I think I am dealing with plantar fasciitis in one foot. Urf. Cane, crutches. I've already gotten x-rays to see if it's something else (no reply yet on the results) and a referral to a podiatrist after seeing my regular doc.

Meanwhile, I figured I would take an Epsom Salt foot soak. What could it hurt? Well, it felt great but I was completely weirded out in the evening. I was still in my nightgown when I soaked my feet for 20 minutes in warm water with 1 cup of ES. Then I stood in the tub to completely rinse off my feet and legs before changing into black sweatpants and a long-sleeved back fleece top. When I took those clothes off at the end of the day every bit of fabric was COVERED on the inside in tiny white specks.

So I looked on the internet and didn't see that as a side effect. There was some lore about ES drawing toxins out of the body, but my dad was a chemistry teacher and I know the murky water change was just a chemical reaction. (Epsom Salts = magnesium sulfate)

So does anyone know what the tiny white specks are all about? skin cells? but why? ????? I only soaked my feet.

Just don't tell me toxins.

 

Never mind. I bet it's laundry detergent residue. They are in the wash inside out right now. I'll check to see if that leaves residue on the inside (aka the outside when I'm wearing them). I wish I had thought of this earlier. I could have tasted the speckled fabric to see if it had a soapy overtone.

Derp.

 

Yah! There was residue on the inside. So I will be turning things the other way about and then adding a final rinse cycle from now on. And less detergent. Good old washer is 30 plus years old.

 

I use the powdered Tide and I just use about a fourth of the scooper, so I wouldn't think that would be too much. I think it is that my old washer has pretty much lost its agitating feature so the water barely swishes around, apart from the whirling rinse cycles.

Also, I guess the soap just sticks to fleece. I had to put my sweats through a hot-water-only complete cycle TWICE to get everything off (i.e., no soap at all). I don't want to switch to a liquid because with powder at least now I will know if I need to keep rinsing.

 

I had some. I tried it. It was like a miracle. Thanks!