Laundry! Lots and Lots of Allergy Free Laundry!

I get questions all the time about my allergy-free laundry routine. What’s the best allergy-free laundry detergent? What cleans best? You don’t use fabric softener??? I get it. Most have been doing their laundry with the same detergents their parents used! Changing this seems daunting and confusing.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

When I was first diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis in 2006, I swore off laundry and had my husband do it for about 6 months. We only had two children at the time so it was a lot easier to keep up with for him. Folding laundry had always caused my hands to itch, but I really didn’t understand why. We switched to a sensitive-skin fabric softener and an allergy-free laundry (or so we thought) liquid detergent.

Fast forward to my big reaction of 2018 and subsequently, I learned a lot more about my allergies and how to live a reaction-free life. These discoveries have been life-changing for me and for my family. It’s what inspired me to write this blog to help others on their path to living reaction-free.

We have 4 children, two in elementary and two in high school. We have LOTS of laundry. With 4 kids in activities, school, and some even working, laundry mounds up every day. Considering switching laundry detergents to a powder, minimal ingredient version was nerve-wracking. I had heard some not-so-great things about those including white powdery marks on black clothes and just simply not cleaning the clothes.

Allergy Free Laundry Detergent

In general, our family had always used a liquid detergent. I also recently bought a new Maytag super giant washer and dryer set with a handy liquid detergent dispenser. Why would I go with a powder form to achieve allergy-free laundry results? Ugh. I began with a lot of frustration. After doing lots of research and reading and a ton of asking my friends what they’re using, I discovered most had the same thing to say… powder doesn’t work. Ugh. I felt disappointed. I had read that ACD sufferers do best with a minimal ingredient powder as the liquids have lots of preservatives and stabilizers – stuff not great for me.

One brand began to really stand out for me though on my search for the best allergy-free laundry detergent, a brand my friends had never heard of. Nellie’s Laundry Soda. Nellie’s is a small company out of Canada. Their ingredients are SIMPLE! and that meant a lot to me.

Nellie’s Laundry Soda Ingredients are simple and powerful and are perfect for allergy-free laundry. One tablespoon of this soda powder for a regular-size load. Our loads aren’t regular-sized around here, so I use two scoops per load. I’ve used Nellie’s for almost a full year now exclusively and can positively say this is OUR laundry detergent! We are so happy with it.

Our clothes are clean, and they are SUPER SOFT! I have no reactions whatsoever, and the best part is it truly CLEANS my family’s clothes… even my stinky teenage boys’ clothes. Sorry guys – you know how much I love you! We started with this smaller pack although you can see below that I buy it in bulk now!

Stain Removal

Nellie’s produces another product I can’t live without. It’s their Oxygen Brightener. The Oxygen Brightener is a laundry booster. I toss one scoop in with every load of our laundry, and our clothes come out perfectly clean, allergy-free laundry and stain-free every time. You can also use the oxygen brightener as a pre-soak or a hand wash additive or as a general stain remover pre-treat. I’ve also used it as a carpet spot remover using one tablespoon per 16oz water in a spray bottle. It’s a powerhouse! The Oxygen Brightener has simple ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Sulfate, Primary linear Alcohol Ethoxylate.

Nellie’s is the cutest little company. They ship their allergy-free laundry detergents in these adorable tins. Their mission for that is simple: iron and steel are the world’s most recycled materials and the easiest to reprocess, so they use these cute little metal tins to ship in. After using Nellie’s for nearly a year now and realizing the truly amazing product it is, I went all in and bought their 500-load bucket! You can find it here if you also have a large family – or decide you love Nellie’s as much as we do! Nellie’s Laundry Soda 500-Load Bucket

When I got started using Nellie’s, I bought their bundle of both of these products. You might consider that as well. Nellie’s Laundry Soda and Oxygen Brightener Combo Pack

Wool Dryer Balls

These Wool Dryer Balls I’m holding are all you need for soft, cozy, cling-free laundry! I promise. HONESTLY!! I know most of you don’t believe me. I bought my mom these wool dryer balls 2 years ago, and she’s just recently taken the plunge to use them and is like – OMG! You don’t need fabric softener. You’re kidding me? I had no idea. LOL! If I can convince you to give it a go, that’s one more family not stinking up the consignment store or the subway or the small elevator I’m sharing with you, and my mission in this world is done. I’m serious!

With each load, simply toss in 3 wool dryer balls at a minimum – I use 6-7 usually – into your dryer with your clothes, and they’ll tumble their way to softness. One more thing… please don’t use essential oils on your dryer balls. It makes your whole process of being fragrance-free and chemical-free for not. Essential Oils are fragrances and are an absolute no-no for someone with allergic contact dermatitis.

Tell me if you’ve tried Nellie’s and how much you love it (I’m convinced you will! LOL!). Also, have you tried Wool Dryer Balls yet? Is your experience with them as great as mine? I should mention that getting fabric softener out of your clothes after years of use does take some time. My clothes felt a little stiff for a few weeks, but now that we’ve been softener free for so long, our clothes are perfect. I’m also pretty convinced stains don’t have as much to hold onto without softener, so I think stain removal is easier. Curious about what your experience is!