leafing through

For the past 3 months (at least), I have been trying to solve this mystery rash on me. Doesn’t that sound lovely? I would come home and start itching for no reason. Everywhere. And I noticed that when I was out at work all day, no itch. Whenever we left the house, it would go away. Then I’d come home and immediately start scratching and I would get these red hives. At night, I’d be scratching and I’d even wake up from it. I think I’ve gotten more flexible from all of this because I’m pretty capable of reaching my back. Sometimes I’d take a Benadryl and then try to go back to bed but that wasn’t the solution I was looking for. I started sleuthing a bit.

At first, I thought it was our couch throw. Maybe it was dirty? I washed it. And washed it. And washed it. No help.

The sheets and comforter. I washed those too, constantly. Nada.

Dry skin? I tried Eucerin calming lotion. No relief.

Then I thought it was the laundry detergent or soaps and shampoos. That wouldn’t explain why the rash went away when I left the place.

Maybe I’d developed an allergy to the chinchillas or their poops. So I asked for the litter box to be cleaned. We vacuumed up the area, and the floors got a thorough mopdown. Not them either (thank goodness!).

Then I thought it was the couch. I wiped that down to clean it. No help.

Saturday, at around 3 am, I woke up all itchy. Not just my body, it was my scalp and face too. I knew this wasn’t make up or face product related because I didn’t use any new products. Thursday night, I had taken a Benadryl, but I didn’t want to keep relying on that. I couldn’t sleep from all the itching so I got up to surf the Internet and look for causes of allergic reactions and hives. One site listed possible culprits. Among them, electric outlet air fresheners. I thought, why not. It can’t hurt, and went and unplugged the two we have (Glade Scented Oil). I’ve used Glade gels, and Air Wick brand ones too with no issues but I had to try something. An hour later, the itch stopped. The rash went away. I think found the culprit. And I feel like a new woman!!

I’ve read up on these scented air freshener doodads and I’m starting to realize how bad they are, even if you’re not allergic to them. Even perfumes are evil. Now I just use baking soda and place it all around the house. And there’s a plant my parents read about that has deodorizing effects so I’m trying to grow that too. And there’s the one I learned from coworkers (who learned it from their Italian grandmothers), cook tomato sauce for dinner and it will help deodorize the house. Not to sound too crunchy granola but I am staying away from the chemical air fresheners if I can help it. Having a 3 month rash and not being able to be comfortable at home will do that to you. I almost started thinking I was losing my mind.

Sometimes I think companies tell us we need something and we follow the pied piper like lemmings. I don’t need my house to smell like fake vanilla to please me. Plus now that I think of it, what a waste of electricity.