Allergies And Laundry = Possible Issues

I was recently diagnosed with an allergy to grass. So, guess that means that I don’t have to mow the grass this summer, right? Yeah, wrong, I love mowing grass and will do it anyway. But there are some things that you can do to help keep pollen from being a problem that we take inside our homes. And you guessed it right, it starts with laundry. That’s what this month’s blog is all about. Helping you keep outdoor allergies, just that. Outdoors.

May Day For Your Allergies

When Mayday is mentioned you may have visions of someone needing help, or your mind may go merrily along to the first day of May. That day when we celebrate the return of Spring with maypoles, festive ribbons, and flowers. But whatever your mind conjures up, both uses of the word are a good way to remember that allergy season is upon us. So before you start yelling Mayday, you’ll want to read this article.

Note, that I’m certainly not a doctor. And this blog won’t pretend to prevent, eliminate, or heal your allergies. You’ll want to be sure to get tested and treated only by a professional healthcare provider. Our only goal in this blog is to give you some support. Plus a lot of easy tips to help you keep those Mayday allergies out of doors where they belong.

Leave Allergies Out There

A lot of allergens come from out of doors. And when you get ready to come back inside, you’ll want a place to come into that is allergy-friendly. Make a room in your house that you can shut the door on, in our house, it’s called the mudroom. Keep a clean robe or indoor outfit in that room, and gently remove your soiled laundry. Either rinse the dirty laundry in the sink to keep the dust from spreading into the air, or tie it up tight in a laundry bag. If you have a washer at home, drop it into the washer right then and there. Wash your hands, and then put your indoor outfit on.

If you’re like me, you will spend every beautiful moment outside and will be in and out repeatedly. I recommend wearing a hat or a scarf and tucking your hair inside to keep as many allergens as possible out of your hair. And your hat can be washed right along with the other laundry.

Now that you will be washing your laundry more often, your outdoor work clothes should be something that can withstand the rigors of being washed frequently. Rather than buy a bunch of new outdoor clothes, maybe try a lightweight pair of coveralls. You can even slip them off and on outside. Another easy way to keep the outdoors where it belongs. Coveralls are a great option for kids with allergies too.

Allergy-Friendly Mud Room Tips

• – A door with direct access to the outside.
• – An interior door that can be closed to shut the room off from the rest of the house.
• – Avoid curtains and other fabric that can collect and hold allergens.
• – A utility sink with hot and cold water options.
• – Hard floor so that you can easily clean up dust, dirt, mold, and other allergens. We recommend that you avoid area rugs and carpet in your mudroom.

Wash Allergens Away

I asked the Spot laundry experts for their very best allergy advice. Their biggest recommendation, use HOT water when washing. The hot water will help open up the fabric to give the chemicals and water a chance to remove the allergens from the laundry.

The rinse cycle is a very important step, and the Spot experts all agree that one rinse is not enough. You want to rinse away all of the allergens that have been pulled out of your dirty laundry. Be sure to use several rinse cycles (3 is recommended). You want that laundry to be as clean as possible when you take it out of the washer.

Finally, use HOT temperatures when drying. Those hot dry cycles will help to kill any allergens that made it through the wash and rinse cycles above. The washers and dryers at Spot allow you to wash with even hotter water temps than you usually get at home. So taking your work/play clothes to the laundromat is a great option for all of you allergy sufferers.

Still Ahead For You

In next month’s blog post, Homemade Detergent Or Not, we will focus on helping you unscramble the fact and fiction of homemade detergent. So stay tuned, and if you have any advice to share or questions for us, please reach out to us on our Facebook page.

Happy Mayday to each of you.