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Bleach is one of the most well-known and often used cleaners and sanitizers on the market. It leaves everything looking brighter, but it also leaves everything smelling very heavily of chlorine, including your hands. That smell can be overpowering not only to you but to those around you as well so it's important to remove it as quickly as possible.
Things You Should Know
- Use lemon or tomato juice to neutralize bleach odors on your skin.
- Scrubbing your hands with baking soda or coffee grounds will also work.
- Massage coconut oil or olive oil into your skin to remove bleach odors and moisturize at the same time.
Steps
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Neutralize the bleach with lemon or tomato juice. Neutralize bleach's base chemical make-up with foods high in natural acids. [1] X Research source Combining an edible liquid acid with bleach is a great way to even out the overall pH and eliminate that unpleasant odor. Use any one of the following foods to neutralize the bleach:- Lemon juice [2]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021. - Another citrus juice like lime, orange, or grapefruit
- Tomatoes (tomato sauce, puree, or paste work as well)
- Lemon juice [2]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
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Coat your hands with juice or vinegar. Rub it in well. It's best to do this for at least a minute as it gives you time to make sure you've covered everything. This also allows the liquid to soak in and neutralize the bleach.Advertisement -
Rinse your hands with cool water. Voila! The smell will hopefully be gone. -
Soak your hands if the smell remains. If washing your hands doesn't work, or you don't wish to use straight liquid on your hands, dilute these acidic foods 1:1 with water. Then let your hands soak in this mixture for 2-3 minutes.
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Create an exfoliant scrub from household products. Combining a food that is both dry and high in acid content with bleach is a great way to even out the overall pH and eliminate that unpleasant odor as well. Use one of these dry acids as a rub to neutralize the base:- Baking soda [3]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021. - Coffee grounds [4]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- Baking soda [3]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
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Choose your rub. Take the rub of your choice and do just that: rub it all over your hands. Take your time and rub it in well, much like an exfoliant scrub. Do this for one minute. Wipe off the excess into a trashcan and rinse with hot water. This will allow the rub to penetrate deeply into your pores. If you don't like the smell of coffee, of course, opt for using baking soda.
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Use select natural oils, lotions, and soaps. Often times natural food, and plant-based oils have a wonderful aroma. They also have the added benefit of moisturizing your skin. Since bleach dries out the skin, it is a win-win: no more dry skin, no more chlorine stink. Some suggestions include:- Coconut oil [5]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021. - Almond Oil
- Olive oil
- Aloe Vera lotion: make sure the lotion is high in Aloe Vera as that will make a huge difference in its effectiveness
- Tea tree oil lotion: like Aloe Vera, a higher concentrate will do a better job
- Citrus based lotions
- Citrus based soaps: there are some all-natural soaps that provide both the cleaning power of soap and the moisturizing effects of lotion. Check your local health food store to see if they have any that fit your needs and budget.
- Coconut oil [5]
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Expert Source
Eduardo Peralta
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Apply a little at a time. When using oils you don't want to overdo it. You could wind up over-oiling yourself, thus adding another step (namely, removing all that excess oil!).
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Apply a few dollops. If you're using lotion, this should be enough to coat your entire hand and give you a good idea if you need more and if the lotion you've chosen is doing the job.
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Lather up. If you use a citrus based soap, lather up then use hot water. This helps the soap latch onto those base bleach molecules and lift them out.
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Choose essential oils. These give you the ability to choose from a wide variety of oils to find the one you like the best. [6] X Expert Source Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021. Make sure to never apply essential oils directly to the skin [7] X Research source as they are, in general, too strong for direct contact. Dilute the essential oil in what is known as a carrier oil and apply as needed. Essential oil examples are:- Lemon
- Eucalyptus
- Lavendar
- Peppermint
- Chamomile
- Marjoram
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Choose your carrier oil. Some examples are:- Sweet almond oil
- Hempseed oil
- Fractionated coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
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Follow the directions on the essential oil bottle for diluting it in your carrier oil. A good rule of them is a 2-percent solution. This means approximately one drop of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. [8] X Research source
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Pick petals from your garden. Find the most fragrant flowers or herbs in your yard or purchase them at the store. Then rub the petals or leaves in your fingers and hands to release the fragrant oils within them. Choose such fragrances as:
- Roses
- Geraniums
- Lavendar
- Rosemary
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionShould you wear a mask when cleaning with bleach?Eduardo Peralta is a House Cleaning Specialist and the Manager of Best Maid House Cleaning based in San Jose, California. With over five years of experience, Eduardo and the Best Maid House Cleaning team specialize in home deep-cleaning, post-construction cleaning, and green and eco-friendly cleaning services. Best Maid House Cleaning is fully licensed and insured.A mask can always be helpful in this situation. That said, a protective apron, eyewear and gloves are usually enough to prevent problems.
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QuestionHow do I get bleach off of my hands?Eduardo Peralta is a House Cleaning Specialist and the Manager of Best Maid House Cleaning based in San Jose, California. With over five years of experience, Eduardo and the Best Maid House Cleaning team specialize in home deep-cleaning, post-construction cleaning, and green and eco-friendly cleaning services. Best Maid House Cleaning is fully licensed and insured.Whenever there's a bleach spill on your skin, wash it immediately with a mild soap. Then, you can use a diluted essential oil or coconut oil to remove the smell.
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Tips
- Wear rubber gloves when cleaning with bleach. This will solve the problem before it becomes one. [9] X Expert Source Eduardo Peralta
House Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.Thanks - If preferred, you can cut the lemon into slices and rub these over your hands.Thanks
- Rinse your hands with cold water before deodorizing. Contrary to popular opinion, it is best to rinse with cold water because hot water opens your pores and allows the bleach molecules to be trapped deeper into your pores. By using cold water you are constricting those pores and making it easier to lift the smell off your hands.Thanks
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Warnings
- It is a good idea to wear gloves when using bleach, to protect your skin, as constant use of bleach is very harsh on the skin.Thanks
- Do not apply essential oils directly to your skin. If you do so, follow the instructions on the bottle to alleviate or prevent negative reactions.Thanks
- Rinsing your hands with inedible acids can cause severe burns. If you realize you have used an inedible acid, rush to your nearest hospital for immediate medical attention.Thanks
- Be cautious about what you use to try to eliminate the smell. certain chemicals (exp. vinegar), when mixed with bleach, can be dangerous.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Lemon/lime/orange/grapefruit juice
- Baking soda
- Coffee grounds
- Natural oil, lotion, or soap
- Essential oil
- Carrier oil
- Fragrant flowers or herbs from your yard or the store
- Rinsing area with running water
References
- ↑ https://sciencing.com/bleach-neutralizers-6658259.html
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
- ↑ https://aromaticstudies.com/undiluted-application-of-essential-oils/
- ↑ https://www.aromaweb.com/articles/diluting-essential-oils.php
- ↑ Eduardo Peralta. House Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 29 October 2021.
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you’ve got the smell of bleach on your hands after cleaning, you can reduce the odor with some simple household products. Rub a slice of lemon, lime, or orange onto your hands. The acid in the fruit will help to neutralize the bleach. If you don’t have any fresh citrus fruits, use fruit juice or vinegar instead. Alternatively, use a natural oil, like aloe vera, coconut, almond, or olive oil. Once you’ve rubbed your product on your hands, rinse them with cool water. If your hands still smell like bleach, soak them for 2 to 3 minutes in an equal mix of vinegar or fruit juice and water. For more tips, including how to get rid of the smell of bleach with herbs and flowers, read on!
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- "I loathe the smell of bleach on my hands and I wanted a practical and safe way to eliminate the odor. Your suggestion of using vinegar did the trick in less than a minute. Thanks for the advice and I will be back if I need more help. " ..." more
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"I loathe the smell of bleach on my hands and I wanted a practical and safe way to eliminate the odor. Your suggestion of using vinegar did the trick in less than a minute. Thanks for the advice and I will be back if I need more help. "
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