Clorox Allergy - Any Chemists Here?

you can use a reducing agent, but you may find this not only hard on your clothes but you may react to the reducing agent too. UV light may be a better option. Try hanging them outside in the sunshine for a spell. May take the whole day but it is the sunny season. Good luck.

 

It could be an allergy or maybe just an irritant. Either way it's a PITA. Did you possibly overkill on the laundry soap as well? Or maybe there were other chemical contaminants on a cloth or two. Anyway, try non-chlorine bleach and if the problem persists consider a different detergent too.

 

Gods, your kidding right?

Bleach = Base

Neutralize base with acid so add an = amount of acid (Like vinegar or lemon juice.) to your wash.

I thought you were a Nurse or worked with MDs?

Guess I was wrong if you did not know this simple chemical reaction.

Add that to the lies.....

 

Doc, mixing bleach and an acid is not a real good idea.

While this will probably work for the trace amounts of bleach that would be left behind on the clothing but for God's sake never try to mix liquid bleach and vinegar...or any other acid for that matter like acidic floor cleaners and drain clearers. Once acidified bleach forms chlorine gas which will have a far worse effect than the bleach did on your forearm. For example death.

Because of it's chlorine component and the ability of it to react with many different compounds you should be careful not to mix bleach with any acid and you should never mix it with ammonia as it forms chloramine which is also toxic and should be avoided.

Better bet to neutralize liquid bleach would be to get a strong REDUCING agent like sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) which they sell at pool supply stores under a variety of brand names. I seem to remember one called de-chlor or dechlor or declor something like that.

 

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Mixing a powerful bleach with a powerful acid is, you are correct, not a good idea. ( Ca(ClO)2 + H2SO4 would be a bad idea, for example.) But for house hold bleach, esp just bleach residue as she mentioned, a mild acid like lemon juice is just the neutralizing agent you need.

Again, surprised she did not know that.

 

Not gonna argue with you on that as there is gonna be trace amounts left on the clothes and risk of exposure to chlorine gas from this small amout of residual bleach would be VERY remote. However, if you don't believe me on the whole bleach vinegar thing I defer you to: http://chemistry.about.com/b/2007/09/26/the-killing-power-of-bleach-and-vinegar.htm or http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59105639.tip.html or in this one that actually advises to use vinegar to neturalize bleach then says don't mix them cause it will release chlorine gas (not sure where they are going with it really) http://www.thenatureinus.com/2008/06/bleach-or-vinegar.html or here http://www.vinegarbook.net/Never_mix_bleach_and_vinegar.shtml

I think that you get my point and you are totally correct as household chlorine bleach (BTW bleach is sorta like saying Kleenex as if can refer to any number of chemicals that remove color but when we say it we know that we mean household chlorine bleach...unless it it chlorine free bleach, but you get my point) is heavily diluted when you buy it for household use so the risk of producing LARGE amounts of chlorine gas aree remote but, chlorine gas can be lethal at small concentrations so just don't run the risk of exposing yourself to it. Since it is a very strong oxidizer I would use a rather strong reducing agent to neutralize it.

Oh, and yes, anyone with basic chemistry knowledge should know that bases neturalize acids and vice versa. You'd think that the original poster could have just asked a derm if she is exposed to docs on a day to day basis. Maybe get some hydrocortisone topical or prednisone tablets to clear the rash right up.

 

I had a con derm on my left flank a couple of years ago and it was due to an acquired reaction to the perfumes in my laundry soap. I think that it was more from exposure to my bed linens as opposed to my clothes as it seemed to be only in the areas that made contact with the sheets. You're right, it was a total PITA. Took 2 dermatologists and a couple of different prescriptions to get rid of (first guy was a total putz and diagnosed shingles even though I told him that it didn't hurt even a little bit.) Prednisone and a steroid topical cleared it all up in about 10 days...but they were 10 miserable days.

 

I believe you Michael.



I guess if V really wanted to we could run her clothes through this device I built in Iraq.

Can you guess what is in the tank I am trying to neutralize? (BTW I got a medal for that thing.)
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Looks pretty interesting; aren't you glad that RCRA permitting doesn't apply?

 

Hmmmm.....you weren't brewing beer were ya?

 

IRFNA?

 

WMD's?

 

Is it Carbon based???