Laundry, take two

(this is really me, doing laundry yesterday...*)

It seems like I have always used liquid laundry detergent labeled 'free and clear', that is, free of colorings and fragrances. Apparently, I forgot why I began to use them in the first place. I know that I am an advocate of the smallest interference possible in products, whether cleaning or food or personal hygiene.

Recently, my son gave up his college apartment and moved back home, integrating his products into the general household supplies. I ran out of my laundry detergent and used some of his for a large pile of clothing one Saturday not long ago. Washed, dried, folded, put away.

Then, I began to itch. I thought it was a reaction to dry air or cleaner at the hospital. I began to itch more, sometimes digging at my forearms before I realized what I was doing. Then, I began to turn red. That finally got me thinking.

The first thing we ask a patient who presents with skin itching and rash is; 'have you changed your laundry or bath soap?' I asked myself, and the answer was 'Oh, yeah!' I hurried upstairs to remove all the recently laundered clothing from closet and drawers, along with the dirty stuff, and began to rewash and double rinse everything.

I ended up with a huge pile of laundry to work my way through, but the reward is that, as soon as I switched to clothing that had been laundered in my old way, my dermal disruptions ended.

Oh, now I remember why I always get the neutral-smelling, clear detergent and then dilute the softener by two thirds for our laundry!

(okay, so it's a Google image, but it could've been...*)