Oxyclean Causing Eczema and Rash

Updated on March 15, 2010
D.T. asks from Spokane, WA
21 answers

I was looking through forum after forum for advice to get out poop stains from baby clothes. Oxyclean was the most popular answer, so I tried it. My son's eczema flared up something fierce after starting to use it and red bumps appeared on his stomach. Could it be the oxyclean? What else should I use instead?

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So What Happened?

After trial and error, it turns out to probably be my multivitamin I had started at the same time.

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N.I.

answers from Portland on

Shaklee is the answer. I had a friend whose son had eczema so bad he was bleeding from the sores. Someone told her about Shaklee Laundry and his eczema was gone within two weeks. It takes out stains too.

N.
Health and Wellness Coach

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W.C.

answers from Seattle on

Briefly--I am allergic to every scent in the world and have used arm and hammer since I left home. Never a rash or reaction. Get the unscented kind.

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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Anything is possible - we are each so different genetically, it's possible that what irritates one person won't irritate another.

I'd stop using it for about a week and see if it changes anything. I made it through 2 infants using Clorox 2 as my stain remover, and I have had hardly any problems. Occasionally, I'd use a Clorox Pen on something that was really soiled and could take the chlorine.

I'd also recommend calling the manufacturer. There should be a customer service number on the container, and I'm sure they'd have data available if it's a common issue.

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

D. I know you are a caring mom. I just have to get this off my chest so since you asked here are answers to questions other parents who have children with eczema might need to know.
As an adult who has had eczema all my life I have lots of advice to give to parents who keep trying normal products and make their children suffer.

Detergent ECOVER! Belgium made distributed in USA.
Forget anything with perfumes or scents! EVERYTHING with scents as the scents used are chemical.
Soap that has major corporate names on it label is made with formaldahyde and lye. NO NO NO Never.
Also take all milk products out of your child's diet. Don't give me any excuses. Don't quote your doctor. He/she is a trained technocrat that is all. Don't tell me anything about any milk product from cows. I milked goats for years so my children did not have to suffer as I did.
IF YOU SMOKE. You are unspeakably self centered toward a child with eczema or asthma.
If you cannot quit smoking give the child away. Someone else who does not smoke won't drive the eczema underground until it becomes asthma.

Household products. Vinegar and baking soda and anything that says Ecover is okay. NO NO NO to pools with chlorine. To this day if someone invites me to stay overnight I bring my own pillow. You cannot trust what people wash their linen in.

Find a really good homeopath. Someone who has been in practice for at least ten years. Your child will benefit. Most naturopaths mix too much in to be good homeopaths. Stick to someone whose practice is focused on homeopathy. If the person you pick wants to give you herbs or an herbal wash don't accept it. Most don't work or only work seasonally.

Eczema may look like it has been outgrown but it has been driven underground becoming serious allergies or worse asthma. It is a lifelong condition. It will come back. Maybe not between the ages of 6 and 35 but later on.
Stay away from cats. Stay away from people with cologne or perfume on them. And, make-up is so serious a problem I won't give a hug to someone who is wearing more than lipstick and no kiss on the cheek from them to me.
When I have a serious outbreak around my eyes I do use allopathic medicine topically for a day or two. Otherwise I use my own urine on the eczema which closes up overnight. Urine one minute then rinse. Your son will later on learn how to do it.

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have liked the eco-friendly organic laundry products from Melaleuca. I have found that they get out stains better without the harsh chemicals that are in so many other products.

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S.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

One of my kiddos has eczema and I use Oxyclean. I find that if I use about 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar in each rinse load, it will get rid of the excess soap build up that can cause of flare up. If that doesn't help, try stopping the Oxyclean (I'm guessing you already figured that out, though). To be honest, Oxyclean wasn't around when my kids were diaper aged so I never got to try it. I always rinsed my dirties in the toilet and then threw them in a bucket of Dreft and water to soak until laundry day . . . nary a poop stain in sight :)

Good luck.

B.W.

answers from Richland on

Try Melaleuca products that do not contain toxic chemicals. For information please visit: www.livetotalwellness.com/commoncentsgreen

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M.M.

answers from Detroit on

I am so glad you posted this! I have been trying to figure out why my son's skin appears to have eczema when it never did before -- just started using OxyClean about a month ago. I will def. stop.

For poop stains, I rinse off the chunks with hot water and then just before washing I rub a DRY bar of Ivory soap on the stains. This works GREAT, even if the clothes have been sitting for a few days.

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A.T.

answers from Portland on

oh god, that sucks, stay away from the stuff & see if it goes away in a few weeks.

J.S.

answers from Seattle on

D., coming from the cloth diapering world, we all use the sun for stains on our diapers. It works just as well as any stain remover I have used, and I'm quite meticulous about washing because I have to keep my girls clothes in great condition for as long as possible to use as hand-me-downs. It is a bit hard to find direct sunlight right now in the Northwest, but even just a day outside makes a difference.

I second the votes for Melaleuca (all their products are very safe for skin and the earth, and very effective) but you need to find someone who sells it. I use BioKleen and Country Save detergents for my cloth diapers because you can't have all the extra surfactants, brighteners, and fragrances coating the fibers or you'll have leaks. These seem more expensive when you buy them, but they use only a small amount and last so much longer than a jug of Tide. All Free & Clear is a good mainstream choice, and I use that when I find a good sale.

Doing a double rinse is always an option, as well as using baking soda or borax to boost the effectiveness of your detergent. Rinse with white vinegar rather than fabric softener - it does the same thing, but balances the pH levels. Good luck!

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L.S.

answers from New London on

I use Totally Toddler I purchased from Babies R Us and it works great. You spray, let soak then wash. Poops stains come out every time.

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C.V.

answers from Portland on

Sol u mel from Melaueca for the diapers
Reneu for the eczema. ou can contact me at ____@____.com to get these products. You won't be disappointed!!

C.

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L.L.

answers from Portland on

Maybe he is reacting to the fragrances in it. They have a baby stain remover version that is supposed to be fragrance free. Have you tried calling the company? They should be able to tell you for sure.

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D.K.

answers from Washington DC on

I wouldn't use Oxyclean for children clothes for exactly that reason. I use it sometimes for cleaning carpet stains and such and I've noticed that it severely affects the skin on my hands when I do. In the commercials they show the guy sticking his hands straight into the solution, but I won't any more without gloves. It makes my skin burn, itch and break out in a rash as well as drying it to the point of cracking. So try other things. I know that vinegar has enzymes that can break down many an organic stain. Maybe you could try pre-soaking in a water/vinegar solution. You could also try regular dishwashing liquid soap. Believe it or not, diswashing soap is good for getting out many tough laundry stains, usually greasy stains, but it might help with the poop stains as well. Just use a stiff bristle brush to work the soap through the stain then rinse before you put it in the laundry.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Try Dreft or All Free and Clear. (I always used Dreft and pre-soaked in Dreft in a bucket as well, like the PP)
If you've GOT to use something stronger for the stain remover, then re-wash them in what works for him and you can always do an extra rinse after that as well.

G.M.

answers from Seattle on

I've used D. dishsoap since my son was born (he's now 2 1/2) and it has never failed me. Even if it sat for a couple days, rinse out any chunks, soak the spot in D., and scrub it (I have a little nail brush and a little rubbr brush devoted to just this). Throw it in the wash and it's good as new.

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R.C.

answers from Portland on

Have you tried vinegar in the final rinse? It rinses out all soap residue. Good luck.

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J.D.

answers from Atlanta on

I use Dreft stain fighter for my skin-allergy kids. Works great.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

I use Oxyclean for the really bad stuff, otherwise use Shout and Dreft for a soak time. I first came out when my nephew was little. He also would break out in terrible rashes. You could try rinsing, then washing again and then another rinse with some vinegar in the rinse cycle to get out all the Oxyclean and soap from the clothes. My sil refused to bother so I don;t know for sure this will work.

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

Oxyclean breaks me and my grand daughter out when I use it in the wash. I don't know what you can use instead but I have had really good results with Clorox 2 and presoaking and prewashing things.

K and J went outside at the farm and it had rained earlier in the week. They of course found the only mud puddle. Before I realized it they were covered from head ot foot in red clay goo. k had on a white top and a light madris plaid skirt with white socks and white athletic shoes. J had on a light colored sports tee shirt and khaki shorts. They were relatively nicer clothes than outdoor mud play stuff. I put Clorox 2 directly on the clothes and hand scrubbed them then put them into a bucket of warm, but not hot, water overnight. Then I rinsed them out in the tub and wrung them out and put them in the washer as normal. K's white tee shirt was just as white as it had been before she got dirty and the little skirt was just as colorful and bright as when I had bought it. J's shorts actually had stains come out I didn't think would ever come out. So, I use the product before the washer. I don't just add it to the wash because I don't want leftover residue to possible cause a rash and itching.

Now, if I still had my front loading Asko washer I would put the product in the wash more because it had presoak, prewash, wash, rinse, and 2 more rinses and then a final 1200 RPM spin. It would have gotten any residue out of the clothes But in my top loader I just use the product as a prewash item and the wash it out;

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J.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Use the oxyclean and then rewash with the regular stuff you use if you don't find anything that works!

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