Liquid bleach and "pink eye"

[Jerry]

I've using the bleach method now for a few weeks and it appears to be going well....especially after I fixed the broken return pipe (losing 300-400 gallons a day).

My better half wakes up today with severe pink eye...she looks it up online and sees bleach as a possible cause.

She swam in the pool Sunday without getting her face wet - the chlorine level was quite low at the time and I waited until she got out to add any.
I've been handling the bleach bottles but not rinsing my hands after....she may have touched a door handle or something after me.

Has anyone experienced this problem?....Should I be rinsing my hands after touching the bottles?

 

[beaumatt]

Seems odd that a disinfectant would cause a virus such as pink eye.....everything I see on the interenet says to use a dilute bleach solution to disinfect anything that comes in contact with a person who has pink eye in order to not spread the infection.

Filing this under my 'learned something new today' section.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

My better half wakes up today with severe pink eye...she looks it up online and sees bleach as a possible cause.

Pink Eye - or Conjunctivitis - is caused by a virus or bacteria. Not bleach. Could her eyes have become irritated by coming in direct contact with bleach? Sure, I suppose that's possible - but if it's classic Pink Eye then no, not possible. She contracted it some other way.

Yes you should wash your hands after adding bleach.

 

[anonapersona]

I'd suspect it was either from contact with someone who had it, or from unclean surfaces.

Last time I got that, in New Orleans, I'd been to the French Quarter, apparently touched my eye during the day after much walking around. Last time my husband got it, he'd been working in the yard under a planter that I'd seen the neighborhood feral cat pee in.

OTOH, my kids have brought it home from school. Any kids recently back to school in your house? Do they have it beginning?

 

[JasonLion]

Straight bleach out of the bottle can cause severe eye irritation and blindness and should be treated immediately.

Bleach that has already been mixed into the pool, at any plausible FC level (from 0 to well above shock level), will not cause eye irritation.

 

[Jerry]

Thanks for all the replies...

I found this:

Causes of conjuctivitus:
Viruses
Bacteria (such as gonorrhea or chlamydia)
Irritants such as shampoos, dirt, smoke, and pool chlorine
Allergies, like dust, pollen, or a special type of allergy that affects some contact lens wearers

There was another thing about birds getting it....we have a small parrot that gets close to her face while watching TV with us...hmmm?
That's her in my avatar....Jacquismo

 

[Jerry]

Straight bleach out of the bottle can cause severe eye irritation and blindness and should be treated immediately.

Bleach that has already been mixed into the pool, at any plausible FC level (from 0 to well above shock level), will not cause eye irritation.

I've ruined a few shirts since using bleach...even when bending over near the surface to pour it...it seems to splash a few drops of pure stuff upward.

What's the preferred method of adding it to the pool?

 

[anonapersona]

I lower the jug into the water and gently pour, so there is almost no height involved to create a splash. I put it in where there is a "diving rock" which is just above a return and pour the bottle underneath that so if there is a splash it should hit the rock.

If I am tending the pool daily and only need a few quarts not a full jug, then I pour into a plastic quart measuring cup and lower that into the pool to pour it out over the return.

I have gotten more and more careful as I have ruined two favorite shirts through carelessness. Now I typically wait until I am in PJs to add bleach or acid but I do the test at about 6 PM usually. Or, on rare occasions send the husband out to do it if he is dressed down and I am still dressed up.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

...the chlorine level was quite low at the time ...

I would be more suspect of the low FC levels and some invisible bacteria. Never let your FC drop below the minimum level recommended for your CYA (See my signature for a link to the chart)

 

[JasonLion]

Low PH and combined chlorine (CC) can both cause eye irritation, but FC doesn't. Your source was probably over-simplifying by calling CC pool chlorine.

 

[DBfan187]

Pink eye from bleach? Not happening!

Ever seen the movie Knocked Up?