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Laundry tips for sensitive skin

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. 

Image by Mike Mozart

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. 


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When should you use fabric softener?

Fabric softener can be a very useful addition to your laundry routine, but it shouldn’t be used all the time. So, when should you use fabric softener?

  • What is fabric softener?
  • When do I add fabric softener?
  • Hard water areas
  • Bed linen
  • Keep clothes looking new 
  • Sensitive skin 
  • Clothes likely to bobble

What is fabric softener?

Before answering the question of when you should use fabric softener, we need to first understand what it is. To begin with, as the name implies, fabric softener softens your clothing and leaves it smelling fresh. Asides from this, it will strengthen the fabric of your clothing, therefore making your clothes easier to iron. 

When do I add fabric softener?

Many people believe that fabric softener should be added to your washing at the same time as detergent. This is incorrect. You should add your fabric softener during your rinse cycle. Adding softener during a wash cycle will remove the chemical residue that makes your clothing soft, therefore making it ineffective. 

Photo by Sher Lyn from Pexels

Fabric softener should be used for the following situations.

Hard water areas 

If you live in a hard water area, you may notice that your clothing comes out of the washing machine feeling rough. This is because the mineral content in hard water is high and attaches to the fibres in your clothing, making the fabric stiffer than in soft water areas. Adding fabric softener to your wash can remove some of those harsh minerals, resulting in softer clothing. 

Photo by Steve Johnson from Pexels

Bed linen 

Everybody loves crisp, soft, clean-smelling sheets. When washing your bed linen, add some fabric softener. The next time you get into bed you will be met with soft sheets and a heavenly smell that will make it even harder for you to get out of bed. 

Photo by Harry Page from Pexels

Keep clothes looking new 

It’s awful when you put your favourite jumper in the wash and it comes out unravelled and with a hole in it. Fabric softener smooths the fibres in your clothing, reducing the friction caused when washing, and therefore reducing wear and tear. Adding a small amount of fabric softener to your washing can prevent the loss of your favourite clothing, and keep your clothes looking newer for longer. 

Sensitive skin  

For those that suffer from sensitive skin, be careful with the fabric softener that you buy. Some softeners are perfumed and can, therefore, cause additional irritation. That being said, if you buy a sensitive skin friendly fabric softener, it can eliminate irritation caused by rough clothing rubbing against your skin. 

Image by NIAID

Clothes likely to bobble 

Bobbles on clothing can really damage the aesthetic of your favourite look. They occur when friction causes the fibres on the surface of your clothing to rub together, resulting in small, irritating, balls of loose fabric. Fabric softener strengthens the fibres in your clothing, preventing bobbling from occurring. Now, you can strut down the street in your best outfit, completely bobble free. 

If you’re still not sure when to use your fabric softener, leave it to us. Book your contactless delivery slot on the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app. 


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Laundry Tips For Sensitive Skin

If you or someone you know has sensitive skin and suffers from allergies such as eczema, you may want to re-consider the type of laundry detergent being used.

Laundry Detergent For Sensitive Skin

Many laundry detergents contain a variety of potential ingredients that can irritate the skin such as artificial fragrances, enzymes , parabens, etc. 

Consider laundry detergents that are labelled ‘non- bio‘ or ‘hypoallergenic‘ and are dermatologically tested. These detergents are free of dyes, fragrances and other harsh chemicals that usually cause skin irritations.

Laundry Tips For Sensitive Skin

  • Use liquid detergents instead of powder, as they are less likely to leave residue than on your clothes.
  • Don’t over-load on detergent; just use the right amount. This will avoid soapy residue.
  • Completely rinse laundry detergent off clothes by using the ‘rinse cycle’ after your normal cycle.
  • Wash new items before using them! Newly bought clothes also have harmful chemicals from production that may cause skin irritations.
  • If you want to add fabric softener, use one designed for sensitive skin.

We at Laundryheap understand the importance of caring for sensitive skin, that’s why we offer you the possibility of choosing between bio and non-bio laundry detergent.