Kirkland Ultra Free And Clear Rash
Hello! I Am NOT a doctor. This is my account of discovering what Kirkland Ultra Free And Clear did to me. You may have had the same reaction. I was using it for years before this event without any effects. This bottle had a brand new formula. Though the "new formula", since many people on the internet seemingly have had similar rash experiences to mine, may have already been changed, I'm only conveying what happened to me in order to inform. I do not believe in the current legal climate any corporation, including Kirkland, believes they have any liability or responsibility in what they produce, under any circumstances, and only is required to "appear" to have those qualities. They may have them--they may not. Who knows, but you won't. Use any purchased product at your own risk.
In early May of 2013 I started developing a frequent small rash on my inner upper calves, a rash that I didn't know the cause of. It had happened a week before on several occasions. I did have some Chinese food that night that may have contained a food allergen--I wasn't sure at the time. Day Zero shows the pictures. At 5 am I woke up with an itching, a burning, and heat sensations I couldn't explain. I went straight to the hospital; and after some Benadryl and some Prednisone, they sent me on my way, claiming it was food related and I was perhaps becoming allergic to Cayenne pepper, which may have been in the food I had eaten earlier. They told me to get an allergy test. That was on May 12th, 2013.
In early May of 2013 I started developing a frequent small rash on my inner upper calves, a rash that I didn't know the cause of. It had happened a week before on several occasions. I did have some Chinese food that night that may have contained a food allergen--I wasn't sure at the time. Day Zero shows the pictures. At 5 am I woke up with an itching, a burning, and heat sensations I couldn't explain. I went straight to the hospital; and after some Benadryl and some Prednisone, they sent me on my way, claiming it was food related and I was perhaps becoming allergic to Cayenne pepper, which may have been in the food I had eaten earlier. They told me to get an allergy test. That was on May 12th, 2013.
Day Zero
I thought it a little odd because earlier that week on certain nights I would wake up with small rashes distributed evenly on my inner calves and on the back of my legs around the crease right behind the kneecap. I would put some rash cream containing Diphenhydramine on and it would seemingly go away. Then it would appear later in the evening on some nights before bed, during or briefly after my shower and then in the morning. Once I dried myself off and sat down for a few minutes, it would go away.
I began to freak out at this point, because I couldn't figure out what the rash was. I took the medicine the hospital gave me for a couple days each time the rash returned. I stopped eating anything I thought might give me an allergic reaction, and after a couple weeks of this I ended up losing 15 pounds from eating basically oats for breakfast, organic corn chips, carrots, and some celery for lunch with a basic home-made ranch dressing, and some plain salted chicken on brown rice for dinner.
I began to freak out at this point, because I couldn't figure out what the rash was. I took the medicine the hospital gave me for a couple days each time the rash returned. I stopped eating anything I thought might give me an allergic reaction, and after a couple weeks of this I ended up losing 15 pounds from eating basically oats for breakfast, organic corn chips, carrots, and some celery for lunch with a basic home-made ranch dressing, and some plain salted chicken on brown rice for dinner.
Day One
I went and had my emergency allergy test on May 20th, 2013, and they did food allergies first as I asked them because I felt so malnourished I needed to make sure I could eat properly before the next tests. All of the foods they tested me for came out negative. I was confused, because I had eliminated almost everything from my diet but a few staples, and I thought it HAD to be one them! I washed my clothes over and over, I didn't go outside but for the doctor appointment in case it was nature allergens.
Then one night a six days after the first test and one day before the second test on July 3, 2013 something interesting happened. I woke up at five am again hot and itchy, waking my father who I live with and showed him my rash since the Benadryl I took hadn't worked in over an hour. He said that since it wasn't life-threatening to wait it out and to see what happens with the anti-histamine. It felt life-threatening, though, when I was experiencing it. I waited another half-hour, and it didn't let up. My body was covered in hives, itchy, hot, and totally uncomfortable. My stomach felt hot and bloated. After all, it was bad enough to wake me up.
Day 5
1-1.5 hours after Day 5 pictures, shown above
I Finally thought, "Huh, I wonder." So I sat up in bed, uncovered my chest and abdomen, and sat there with my legs under the covers. After fifteen minutes the rash was totally gone--from my upper body. I looked down at my legs and they were covered in the rash! I uncovered my body and after another fifteen minutes the rash was totally gone. Curious. I hopped out of bed and typed "Kirkland Free And Clear Rashes" into Google. I then called the doctor that morning on July 4th, 2013 and canceled my other allergy tests. Eureka!
Finally, after 6 weeks, I started putting the pieces together. The heat from any spicy food I was eating was making me sweat at night. The sweat was causing the "unknown substance" (I say unknown because Kirkland Ultra Free And Clear does not have a chemical ingredients list on their bottle, and so there is no way to research what is being absorbed in the human skin that is potentially toxic of life-threatening--as one's "pores are the lungs of the body"). I shall now refer to this substance as "Substance X". Because it was not quite hot enough in Southern California in March, I had several weeks using the detergent until the rashes started appearing, when it got warmer...and then when multiple washings of my clothes Substance X really started to take effect. Substance X had multiplied the ill-effects with multiple washings, which makes me think the substance is either some kind of skin irritant, chemical poison to the skin of some human bodies.
Day 10
I do know the bottle said “Patented catch and release technology.” I know advertising. It usually means the object being advertised is often doing to opposite. I believe Substance X was being deposited in my clothing, and coming into contact with my skin. You might think it was idiotic to not to have noticed earlier what was happening. It was because I had used Kirkland Ultra Free And Clear for so many years it never occurred to me to make the connection. With the newest purchase of eh product I would wash my clothes and sit in a recliner--my legs would feel uncomfortable, "odd"; I didn't know why, but not quite itchy, red, or inflamed with hives yet. In the process, I began to wash everything I had worn for winter, as that seemed a intelligent part of the process of elimination. I began to realize now I was soaking my clothes in something toxic to my body. After a week of that, the residues had infected all the clothing I was wearing and my bedding, and I was having full-abdomen rashes every single night I woke up.
Day 20
The consequences:
A trip to the emergency room.
Nights of sleeplessness, rashes, heightened temperature, and a higher water bill from washing each load of clothes, towels, sheets, comforters, and comforter covers over ten times.
Anxiety caused by feeling my body was being attacked constantly from some unknown element in my surroundings. Not knowing what it was, this went on for about six weeks.
Damaged clothing and sheets due to bleaching in an attempt to destroy what was in them that was causing the rashes.
Allergy testing I had to pay for out of my pocket because I do not have medical insurance and County Medical Services will not cover allergies.
Things I have become aware of for myself though they might not be true for you:
1. I thought it was enzymes. Bleach, vinegar, regular granulated laundry detergent all did nothing to wash out Substance X, as each time I did it to experiment, the rashes came back.
2. Steam cleaning and heat sanitizing did nothing to “turn on and off” the “enzymes” that were in the clothing. When I knew the heat wouldn't turn off the enzymes form working, as is what is prescribed to do, I found it wasn't enzymes at all, but Substance X.
3. Some people have claimed to wash their clothes 6 times. I've washed my clothing over TEN times, and still have some ill effects. Having used chlorine bleach in the experimentation process I have bleached spotted colors on all of my Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases
4. As you notice from the pictures above, the rash came and went over the days of the picture being taken. In between those days I wore clothing from last summer, and layered it because it was still cold here. The reason I did this was because those clothes had NOT been washed in Substance X, and I knew they were safe. Also. I had one set of sheets that had not been washed in Substance X as well, and in between the experiments of how many washes it would take to wash out the toxic or irritating substance from my clothes, I had a safety net. If that happened every single day and I never found out what it was, I would have found myself in an asylum. It was that terrifying. My body has been terrorized by this substance.
5. "Free and Clear" means two things; it is free of perfumes, and clear of dyes. THAT IS ALL IT MEANS. It doesn't have to claim anything else, and the product can contain whatever it likes as long as it doesn't have dyes or perfumes in it. It doesn't mean organic, it doesn't mean non-toxic or life-affirming--it MAY be all those things for all I know, but Kirkland are only legally required to prove and provide the first two in this product.
A trip to the emergency room.
Nights of sleeplessness, rashes, heightened temperature, and a higher water bill from washing each load of clothes, towels, sheets, comforters, and comforter covers over ten times.
Anxiety caused by feeling my body was being attacked constantly from some unknown element in my surroundings. Not knowing what it was, this went on for about six weeks.
Damaged clothing and sheets due to bleaching in an attempt to destroy what was in them that was causing the rashes.
Allergy testing I had to pay for out of my pocket because I do not have medical insurance and County Medical Services will not cover allergies.
Things I have become aware of for myself though they might not be true for you:
1. I thought it was enzymes. Bleach, vinegar, regular granulated laundry detergent all did nothing to wash out Substance X, as each time I did it to experiment, the rashes came back.
2. Steam cleaning and heat sanitizing did nothing to “turn on and off” the “enzymes” that were in the clothing. When I knew the heat wouldn't turn off the enzymes form working, as is what is prescribed to do, I found it wasn't enzymes at all, but Substance X.
3. Some people have claimed to wash their clothes 6 times. I've washed my clothing over TEN times, and still have some ill effects. Having used chlorine bleach in the experimentation process I have bleached spotted colors on all of my Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases
4. As you notice from the pictures above, the rash came and went over the days of the picture being taken. In between those days I wore clothing from last summer, and layered it because it was still cold here. The reason I did this was because those clothes had NOT been washed in Substance X, and I knew they were safe. Also. I had one set of sheets that had not been washed in Substance X as well, and in between the experiments of how many washes it would take to wash out the toxic or irritating substance from my clothes, I had a safety net. If that happened every single day and I never found out what it was, I would have found myself in an asylum. It was that terrifying. My body has been terrorized by this substance.
5. "Free and Clear" means two things; it is free of perfumes, and clear of dyes. THAT IS ALL IT MEANS. It doesn't have to claim anything else, and the product can contain whatever it likes as long as it doesn't have dyes or perfumes in it. It doesn't mean organic, it doesn't mean non-toxic or life-affirming--it MAY be all those things for all I know, but Kirkland are only legally required to prove and provide the first two in this product.
Slide show of all images above so you can compare your rash
If you want to know what I used to wash my clothes with now I use vinegar and vinegar only. I don't need dryer sheets either, because the vinegar acts like an anti-static compound as well. If vinegar doesn't clean your clothes, your clothes are likely man-made from plastics, chemicals and compounds--and crap. Get rid of them. Buy some natural material like cotton or wool. The vinegar will get them clean if they are truly natural materials. Polyester and nylon or other thermoplastics are not natural fibers for clothing. I don't know what cleans them. The most interesting thing was Substance X seemed to really take hold onto natural substances. I washed a polyester blanket and a solar fleece blanket after the incident, and after only one wash Substance X was gone. It was only natural materials I could not get it out of. Maybe "patented catch and release" is for chemical clothing? Hmmm...
Leave as many comments as you like below characterizing your experiences with rashes from this product. The more descriptive you are, the more people you will help!
Leave as many comments as you like below characterizing your experiences with rashes from this product. The more descriptive you are, the more people you will help!