Enzymes are wonderful at getting organic (blood, food, and dirt) stains out of fabric. They are not living creatures; however they “eat away” at stains. Enzymes in detergents function optimally at temperatures of 68-140F (20 – 60C) and within a pH range of pH 7.5 – 10.5. Proteases and amylases are the most commonly used enzymes in detergents; however, lipases and cellulases are now showing up in many named brand detergents.
While being very helpful at ridding stains in fabric, some people, including myself, develop mild to severe reactions to enzymes.
If you find you react to enzymes by developing raw or rashed skin, you can try to inactivate the enzymes in the fabric by using the following procedures in order.
- Try a double or triple rinse.
- Try to wash the clothing in VERY hot water.
- Try adding a few cups of Vinegar to decrease the pH of the water and then double rinse to restore the pH
- Try using small amount of bleach. Only use Bleach when no other option seems to work, and only use it after you have tested the clothing for colorfastness.
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Resources:
Designer Enzymes Create New Forms and Functions, http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1997/0397AP.html
Detergent Enzymes How Safe Are They?, http://www.ecogent.ca/enviro/env_enzyme.htm
Enzymes In Detergents- Technical Overview, http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/biology/enztech/detergent.html
Experiment with Enzymes, http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2003/Projects/J0531.pdf
Laundry Detergent – How Enzymes are Changing Your Wash, http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/showarticle.php?id=220
I’d never even considered this – I always just had the blanket idea of “some chemicals” in some detergents that I can’t use. Any ideas which brands have more/less/different enzymes?
Most detergents state if they have enzymes in them. Enzymes have been in use in detergents since the 1960s and are in almost every brand of detergents. The newer cold water detergents not only work better in colder water, but they also have newer “designer” enzymes in them.
The purpose of enzymes is to attack fats & sugars proteins left over in our clothing; unfortunately for some they also have fats in sugars naturally in their skin.
Being one with overly sensitive skin, I have found that not all “Free & Clear” products are created equally. I can only use All free because I don’t want to try any others. Arm & Hammer “Perfume and Dye Free” is the worst because something in it causes me to break out in dry skin patches which are intensified in the winter with bleeding knuckles and chapped skin throughout most of my body. I also cannot use detergents or Fabric Softeners with fragrance or I will break out in patches of severely dry skin. I have the same reaction when I wash my hands in almost any liquid soap.
When I am at other people’s homes, I usually use dish detergent to wash my hands with. However, I have noticed that some dish detergents also contain enzymes. They might say “bleach alternative”.
The only one I’ve reacted to is Tide, after that I went back to the same one that was used in my house as a kid (Sunlight). With Tide I got dry, itchy skin, but that was about it. I’m going to have a look at my dish detergent & see what it says. Thanks for the info.