Allergic to bleach, but not chlorine in pool? What am I actually allergic to?

Question

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a negative, "allergic" reaction to bleach and bleach products. When I clean with bleach or bleach products (like Clorox Clean-Up), if they touch any part of my skin, my entire body will turn pink/red and the parts of my skin that touched the bleach (usually my hands) will swell up, and all of my skin will begin to itch. When I use dish soap that contains bleach, my hands, arms, and face will turn red and itch. This strikes me as an allergic reaction.

On the other hand, I bleach all of my towels and blankets, and never have a reaction to the towels or blankets that were bleached. I also swim regularly and do not have a reaction to the chlorine in the pool.

So my question is... what is the deal? What am I actually allergic to, and why do some interactions (dish soap, getting cleaner on bare skin) cause reactions, while others (chlorine in pool) don't? Thanks!

Answer 1

Chlorine in the pool is dilute hydrochloric acid, not bleach.

What you have could indeed be an allergy or dermatitis. Bleached towels don't do anything to you because the bleach was completely rinsed out in the wash cycle. You may want to find alternatives to bleach, or wear gloves when you use it.

Answer 2

ask your allergist!