Icky sheets - what to do?

Savvy_Sue

DH has got his eczema under reasonable control by smearing himself liberally with Emulsifying Ointment on some bits and Doublebase on others before coming to bed.

As you can imagine, this leaves a glossy film on the sheets after a while. I've bought Terracotta sheets, 100% cotton, because then bloodstains are less of a problem.

Just recently, I haven't been able to get them clean. Well, I could live with the odd stain, but what seems to be happening is that the ointment is coming off the sheets, and solidifying into little soft lumps. I thought at first they were skin flakes, but they don't shake off, and if you scrape them they go soft and smeary.

It's only the 100% cotton that seems to be affected - the polycotton duvet cover and pillowcases seem fine. I formed the cotton attraction theory because he only has one pillow (polycotton case) whereas I have two, and use one cotton case. And that pillowcase is just covered, inside and out, with these white bits!

I use Supermarket Own Brand (currently Morrisons cheap) non-bio washing powder with Aqua-Softna, and wash bedding at 60 with extra oomph and rinse. Don't trust bio washing powders with his skin.

So, what to do? Ditch the sheets and go back to polycotton, try soda crystals instead of Aqua-Softna, or pick 'em all off one by one ...

I have looked through some of the posts about washing clothes, but didn't quite know what to look for with this particular problem!

Nile

I would normally suggest that you wash the items in Ariel Biological Automatic washing powder, but I see you have concerns about how this might affect his skin condition.

Would it be worth trying the Ariel and then putting the items through a further (water only) wash, which will remove all traces of Ariel?

newleaf

Just a word of warning. Ariel is lethal to anyone with skin problems. Please be careful.

skylight

My 2yo suffers from this, although not as badly as your Hubby by the sounds of things! She doesn't bleed during the night but is terribly itchy.

First we used Fairy - but its rubbish at getting out stains/general dirt.
Bold washing powder played havoc on her skin.
Airel Sensitive was also rubbish - it gave the whole family mini electric shocks!
We are currently on Persil Non-Bio. Seems great for our little one so far, and suits everyone else.

I know its not cheap, but it suits her, so I make cut backs on the shopping bills elsewhere.

newmoneysaver_2

I also have eczema and only use persil non-bio (I would neber ever consider using a biological - just not woth the risk) at the moment I get this in an extra large box from macro, so it works out slightly cheaper. I too have a problem with sheets, they never look clean! The only exception in my jersey bedding set from asda, its just too warm for it at the moment! In the summer I use polycotton duvet set/sheets - well, it only hunny who is gonna see my sheets!

misty

Nothing to do with washing aspect but I read something a while ago about someone who had very, very bad excema who put porridge oats in their bath - just threw a load in with the water. I mentioned it to a friend of mine who has bad excema and she said she'd try it - she'd tried evrything else. Anyway, she said after a few weeks - she noticed a big difference - she still has it but it's not as severe - and she uses the creams but not as much - just when it is a particualry bad flare up - whereas she had it continously.

Savvy_Sue

Thank you for all your suggestions. If I have a free sample of something biological I might give that a whirl. Don't want to buy any, because we have had problems in the past. I think it was Aerial that 'ate' a hole in my sister's hand at one point ... :eek:

When we first married, DH swore by Persil (and I think this was in the days before they had a Bio version!) because his mother had always used it. His sheets were yellow, and truly disgusting. It might not have irritated his skin, but it definitely didn't get things clean! I switched to Supermarket Own Brand, and apart from a slight glitch when Sainsburys changed their formula - I could SEE it was different, so when his skin flared up and nothing else had changed I was pretty sure what it was! - I've used that ever since. Have worked my way through Sainsburys, Asda and Tesco and now on Morrisons.

Is it worth trying a wash at 90? Might that actually DISSOLVE the perishing stuff, or will it just re-form when the cold rinse goes through ...

Might not get time to do a lot more before we go away: DS3 decides this afternoon that he can't go on school trip without 3 pairs of jeans and 5 'presentable' t-shirts, some of which have of course been languishing dirty on his bedroom floor for rather longer than I would have liked ...

Must show DS2 how to use the washing machine: older two staying home and it would be nice not to come home to all his washing as well as ours! :rotfl:

Savvy_Sue

My thanks button has disappeared since I did the first batch, so sorry about that, and thanks to misty and newmoneysaver.

misty wrote:

Nothing to do with washing aspect but I read something a while ago about someone who had very, very bad excema who put porridge oats in their bath - just threw a load in with the water. I mentioned it to a friend of mine who has bad excema and she said she'd try it - she'd tried evrything else. Anyway, she said after a few weeks - she noticed a big difference - she still has it but it's not as severe - and she uses the creams but not as much - just when it is a particualry bad flare up - whereas she had it continously.

You can put the porridge oats in a drawstring bag and hang it over the tap so the water runs through them and gets the goodness out, without leaving porridge in the bath!

However DH never takes a bath. Finds his skin too irritated by them. Strictly a shower chap, and finds the best way of keeping clean is to take regular saunas!

SnowyOwl_2

Savvy_sue - just a suggestion, but have you tried soapnuts at all? I'm asking more from the perspective that any residue from them is less likely to irritate your OH's skin compared to any washing powder. Then he could go easy on the creams.

http://www.gogreen.cellande.co.uk/shop/products/soapnuts/soapnuts.htm

Your idea about washing soda is probably a good one - they are a completely natural product (harvested from lakes in Spain I believe) and are good at shifting oily deposits.

Best of luck, sounds a right 'mare to sort out.

Gingham_Ribbon

What about running it through the machine with washing up liquid first, then doing your usual wash?

Sorry, can't think of anything else.

Savvy_Sue

Now perfectly certain it's his unguents. Got his silk dressing gown out of the wash and that is also covered with these soft white flakes. If he anoints himself between work and bedtime he tends to swan round in that. Mercifully everything else is fine, so it seems to be the things that come into close contact with his anointed state. I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies.

SnowyOwl, I had looked at soapnuts in the earlier discussions I'd found, and I'm about to send off for a sample! While I wait, I'm running descaler through the washing machine with a few soda crystals, just in case there's a huge blob of this stuff sitting there somehow - can't think how but you never know. When that's done I'll either re-do the sheets or do the mattress protector, can't quite decide ... Might let my nose make the decision because I think I'll only get one done tonight! :rotfl:

I've had another idea, which is trading him in ... He got home from work just before 11pm on Friday, went back to work on Saturday to prepare for a fundraising event in the evening, this morning I went with him to take his display boards back to work (because I didn't trust him not to find a few things to 'tidy up' if he went on his own) and because I flustered him by asking why it was taking so long he has left his coat there! :mad: I can't believe he'll need his coat next week, but he wants to go and get it. No, I don't want to go with him. He's got an hour, if he doesn't get back in that time I am locking him out! :rotfl:

Gingham, so busy ranting I forgot to say hadn't thought of washing up liquid. Doesn't it bubble too much? How much would I use?