Is it normal to have vaginal irritation for several months due to detergent and/or fabric softener?

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Yes. It is really best not to use ANY fabric softener on your panties, as it builds up and reduces the "breathability" of the fabric. You may also need to switch to something like Ivory Snow/Ivory Flakes for a while to get rid of the accumulated detergent. Detergent allergy is quite common, and usually switching brands, preferebly to a brand with no added fragrance or color, helps. Read the ingredient list on your present detergent and get something with as few as possible of the same things in it. Enzymes are a frequent source of trouble - Gain, for example, makes me break out something fierce.

But stopping fabric softener and washing the panties repeatedly in some Ivory stuff would be the first step - it takes several washings to get rid of all the fabric softener, so just keep washing and rinsing for 3-4 cycles before you bother to dry them. Then be sure not to use any fabric softener on them ever again. I have not used fabric softener for years, and as long as I use the dryer (but NO dryer sheets - that's softener, too), clothes are soft enough. I air dry anything (like nylon nighties) that would otherwise get clingy. Softener is just a waste of money and a cause of rashes and other irritation.

yes if you continue to use the same detergent/fabric softener. If not, seek medical advise from your gynecologist.

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Is it normal to have vaginal irritation for several months due to detergent and/or fabric softener?

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