When you experience unexplained allergy symptoms, doctors commonly recommend eliminating scent-containing products from your laundry to help determine the cause. Fabric softeners are often at the top of that list because the chemicals in fabric softeners stay in your clothes long after you’ve put them away, slowly releasing over a period of time. Fabric softeners can cause allergy problems in those who use the softener on their clothes and even in those who don’t.
Types
Some people experience allergy symptoms from wearing clothes laundered with fabric softener. If you experience typical allergy symptoms such as skin rashes, hives, sneezing, coughing or difficulty breathing, you may be allergic to the dyes, scents or other chemicals in the fabric softener.
Other people react to the fumes from fabric softeners. If you pass by an active laundry room, for example, and feel unwell, you may have a sensitivity to the chemicals in the fabric softener. Research on chemical sensitivity is ongoing and still under debate, but typically, symptoms include sore throat, headache, dizziness, fatigue, nervousness, difficulty concentrating and remembering, upset stomach and lightheadedness
Causes
Fabric softeners often contain common allergy-causing chemicals. A study by Anderson Laboratories, published in the May 2000 issue of the “Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health,” found that five commonly available fabric softeners emitted the chemicals phenol, styrene, thymol, toluene, trimethylbenzene and xylene. In mice, these chemicals irritated the eyes, nose and throat, and affected the lungs, limiting airflow. Scented fabric softeners sometimes contain cinnamic alcohol, one of the eight fragrances most likely to cause allergies.
Diagnosis
If you are concerned about a fabric softener allergy, rewash your clothes without the fabric softener to see if your symptoms improve. If you want an official diagnosis, see an allergist who can test for allergies to the chemicals and scents in the fabric softeners. In a fragrance mix allergy test, for example, the allergist applies patches to the skin containing the eight most common allergy-causing fragrances. A reaction on the skin to one of the patches indicates an allergy to that scent.
Alternatives
If you pinpoint an allergy to a scent or chemical, you can stop using fabric softener altogether, or you can search for a milder, more environmentally friendly softener. Look for products that are free of dyes and scents. These fabric softeners might say nontoxic and hypoallergenic on the packaging. You can also use a homemade fabric softener. Add 1 cup vinegar or 1/4 cup baking soda to the wash’s final rinse cycle.
References
- Dayton Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeons, Inc.: Fabric Softeners -- Did You Know?
- Greenversations; There’s Something Fishy With Fragrances; Matthew H. Davis; January 2010
- “Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health”; Respiratory Toxicity of Fabric Softener Emissions; R.C. Anderson, et al.; May 2000
- DermNet NZ; Fabric Mix Allergy; Vanessa Ngan; 2002
- Eco-Cyle: Alternative Cleaners and Recipes
