Allergic Reaction To Laundry Detergent - What Should I Do?

by Kristin
(Hernando)

I received this question from Kristin, who asked about an allergic reaction to laundry detergent that several people in her family have experienced:

Kristin asks:

I've been using Wisk for about a year on all my clothes, and so has my husband. But now he is having an allergic reaction to it.


I'm allergic to Tide, Sun, Purex, Xtra, All, Arm & Hammer, Cheer, Gain, Oxiclean, and Woolite.

I don't think I can win. LOL. Any ideas on what I could possibly use?

Taylor says:

Kristin, when you or a loved one has an allergic reaction to laundry detergent it can be very uncomfortable, and so I totally understand why you want to avoid any products like this.

First, let me start out by saying that I am not a doctor, and I do not claim to be. Therefore, please take everything I say with a grain of salt.

However, I get similar questions like yours all the time, or comments when I receive laundry detergent reviews from readers, all discussing that certain detergent types and brands can cause mild to severe allergic reactions to the detergent. Therefore, I know this is a common problem. You are not alone.

In fact, in my own home, one of my children suffers from laundry detergent allergies. This has significantly impacted what products I can use to wash our entire family's clothing and bedding.

Because allergic reactions to laundry detergent are so common when I got the chance to interview a dermatologist for this site, I took the time to ask her questions about this issue. Here is my article about laundry detergent allergies, which contains a video interview with the dermatologist.

Basically, what I learned is that you need to steer clear of dyes and perfumes, which are the two most common ingredients which can cause an allergic reaction to laundry detergent. Therefore, I have compiled a list of hypoallergenic laundry detergents, sharing which brands actually make products free of these dyes and perfumes for people like us that need them. It even has links to reviews from other readers, where available, sharing how the product worked for them. After all, there is no point in buying a product to keep you from having an allergic reaction, only to have it not actually wash your clothes well.


I've also learned that people are allergic to slightly different things, as you can see since your husband and you have different allergic responses to different detergents. You didn't say whether you had tried the dye and perfume free versions of these detergents above or not, but I am guessing you haven't. The reason being is that a couple of the detergent you listed don't actually even have a scent free version you could try, like Gain or Xtra, for example.

Therefore, my suggestion to you is to look at the list of available hypoallergenic laundry detergents, and then buy yourself a small bottle or box of it to try at home. The reason I suggest buying a small amount the first time is that I've found, from people sending me in reviews, that sometimes people are so sensitive that they still have an allergic response to some of these supposedly allergy free detergents. In addition, each has a different formula, and you want to feel confident it will also clean your clothes well before you buy a lot of it.

Then, once you've gone through some of your own trial and error, and find one that works well to clean your clothes, and that both you and your husband can tolerate, then buy a larger amount of it at a time, so each load will be cheaper.

In addition, make sure you are not accidentally sabotaging your own efforts when you use other laundry supplies, such as fabric softener or dryer sheets, with your clothes. These products cannot have any scent either, or they could be the culprits of your or your husband's allergies.

I hope this will help you find something that will keep your whole family from experiencing allergic reactions to laundry detergent. If you find something that works well for you, please share what you've found! I would love to hear back from you.

This post is part of my site, where I answer people's laundry questions. Do you have a question of your own? If so, please ask me your laundry questions here, or read other questions and answers that have already been published.

My Son And I Both Broke Out From Rash With New Detergent: What Causes This?

by SR101 Reader

I received this laundry question from a reader, asking about some laundry detergent allergy issues her family has recently experienced.

SR101 reader asks:

I recently had to switch my son's laundry detergent because he broke out in a rash and developed eczema.

I decided this last weekend to wash my clothes with the same detergent. I broke out in a rash like a wild fire. Just where my clothes were in contact with my skin though.

I thought maybe there might be some sort of a bleach or chlorine additive, but I didn't see anything. I am incredibly allergic to bleach as well. Has anyone else experienced this?

Taylor says:

Thanks for your question. If you could tell me the exact type of detergent you used it could be helpful.

Typically, people break out from using scented detergents, or those which contain dyes, so many hypoallergenic laundry detergents are both scent and dye free.

However, some people are even allergic to some of these scent and dye free products, since each person is so different. Unfortunately, it is not at all uncommon to experience allergic reactions like this, and all you can do is seek medical attention for the symptoms, and then switch to a new detergent until you find one your family can tolerate.

I'm Hoping All Free And Clear Detergent Relieves My Husband's Laundry Allergies

by SR101 Reader

An SR101 reader shared her hopes for All Free and Clear detergent to finally be the one her husband isn't allergic to.

SR101 Reader says:

My poor husband has been broken out for two weeks from laundry allergies.

This stuff is supposed to help. I'm so tired of washing his clothes.

And he only has a part time job, and college full time. I just can't keep buying bottles of new detergent.

Taylor says:

I sure hope you find a detergent that works for your husband's laundry allergies, because I know it can be frustrating trying to find something that works well.

When testing different detergents I suggest buying the smallest bottle you can find, just because if you can't use that one you don't have a big old jug left that is basically useless to you.

In addition, sometimes if someone has had a severe allergic reaction they may need to go to the doctor to get medicines to help calm it down. Only once the allergy symptoms have calmed back down can you really test detergents to see if they will work or not.

Good luck finding a detergent that works! It can be a difficult, frustrating and expensive process but worth it to keep family members comfortable while also keeping their clothes clean.

Related Links At Stain-Removal-101.com

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