Childhood allergies are more common than you think in Singapore. Kids are exposed to different places, dietary changes, and more, any of which could trigger allergies in children.
Some of the most common forms of allergies include environmental allergies that are caused by dust mites and tobacco smoke in Singapore. There’s also food allergies in children averse to peanuts and shellfish. Then there’s the allergy to clothes. No, not the one where they refuse to dress up. But the one where children develop skin rashes or hives.
This is quite common and is called textile or clothing dermatitis. This is when your child’s skin reacts to fibres in the clothes, or to the dyes, resins and chemicals, any of which can trigger the allergy. In many cases, clothing dermatitis is triggered from clothes made of synthetic materials like polyester, rayon, nylon, spandex, or rubber. Since these materials do not breathe as well as natural fibres, they tend to make the skin sweat more.
At the same time, allergies in children can also be triggered due to the allergens sticking to wet clothes. Our clothes are excellent carriers of bacteria, pollens, mould, dust mites, and more. If your child’s allergies are triggered by allergens in his clothes, it will make him extremely uncomfortable, and he will require medical attention repeatedly.
Thankfully, you can take precautionary measures and have special devices to dry clothes in a safe manner.
A Safer Method To Remove Allergies By External Contaminants
Some of the most common ways to reduce the risk of allergens is by changing how you dry clothes. You could choose to line dry the clothes at night in a comparatively cooler environment. But do remember that drying clothes outside still runs the risk of outdoor pollen or mould spores into your home. There’s of course using the clothes rack indoors but that takes a lot of space, and you need to live with that odour all the time.
Both these methods though are time-consuming and for the working mum of today, it’s just another tedious task that you would rather avoid.
But what if we told you that there is a safer and more convenient option of drying clothes? For the fast paced, action-packed lives of today, the Steigen automated laundry drying system is your one-stop solution to solve that laundry nightmare. The smart laundry device is easy to install and comes with built-in air circulators that allows the clothes to dry in the safety of your home.
The Steigen automated laundry drying system is compact, sleek, and fits right into any modern home. The unit is flexible to install irrespective of the home size. It also helps in saving electricity costs replacing the frequent use of the dryer.
This is especially true given the unpredictability of the weather in Singapore. A sunny morning could be followed up with unprecedented showers, and you now have clothes drying for two more days than planned.
Instead, the Steigen automated laundry drying system is just the right tool that isn’t dependent on the weather or other external factors to do its job. It takes about three hours to dry a spin-dried cotton t-shirt*, which means you can earmark the exact time to complete your laundry through the day.
The controlled environment makes it excellent for those at a higher risk of allergies by external contaminants. The Steigen automated laundry drying system also comes with an Ioniser that purifies the air around the device and prevents odour to latch on to clothes. This ensures that all the clothes dry evenly and are clean to wear without the risk of external contaminants. Moreover, the Steigen automated laundry drying system can be controlled via the mobile app, so you do not need to move around every time you want to change a setting.
*Based on spin-dried cotton t-shirt and jeans in normal weather.
How To Do Laundry To Reduce The Risk Of Indoor Allergens
That being said, allergies in clothes can also be reduced by changing the way you handle laundry. Revising how we wash our clothes can minimise the risk of allergies in children and adults alike. Here are a few tips and tricks that you must try at home.
Controlling Dust Mites
Dust mites and droppings are known to be allergens and quite common at homes. While calling the pest control should certainly be on your ‘To do’ list, you should also make it a point to use hot water when washing clothes. You will also need to wash clothes frequently to avoid the risk of getting an allergy from dust mites.
Not just in the laundry room but take extra care in the bedroom, especially with pillows and the mattress that are potential carriers of dust mites in the house. They need to be vacuumed regularly to keep the risk of allergies at bay.
A less complicated process for the working mom is to use the Steigen automated laundry drying system that emits powerful ultrasonic waves that prevents dust mites from breeding on your laundry.
Instead of going through multiple hassles time and again, your laundry takes care of the allergens for you, so you simply wear clothes and go about your day.
Controlling Mould and Mildew In The Laundry Room
The laundry room can often be the breeding ground for mold and mildew in the house. A room with a leaky washer and poor air circulation is enough to get mould growing that can cause breathing problems. It can also destroy walls and clothes.
Removing mould and mildew from the laundry room must be one of the first things you should do if your child shows signs of allergies. The high humidity in closets makes for a favourable breeding ground for mildew that can grow on leather shoes, bags, and clothing.
Frequently Clean Your Washer
The problem of mould also extends to the washer and dryer and can go unnoticed, at times for years. A front load washer should be cleaned at least once a month, while a top load washer can be cleaned at slightly longer intervals. In several cases, the excess detergent and fabric softener acts as food for the mildew growth, which then latch on to the clothes during the wash cycle.
Using Non-Allergic Laundry Detergent
A lifestyle change that you will have to make around kids with allergies or contact dermatitis is changing the laundry products. Non-allergenic products that are free of dyes and fragrances are the way to go for detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You can also opt for more natural ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda in your laundry routine to avoid allergens.
Drying Laundry Correctly
And finally, it’s important to do the laundry correctly. Instead of hanging clothes out to dry, it’s smarter and safer to invest in a Steigen automated laundry drying system that offers a better environment to dry clothes.
The Solar Drying feature replicates the heat produced by the sun up to 60o Celsius for Solar Alpha and 50o Celsius for the other models in the Solar Series, which kills bacteria and germs. The system is also ultraviolet-free that helps keep you and your family safe at all times.
Homeowners can now book free non-obligatory site measurements from Steigen. Click here to know more.