Living with inflammatory arthritis has changed the way that I need to do a lot of things….actually most things.

I basically live in two life cycles..not flared or flared.

As a Mom of 5 kids I have not been able to let it stop me from my normal tasks. Ever since my condition started to effect my upper body…specifically my hands I have had to find new ways to do things.

Over the last year I have tried out different products to see what makes my life and daily tasks more manageable.


Quick note… this is based on my own experience. This is also not sponsored by any company. The brands chosen just happen to be brands I like and buy on a regular basis. While being sponsored would be cool and all…. I believe you get a much honest picture of things when posts are not sponsored.

Laundry…. laundry is one task that no matter what cannot be avoided for too long.

As I mentioned I have 5 kids…. so it’s an every day task for me. Sometimes I can get away with skipping a day but any more than that and I’m asking for trouble. I think The Flylady refers to the situation as Mount Washmore .

All the laundry products I used were from Tide. I figured it made the most sense to use the same brand because the results would be similar.

These suggestions are based on easy of use .

Types of laundry detergent

Powdered, liquid in both a regular pour into cap bottle and the one with the spout, and pods.

Powdered detergent- buy this

By far the easiest to use when in a flare. The box is easy to open. Inside is a scoop with measurements on the side for the size of the load you are doing. During my last flare when I couldn’t use my hands without pain this product was my go to .

The only problem I had was less about the product and more where I stored it. I have young children so I keep my products up out of their reach ( which is basically out of my reach too!) The box itself is a little heavy. If my kids where older I would probably put the detergent into a nice container with an easy to remove lid but until then it stays up on the shelf.

I’m not sure if it’s user error but I do find powder spilling when I open box. Other than that I like the product a lot.

Liquid detergent- not that

I have the liquid detergent in two sizes. The regular pour bottle and the one you dispense with a spout.

The ease of use for this product depends on a few factors. Personally this falls into the category of not that. Again I have small children so I need to keep the product up high.

The one with the spout is the easier of the two as long as you have a place to keep it where you can dispense the product without needing to lift the bottle as it’s heavy.

The smaller regular pour into cap is heavy if full. The cap itself is not hard to remove but for me personally if it’s more than half full it feels heavy when I’m in a flare.

The cap is big and personally when it hurts to open my hands it’s size is uncomfortable.

Quick note about the sizes of liquid detergent.

Don’t assume the biggest bottle is the best for your money. I have a tendency to naturally assume the biggest container has the best unit cost. However when I was looking at the cost per ounce when I bought online they were the same across sizes. This obviously will vary depending on sales, where you are shopping etc so take an extra minute or two and check the unit cost.

Laundry pods – not that

I have super mixed feelings on laundry pods. Super helpful when teaching my teenager to do laundry since I didn’t have to worry about him using too much and having bubbles through my entire house.

I am also torn on the material that coats them but that’s a post for another day.

The actual pods themselves are super easy to use especially in a flare. Grab one toss it in and you’re done.

The problem is actually the container they are stored in that’s the problem.

Laundry pods are in a container that is difficult to open to protect children. They are brightly colored and attractive to kids and we’ve all heard the unfortunate stories of what can happen.

The bags are slightly easier on the hands than the tubs but the tubs are really hard to open. During my last flare I could not open them.

I’ve seem people but them in pretty containers but as long as I have kids in my house they will stay in the child safe container.

Summary: powdered wins by far just be cautious if you have kids and keep it up away from them because once the box is open it’s open. Pods could be really easy if you have a way to store them that does not involve the child safe packaging but personally I think it’s best to leave them in their container. Liquid is heavy to lift when your hands ache. The cap is also too large for comfort ( for me anyway)

Some laundry bonus tips:

Try to have enough of everything for every member of your family so if you are in a bad flare you can let it go a few days without anyone running out of clothes.

Get a bottle of spray on stain remover . It really helps if you miss a day of laundry.

Keep a small basket near your washer ( or leave washer empty so it can get tossed right in) for things that needs to be washed asap. If nothing needs to be washed in an emergency and everyone has clothes still you can more easily judge if you can skip wash for the day.

Last but not least… when you determine your kids are old enough have them help with their own laundry . This will help you when you are flared and will teach them a valuable life skill. There is a lot to be said about raising capable children as well as children who understand the family unit is a team and we all need to do our part. Give everyone their own dirty basket and clean basket ( personally I can’t put clean clothes back into a dirty basket but that’s just me)

If they are old enough teach them start to finish how to process their laundry.

If they are on the younger side you’ll have to use your best judgment on what they are capable of but even younger kids can help you in some way even if they just help put their own clothes away . To save my hands I have had my 7 and 9 year old putting their own clothes away for some time now and we’ve been teaching them about switching loads from the washer to dryer.

Hopes this helps. If you have tried a product you love please comment with it. I’m always looking for new product recommendations.