This study showed that 229 (91.6%) of 250 patients with housewives’ eczema tested positive or strongly positive to a patch test with potassium dichromate. The possible relationship between this finding and the use of detergents was investigated by making a quantitative determination of the chromate content of 14 detergents widely used in Israel. A method found by the author to give very reliable results was used for this purpose (full details are presented). All the detergents tested were found to contain chromates in varying amounts, with the largest amounts present in bleaching solutions. It is postulated that the relatively high incidence of chromate sensitivity among women with housewives’ eczema living in this region is related to the photosensitizing properties of chromates.