UK

I found rinsing clothes twice helps to limit the irritation, combined with a non biological powder of course. (December 2002)

Surcare has worked for me - Dee, London, UK

I used Surcare washing tablets for the first time and found them really good. There is lots of foam in the machine, the amount is decided for you as it's a tablet, and the clothes smell good. Best of all, my son' skin was not irritated as Surcare is non biological. I will definitely be using them again. (Sep 2001)

Help prevent washing machine door seals from rotting- Jeanette, Chesterfield, UK

Soft White Paraffin/Liquid Paraffin Mix rots the door seal of washing machines. After use, wipe seal with WD40. Our understanding washing machine repair man has researched this on our behalf and it is working. (August 2001)

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