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I know, this can be a very hot topic, but…
My usual choice of washing powder is big box Persil non bio. Look, I know all the arguments in favour of bios, especially Ariel, and I agree with what folks say about it in absolute terms. HOWEVER, I do have issues with it…
When your eyes swell shut and itch, your nose runs like a tap and then clangs shut, your skin comes up in a classic histamine reaction (like nettle rash) and then flakes and drops off like a terminal case of dandruff after the use of any biological washing product, you tend to stick to the ones that don’t do that. I’ve found two: Ecover and big box Persil non bio… I tend to go for the Persil as it’s more readily available and a lot cheaper. Most of the other non bios are too strongly scented and still make me itch.
I use it for all washes, even coloureds, as I’ve yet to find a colour powder that I don’t react to. They must use some different perfumes or something in them, and they all seem to come in the concentrated form that my skin hates… OK, so I could give the clothes an extra rinse, but I’m very reluctant to do that as we are on cesspool drainage. At £95 a shot for emptying (and the last two were a mere 3 weeks apart!), you can see why extra rinses are to be avoided. It’s a shared pool, but even so…
I’m allergic to a LOT of things, and that makes life expensive. I started life as an excema sufferer, and it went down hill from there: wool, lanolin, potatoes (I can eat them, but rarely peel them without the mad itches!), most shampoos and soaps (I need unscented and uncoloured, or products made with natural ingredients rather than artificial colours and scents: a narrow range of the Lush products are OK), coal tar, sticking plaster (and especially micropore!), that hypo-allergenic hand wash stuff they use in hospitals, most washing up liquids (I use Ecover, and the dishwasher whenever possible!), most washing powders, and a host of other stuff. I do get a classic histamine reaction, and yes, I’ve had skin tests. It’s a bugger. I’m even allergic to my own hair!
When my lad’s shirts get too grungy for words (he’s a teenager: mud, blood, ink, acrylic paint, and yogurt are regular adornments), I dose them with Glowhite sachets and give the load an extra rinse. I sort things according to fabric type and colour, and never use fabric softeners (partly the allergy issues and partly because we have a number of technical fabrics the expressly forbid their use). I do at least one boil wash per week.
We have a water softener fitted, so although our water is as hard as concrete usually, in this house we have the advantages that gives. Things last longer: I use far less washing powder than the manufacturers think is necessary in this area (about half what is recommended for soft water areas – any more and the meringue effect washes the floors for us! Especially on a boil load…), and keep the soap drawer and soap box clean. I’ve never had a soap build-up or pong issue with a washing machine, so I think I’m doing it right.
And I’ve washed this way for the last 40 years… (Well, except for the water softener: I’ve had that for about 27 years.) Me mum taught me when I were a lass. She and I share a lot of allergies…
But if anyone has any tips for getting better performance out of my new ISE5 when it lands, or helping it last longer, I will at the very least give it careful consideration.
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
We recommend THIS for our ISE machines, unlike Ecover it actually does what it says on the tin. 😉
Jim.
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
Kate have you ever thought about investing in an oxygen tent? 😆
TBH probably doing extra rinses wherever possible and programs with a higher water level will help. On the new ISE5 there’s a plus water function and you can always select to do an extra rinse cycle. However it is very unusual to come across anyone with such a severe reaction to, well, everything really.
Whatever you do, especially with your own clothes, avoid rapid or quick washes as all of them have reduced rinsing.
If you use fabric softener I’d advise you to look at that as that often has more of an influence than the powder used when it comes to skin reaction. It is, quite literally, a one in a million chance that it’s the detergent that’s causing any reaction.
HTH
K.
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
iadom wrote:We recommend THIS for our ISE machines, unlike Ecover it actually does what it says on the tin. 😉
Jim.
Yes, I used to find that Ecover didn’t wash as well as it might… Can I get a test sample of the non bio version to try? Or just a very little pack? I’d hate to shell out for something I found I couldn’t use..
And have you tested these things in ISE machines? http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/ … shing!5718 I’m tempted but again reluctant to cough up for what may be little more than smoke and mirrors….
I’m trying hard to avoid the higher water programs and extra rinses because of the cesspool drainage issues…
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
kwatt wrote:Kate have you ever thought about investing in an oxygen tent? 😆
Some days an oxygen tent sounds like a real option! Nah… 90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of mine are straight forward skin reactions, so I just need to avoid physical contact with the offending substance.
kwatt wrote:TBH probably doing extra rinses wherever possible and programs with a higher water level will help. On the new ISE5 there’s a plus water function and you can always select to do an extra rinse cycle. However it is very unusual to come across anyone with such a severe reaction to, well, everything really.
I’m trying to avoid extra rinses, as I said in my original post, because of the cesspool drainage (and the sheer waste of treated water!). The vastly reduced detergent/soap/shampoo regime I follow because of the water softener certainly helps!
kwatt wrote:Whatever you do, especially with your own clothes, avoid rapid or quick washes as all of them have reduced rinsing.
I very rarely use them anyway… Maybe once or twice a year… Most of our stuff is too grubby for a quick wash! The only things that get that are sheets that have had a one-night guest, and the occasional needed-in-a-hurry swimsuit (and as I usually have between 4 and 6 of those at any one time, that’s not really an issue!).
kwatt wrote:If you use fabric softener I’d advise you to look at that as that often has more of an influence than the powder used when it comes to skin reaction. It is, quite literally, a one in a million chance that it’s the detergent that’s causing any reaction.
I never use fabric conditioner – see original post. And yes, I’m one of those one in a million! Bio powders eat my skin. I come out in a classic case of contact dermatitis after the initial nettle rash/flakes/dandruff routine… That sets off the excema, and then it takes MONTHS to clear up. Best not to let it start. My mum and brother are the same, and I have a cousin who’s another allergic to her own hair type! At least I’m not like my pal J, who is allergic to antihistamines!
Mostly, if I stick to the things I know, I get away with it. But I KNOW both fabric technology (I work with fabrics all the time, don’t forget!) and laundry technology have moved on since I bought the dead Whorlpoo, and I want to give my new machine the best chance to do its best for me.
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
Hi Kate,
Have a read at this article and also this article as they may shed some light.
On bio/non-bio I always ask the simple question, if non-bio is only sold in the UK does the rest of the world’s population have different skin from us here in the UK?
The answer is no BTW. 😉
The detergent manufacturers reckon that testing shows that about something like one in ten million people can have a reaction to any detergent sold in the UK. Needless to say any issues are almost invariably caused by something else although they will, under duress, admit that some of the perfumes (or the ingredients in them at least) can cause a reaction but it is still very rare.
I know several people personally with sever eczema that, when they use the detergent correctly, have no problems at all using various bio detergents.
I don’t know enough about fabric technology to say whether or not that this is a part of the problem or not although I know enough to know that some, especially newer mixes, can cause other issues, I have not however seen or heard of any causing adverse skin reactions yet.
HTH
K.
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
K, I read the first article very carefully before my original post. Unfortunately, after a series of hospital based tests many years ago, bio washing powder WAs one of the things I had a strong adverse reaction to… And certainly when I lived in Germany you could buy non-bio there in the local supermarkets. Mind you, that was in the seventies! 😆 And I have several multi-allergy pals across the world who bemoan the fact that they find non-bio powders so difficult to get, after undergoing a similar raft of tests to mine. Now the internet has given us a more global market, some of them are getting their non bio detergents from the UK. Many (especially in the USA, where top loading washers are the norm still) are still using things like Orvus rather than washing powders at all. It’s long been the detergent of choice for quilters… Also, my Persil is fine, but when I added some Vanish to it to help with stains on camping stuff, I got my classic reaction back. The Vanish is now restricted to non clothing items and anything washed with it is given an extra rinse cycle. I won’t be buying it again. I think I might save the rest of the tub for cleaning the floor.
I rarely have reactions to synthetic fibres themselves, though some chemical finishes can cause problems. These items are USUALLY OK after a few washes in Persil non bio.
Modern wicking fabrics used for hi-tec garments for extreme conditions (mountain equipment/clothing etc) expressly advise against the use of fabric conditioners as these block the micro pores that make the fabric work. For some fabrics and items (especially high loft items like sleeping bags, and Teflon coated Polartec and similar fabrics) I buy Nikwax washing products, none of which have bio enzymes in as they are deemed unnecessary and not good for the fabrics. They are also unperfumed. Because I’m allergic to wool, I love the hi-tec wicking poly fleeces and laminated fleeces. I’ve been using (sewing with them and wearing them) them for 20+ years.
What I REALLY want is a non-bio powder with no perfume! Ecover USED to be like that but was useless for cleaning. It got better, but then they perfumed it! Am I the only woman on the planet who loathes the stink of perfumed washing powders? I don’t even like the smell of Persil much, but at least I can use little enough of it that it very quickly fades and ceases to offend.
Now I’ve read you second article, I see my suspicions were correct: an unholy amalgam of snake oil and ad-speak! Thanks for the heads up!
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
Vanish = big tub of bleach with enzymes in it, you may as well use a bio powder and save money. 😉
On Orvus…
Finally, there are some skin safety issues. Wear gloves or use a spoon or point of a knife to handle Orvus paste, and make sure the solution is pretty well diluted before you put your bare skin in contact with it. It’s a pretty good irritant to skin, and can cause allergic reactions, dermatitis and eczema for some of us lucky souls. It can also sting pretty badly, especially if your skin is damaged in any way to begin with. [HCQ note: I have extremely sensitive skin and have used Orvus as a body/face wash with absolutely no problems whatever.] We used it in biology labs for (among other things) breaking cell membranes so we can get at the contents of the cells — it can do the same thing to skin cells.
You wash horses with it! 😉
Again, a lot of rinsing is advised with Orvus should you choose to use it as with most detergent.
Ecover has always been rubbish IMO and not as “green” as they make it out to be. 😉
90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}+ of people want their laundry to smell “fresh” when it comes out the machine, is dried and has sat in a drawer/cupboard for a week or more, hence the resilient perfumes. They have to survive the wash process, drying process (both mechanical and natural) as well as time, not easy by any stretch but that’s what most people demand and that’s what the detergent manufacturers provide. Obviously you’re not most people, no offence intended.
Yes, on the miracles of soapnuts and ecoballs or whatever, as I said earlier today (again) if something appears to good to be true, it probably is. These products are no exception to that rule.
I will go back however to rinsing, I can understand why you don’t want to do it but, the fact remains, that if you were to do so or able to do so, then the problems you have would be very much reduced. It’s always a compromise, you either forsake energy efficiency and wastage for performance or you live with the reduced effectiveness In some respects, that’s the compromise and it can only be resolved by striking a happy balance that suits you or by choosing one over the other.
Essentially, there’s no easy answers or miracle cures I’m afraid. I’d love to offer one but, as yet, one doesn’t exist.
HTH
K.
So long as I won’t shorten the life of the new machine by carrying on as before, it looks like that’s my best bet until someone brings out a scent free non bio eco-friendly powder that actually CLEANS clothes, I can get in the supermarket, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I don’t mind paying for quality, but not for rarity value on a washing powder!
I wasn’t seriously thinking of using Orvus myself as I had read the stuff about it being an irritant, ages ago when it was discussed on the quilt groups. I couldn’t see the point of swapping one irritant for another. And as I don’t have a top loader anyway…
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
I see that others before me have recomended Aquados Non Bio. My hubby has sensitive skin due to kidney failure and the inbalance of his phosphate levels. (Makes his skin very itchy) I have tried a lot of the “non bio’s” and the Ecover’s & the Auntie Vera whatsits all to no avail.
The exception to this is Aquados!It was a suggestion I think by Kwatt to try Aquados and after some difficulties in sourcing the product I managed to get a tub from Farm Foods Ltd (Priced at £1.50) for a tub (recently gone up to £1.75) but it does exactly what it says on the tub, one tab in the drum for light loads, 2 for heavy soil. Washes very well IMO if not better than Ariel & my hubby doesn’t react to it. I thoroughly recomend it if you can get it.
WQRe: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
Thank you. I shall look out for it when the currant vat of Persil runs low. Is it perfumed? I usually hate the perfumes… And does it only come as tabs? I prefer powder as it’s easier to adjust to a quarter dose to allow for the effects of the water softener.
Sorry I took so long to answer: I’ve not been too well – the fibro is being nasty at me!
Re: XCans of worms disguised as boxes of washing powder…
Let me see, when you open the tub, yes there is a small smell of fragrance, nothing major, & it doesn’t stay in your clothes as it were. It comes in a plastic tub, and when you open the tub, there are…..how can I describe this…….something rather like a liquitab but instead of liquid in it, it is powder.
I would suggest you try one in your machine instead of two if you have a water softner. If you PM me your details, I am more than happy to send you a couple of the soft-tabs through the post for you to try.WQ
On there way!
Thanks for your PM, I have sent you 6 Non Bio Soft-tabs via Recorded Delivery, so fingers crossed, you should get them tommorow or Friday by the latest.
Happy Washing! – WQ
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