We use bleach regularly, basically for various household chores. But even though we try to protect ourselves from the chemical with the gloves, some bleaching liquid may sometimes drip on our skin here or there.
Besides, the strong chemical smell fills our home which is not quite pleasant.
How to get rid of bleach odor?
Below, we will give the ultimate guide about how to neutralize bleach on the skin and destroy its smell.
Why Is Bleach So Stinky?
Indeed, why does this product have such a mind-blowingly strong odor?!
Everyone probably noticed that, after applying even a little bit of it, the room got filled with a strong bleach odor for days.
The matter is about the content of the product. Since many bleach products contain chlorine, it gives the liquid its specific odor.
However, note that breathing in bleach fumes may be harmful to people and cause nausea, fatigue, headache, etc.
To avoid such aftermath, always keep the windows and/or doors open if possible when working with bleach to ventilate the room.
How Bleach Effects On The Skin?
There is a belief that bleach is toxic to our skin. For this reason, people always protect themselves with gloves and long-sleeved clothes when working with this chemical.
But is it true?
What happens if you get bleach on your skin?
This chemical contains chlorine which is toxic in large amounts. That is why it is strongly required to dilute it with water for use. Even though our skin doesn’t absorb chlorine, some of it can still get through it and end up in our bloodstream.
And too much of chlorine is toxic for us.
If bleach and skin get in contact, it may lead to several results.
- If the spill is not massive, there may be an allergic reaction
- Can bleach burn your skin? Yes, especially if the spill was massive or the skin is sensitive itself
- Other irritations may occur, e.g. skin can turn red and start burning or aching
To protect yourself, always wear rubber gloves and long-sleeved clothes when working with bleach, in addition, remember to dilute it!
How to Clean Bleach Off Our Hands?
Spilling bleach on hands can happen to anyone.
When such an accident happens, an issue of how to remove bleach from hands becomes relevant.
If some chemical spilled onto the skin,
- wash it instantly with water,
- sponge the damaged zone using an absorbing cloth and wring out the liquid to the sink.
- Cover the hands with protective gloves to protect from more damage!
- Take off any jewelry or other items that could be affected by the chemical to avoid extra irritation.
- When you’re done, discard the gloves and wash the hands with soap to get bleach smell off hands.
This is the optimal way of how to get bleach off the skin since it must be done immediately after the spill.
Removing Bleach Smell From Hands. Useful Hints
This chemical has quite a strong odor which can last even after we wash the hands with soap!
Since bleach smell on hands is rather irritating, people wonder how they can remove the bleach smell easily and quick.
If the soap doesn’t help, try other means.
- Try a liquid mouthwash. They usually have a strong but fresh and pleasant smell and they are safe for our skin. Besides, such a wash neutralizes the compounds that cause odors
- Take any stainless steel item and rub it in palms under the cold running water
- Rinse the palms with vinegar
- Hand sanitizer may also be an option
- Also, rubbing toothpaste with the hands may be helpful
- To get the chemical odor away, prepare a baking soda and water paste and apply it to the palms
- A scrub made of coffee grounds will both delete the unpleasant chemical odor and give your palms a nice coffee smell
- Mix together one part of hydrogen peroxide and three parts of water and hold your palms in this liquid for maximum of three min.
- Finally, immerse the palms into a bowl with lemon or lime juice (you may dilute it with some water to make its effect on the skin less aggressive)
These measures don’t need any special means or tools so they can be easily done at home since all the ingredients can usually be found in our kitchen or in a bathroom.
How to Get Rid Of Bleach Smell From Other Surfaces
It’s not only our hands that can suffer from bleach splashes. Any surface in our household can become a sudden target.
To be aware of how to fight with the stinky chemical spills at home read these tips carefully.
How to get rid of the smell of bleach on the carpet?
A living-room carpet smelling like hell is not something that one can enjoy. To stop it, ventilate the room thoroughly and treat the part of your carpet that was previously bleached with the cloth soaked in hot water. Sprinkling some baking soda over it or pulverizing any good-smelling cleanser may also help.
How to remove the bleach smell from the floor?
If the floor material allows, wash it with the lemon juice diluted in water. Another option is to use any floor wash that smells better than bleach.
Removing the bleach smell from clothes
- Run the apparel through the laundry again with only a launder product. As a variant, add 45 grams of baking soda to the wash. And remember to hang the garments outside to dry.
- Well, now you are knowledgeable about what to do if you get bleach on your skin and other surfaces in the house.
- Remember, be careful when dealing with bleach since it’s harmful to our hands. Put the protective gloves and cover the arms and legs with the clothes. Also, it would be better to put on a protective mask since the bleach fumes are toxic.
Safe Disposal Methods for Bleach
Disposing of bleach in a right manner is important not only to the environment and the health of an individual. Here are some straightforward guidelines to ensure safe disposal:
- Dilution Before Disposal: However, when using bleach it is important to make sure that it is mixed with a fairly large quantity of water before pouring it down the drain. One suggested ratio is, one part of water should contain one-third cup of bleach. In this dilution process the value is less concentrated thus safer for use with plumbing systems and wastewater treatment plants.
- Avoid Mixing with Other Chemicals: It will be fatal to mix bleach with substances such as ammonia or vinegar. Some of these mixtures can cause formation of highly toxic gases and can pose great risks to the health. Bleach must always be tipped in a manner that it does not come into contact with other household chemicals.
- Use of Protective Gear: While disposing bleach, use hand gloves and make sure the environment is well ventilated . This reduces chances of skin harm and the breathing in of toxic vapors.
- Consult Local Regulations: The guidelines of disposal may differ from one area to the other. There are several rules that any homeowner should follow when disposing any household chemical such as bleach, it is prudent to consult the local waste disposal agencies for special instructions. It also relates sometimes specific areas or extraordinary schemes for collecting hazardous materials.
Following the laid down procedures you will minimize the effects of bleach as you disposes of it while ensuring you and the environment is safe.
Always give yourself a first aid if any spill takes place and take care!
