When you have sensitive skin, laundry can become ten times harder. Here are ten top laundry tips that will protect your sensitive skin. 

• Use hypoallergenic products
• Try liquid detergent 
• Clean your appliance 
• Use fabric softener
• Separate your clothing
• Follow the instructions
• Wash new clothes
• Hot wash your sheets
• Rinse your washing 
• Wear gloves

Use hypoallergenic products

Many laundry detergents use bleaches, dyes, and fragrances to make their products more effective. If you have sensitive skin, avoid these detergents as they can cause irritation. Instead, look for products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin. Alternatively, try making your own laundry detergent. 

Try liquid detergent 

There isn’t a lot of difference between liquid detergent and powder detergent, however, when it comes to sensitive skin you should always try and buy a liquid detergent. Powder detergents will often leave a soapy residue on your clothing. If not removed, this residue can cause irritation when you wear your freshly washed clothes. Liquid detergent can also leave a residue, however, due to its liquid consistency, does not leave as much, therefore lessening the irritation caused. 

Clean your appliance 

Whether you have sensitive skin or not it is vital to clean out your washing machine after every two to three washes. The detergent draw of your washing machine can easily become clogged with excess laundry detergent that clumps together if not removed. This can encourage mould to grow in the draw. If you suffer with sensitive skin this mould can cause and insufferable amount of irritation. 

Use fabric softener 

Fabric softener works by smoothing the fibres that make up your clothes and making them soft to touch. If you have sensitive skin, specifically eczema, keeping your clothes soft will stop harsher materials from rubbing your skin and causing irritation. When buying a fabric softener, make sure that it is specifically designed for sensitive skin as some softeners can cause irritation by being overly fragrant. 

Separate your clothing 

When you wash your clothing it’s important to separate your clothes by their material. If you wash delicate fabrics, such as silk, with harsher fabrics, such as denim, the harsh fabric can damage the fibres of the more delicate material and make the clothing more abrasive. This can lead to your clothing causing irritation on your next wear. To avoid this, wash all of your delicate fabrics in one load and your harsher fabrics in another. 

Follow the instructions

It’s easy to over-pour your detergent, but when you have sensitive skin it’s best to be more cautious with how much you use. If too much detergent is used it can linger on your clothing and cause irritation. This can also happen when you over-fill your washing machine. To avoid this, try and use the correct amount of detergent and not over-fill your washing machine. 

Wash new clothes

After buying new clothes it’s always best to give them a wash before wearing them. Many stores will use starch or dyes on their clothing to make them last longer on the shop floor. These chemicals can cause irritation if not washed away. Before wearing any new item, put it on a quick wash just to ensure that your skin stays irritant-free. 

Hot wash your sheets 

Dust mites and allergens can cause a great amount of skin irritation, especially when the pollen count is high during the summer months. Avoid being surrounded by these irritants whilst sleeping by hot washing your bed sheets. The heat from the wash will kill any lingering allergens and leave you free to enjoy a dreamy sleep.

Rinse your machine

Regardless of whether you use liquid or powder laundry detergent, there will always be residue left over after a wash. To avoid this residing detergent from causing any irritation to your skin, put your machine on a rinse cycle before beginning your laundry. This will wash away any remaining detergent and leave you with a clean washing machine to wash your clothes in. 

Wear gloves

If you are hand washing your clothing you may want to wear a pair of gloves. Firstly, the gloves will protect your hands from being consistently exposed to your detergent, and therefore protect them from the risk of being irritated. Secondly, leaving your hands in water for a consistent amount of time will dry them out, which can lead to cracks and irritation. Wearing a pair of gloves will protect your hands from the water, therefore leaving them free from any potential irritation.

The best way to prevent your skin from becoming irritated when doing your laundry is by using a professional dry cleaning service. Book your Laundryheap dry cleaning slot by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app.