Bleach Neutralizes Pet, Dust Allergens

Household bleach is 99 percent effective against cat, dog and dust-mite allergens, says a study by the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver.

Allergist Dr. Karin Pacheco and colleagues showed that bleach eliminates an allergic response in 95 percent of cat-allergic people, 92 percent of dog-allergic people and 60 percent of dust mite-allergic people.

We demonstrated that normal concentrations of household bleach denature Aspergillus antigens, and ablate skin test reactivity to treated extracts, Pacheco said in a statement. The effects of bleach on other household allergens are less clear.

The findings were presented at the International Meeting of the American Thoracic Society, in San Francisco.