These days bleach is present in our lives more than ever; whatever you are cleaning, bleach is probably one of the most used products to clean around the house or anywhere. And while bleach is effective in its job, the not-so-significant part is its smell. But if you’ve ever wondered how to get rid of the bleach smell, then keep on reading because we will tell you all about it.
This powerful disinfectant not only kills bacteria but is also widely used to boost your traditional laundry detergent, essential in removing fabric stains. That said, at the end of the day, bleach is a chemical that has a distinct and overwhelming odor that can linger around for a while. If you are an avid user of bleach and other heavy-duty cleaning products, there’s no reason to put up with the smell.
The last thing you want is for your home, your personal and sacred space, to be invaded with the bleach smell, say in your furniture, walls, and carpet. This is where it becomes pretty important to know how to get rid of the bleach smell; let’s find ways to successfully remove it from your home.
How to get rid of Bleach Smell & Bleach FAQs
What is bleach?
Bleach is among the most popular cleaning products in the market; however, even though we buy it regularly, most of us don’t bother to grasp the general idea of what bleach is or how it works. Bleach is undoubtedly a powerful chemical composed of sodium and chlorine hydroxide that will work together to form the disinfectant cleaner of bleach.
These chemicals in bleach will work together as oxidizing agents that can be used to disinfect the various surfaces within an indoor environment, such as your home.
How effective is bleach in killing germs, viruses, and bacteria?
When it comes to the effectiveness of bleach against germs, viruses, and bacteria, bleach provides high efficiency in killing or deactivating these pathogens. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the active ingredient in bleach is an effective agent in killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including the influenza virus. The bleach is said to disinfect a surface within minutes after initial contact time.
What is bleach used for?
Inside the house, bleach has two main uses:
- It is commonly used as a household laundry bleach to whiten and disinfect clothing material. This has long been a popular use of bleach since it gives the power of revitalizing and ridding stains off of garments relatively quickly while cleansing the material as well.
- In addition, bleach can also be used for disinfecting numerous surfaces in a home to protect the indoor space from pathogens that have settled on these surfaces.
Is bleach safe?
Bleach is easy to manipulate around the house to disinfect surfaces; however, the mishandling can produce potentially toxic conditions. Depending on the amount of bleach applied and the indoor environment it was used, bleach exposure can include aerosolization by spray, immersion (direct or splash), ingestion, and aspiration. This could translate to significant eye irritation and irritation to the mouth and throat.
Bleach is potentially dangerous also when mixed with other household cleaners, especially with toilet bowl cleaners and ammonia. It is also worth noting that breathing bleach is a colossal no-no; toxic bleach fumes can result in asthma symptoms and bronchitis.
How long does bleach smell last?
As bleach is utilized directly onto a surface, it will stay on that surface, doing its disinfecting job and deactivating the germs, bacteria, and other pathogens present in such surface. This process could take anywhere up to 60 minutes of contact time. During this time, the chemicals can turn into fumes in the air.
When it comes to how long bleach smell and fumes will linger in the air of a house, it ultimately depends on three main things:
- The amount of bleach applied.
- The size of the indoor space.
- The environment’s airflow and ventilation
Ways How to get rid Bleach Smell.
We’ll explore how to get rid of the bleach smell in different environments around the house.
Eliminating the smell of bleach in a room:
- Increase the ventilation in the room. Ways to increase ventilation include opening the door and windows, turning on a fan, or turning on the air circulation feature in your furnace.
- Spray your favorite smell cleanser on your surfaces.
- Light a candle or spray a room deodorizer.
Eliminating the smell of bleach on the carpet:
- Ventilate the room thoroughly.
- Treat the area of your carpet that was previously bleached with a cloth soaked in hot water.
- Sprinkling some baking soda over it or pulverizing any good-smelling cleanser.
How to get rid of Bleach Smell from the floor:
- Wash it with the lemon juice diluted in water if the floor material allows.
- Believe it or not, the smell will decrease if you start cleaning the floors more often with bleach. This is because the smell is created when the chemical in bleach breaks down the proteins on the surfaces. This means that if you clean more often with bleach, it will have less to break down and thus will create less of a smell.
How to get rid of Bleach Smell of clothes:
- Run your piece of clothing through the laundry again with only a launder product.
- Add 45 grams of baking soda to the wash.
- Hang the garments outside to dry.
How to get rid of Bleach Smell from your hands:
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
- Rub lemon juice on your hands to neutralize the smell.
- Apply a scented lotion, the scent may be important, but your lotions should also be a moisturizer to protect your skin from any damage.
How to get rid of Bleach Smell from kitchen and bathroom sinks:
Bleach smells in sinks are almost always coming from the drain, so it’s best to start by making sure the drain is completely clean.
- Rinse lots of water down the drain.
- Rinse baking soda down the drain.
- Instead of using baking soda, you can also use coffee.