Bleach can be an effective, diverse product for cleaning your house. It’s a powerful disinfectant and removes fabric stains. It can also be used as a cleaning booster to traditional laundry detergent.
However, bleach has an unpleasant, overwhelming, and sometimes harmful odor that can linger for days. Bleach fumes can become trapped in your house’s furniture, walls, and carpet.
There are some easy steps you can take to get rid of bleach smell while you clean. With these common sense tactics, and a little help from Fresh Wave’s natural odor eliminator products, you can disinfect your home without it smelling like a hospital.
Steps to Get Rid of Bleach Smell
- Open Windows
- Deodorize the With Fresh Wave
- Do Not Mix With Acidic Cleaners
Open Windows and Keep Rooms Ventilated
A common misconception is that bleach’s strong odor is caused by chlorine. Bleach produces a strong, chlorine-like smell due to a chemical reaction that occurs as the bleach breaks down proteins. The more regularly you clean with bleach, the less strong the scent will be when used. If this is your first time cleaning with bleach, the scent will be very strong due to heavy protein build up on cleaned surfaces.
The simplest thing you can do to get rid of the smell of bleach is open a window to let in fresh air and let odorous fumes escape. Even better, create cross ventilation by opening multiple windows.
If the strong odor of bleach remains after a few hours of ventilation, use a fan to push air out. If you’re cleaning in a bathroom with an exhaust fan or kitchen with an over-range hood, turn them on to allow odors fumes to escape more quickly.
Deodorize the Bleached Room
While fresh air can help remove bleach smells over time, instant relief is ideal. Unlike most air fresheners, Fresh Wave Odor Eliminating Spray is an effective solution that won’t mask chemical bleach odors with fake scents from artificial fragrances.
Using a proprietary formula of natural plant oils, Fresh Wave absorbs and neutralizes odor molecules from bleach and other harsh cleaning products. Fresh Wave can be sprayed in the air or on surfaces, without causing harmful side effects to people or pets.
You can also light a Fresh Wave Odor Eliminating Candle or place a Fresh Wave Odor Absorbing Gel in a cleaned room to remove bleach odors.
Be Careful Not to Mix with Other Cleaners
It’s important to know which household cleaning products you shouldn’t use with bleach for fear of creating harmful fumes.
Do not use ammonia when cleaning with bleach. This combination creates a toxic chloramine vapor that is harmful to inhale.
Additionally, it is also dangerous to mix bleach with a everyday cleaners like:
- common toilet bowl cleaner
- multi-purpose cleaner
- some glass cleaners
- even simple vinegar
Many household cleaners contain acid. When acid and bleach combine, they give off chlorine gas, which is dangerous to inhale and causes irritation to the nose and eyes. It can even cause breathing problems. If you suspect you’ve been exposed to chlorine gas from bleach, seek medical assistance immediately.
Fresh Wave natural odor eliminators use natural ingredients, like oils from cedarwood, anise, pine, and lime. That’s why it’s earned the U.S. FDA’s Safer Choice designation and is the go-to air freshener for using after cleaning with bleach.