How to Get Rid of Bleach Smell

Reviewed by Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 References

Bleach can be a very helpful cleaning product in your home, but the smell of it is not pleasant and can linger for quite awhile after you use it. However, if the smell lingers for far too long, there are some things you can do. Your tactic will depend on where the smell is coming from. Whether it is on your hands, your clothes, or just in the air, there are common household products that can remove the smell effectively and allow you to breathe easy once again.

Eliminating Bleach Odors from Rooms and Hands

Open doors and windows and use fans to let in fresh air and ventilate indoor spaces with a bleach smell. If your hands smell like bleach, wash them with soap and water or rub lemon juice on them for 1 minute. The more often you clean with bleach, the less of a smell it will create each time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting Rid of the Smell on Your Hands

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1
Wash your hands with dish soap and warm water. If your typical hand soap isn’t doing the trick, try using your dish soap instead, as it’s made to get rid of a wide variety of substance and smells. Lather up your hands, including between your fingers and under your fingernails, and then rinse them off with warm water.^{[1]
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- It’s best if your dish soap is scented. The scent will help mask any bleach smell that remains even after washing.
- You may need to wash your hands several times to get rid of the bleach smell completely.
2
Rub lemon juice on your hands for one minute to neutralize the smell. If you have washed your hands with soap and warm water but the smell of bleach still remains, try squeezing some lemon juice on them. You can either squeeze fresh lemon juice on both of your hands or a few squirts of bottled lemon juice from your fridge. After you have rubbed your hands together for a minute or so, rinse them with warm water. This should neutralize the smell of the bleach.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, you can use another type of citrus, such as limes or grapefruit. However, lemons work best.
Tip: Lemon juice is a great general cleaner because it is high in natural acids, which eliminate odors and sterilize surfaces.

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3
Apply a scented lotion to cover up the smell if cleaning your hands hasn’t worked. If you still can smell the bleach after soap and lemon juice, it’s time to mask it with a scent you love. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of lotion on each hand and rub them together until the lotion is distributed all over the both.
- Pick a strong scented lotion that will keep smelling for a while. However, you can always reapply the lotion if you start smelling the bleach once again.
- Using lotion will also help your hands feel softer if they have been exposed to bleach, which can dry out the skin.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing the Smell Out of Your Clothes

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Run your clothes through the wash again with only laundry detergent. If you have washed your clothes with bleach and they smell like bleach after the cycle is done, consider running then through again, but this time only with detergent. In some cases, bleach doesn’t get washed out in the washing machine and another quick wash will get them smelling better.
- You can do a quick wash with a quarter of the amount of laundry detergent you would normally use if you need the clothes to be done as soon as possible.
Pour 1/4 (45 grams) cup of baking soda into the washer in the same way you add your laundry detergent. Then run the washer for a full cycle to allow the baking soda to deodorize your clothes.
If your clothes smell like bleach, putting them out in a well-ventilated area will help the smell dissipate more quickly. Hang them up on a clothes-drying line to make sure that all of them get fully aired out.

Tip: If you don’t have a clothesline, you can hang individual items on hangers outside. Make sure each piece is securely on the hanger and then hang the hanger from a secure spot, such as a railing or a piece of outdoor furniture.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Eliminating the Smell in a Room

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1
Increase the ventilation in the room, if possible. Open your windows or door if possible. Also blow a fan in the room or turn on an exhaust fan, if you have one. With a bit of airflow, the beach smell should dissipate quickly.^{[3]
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- If you can’t open your doors or windows, such as when it’s cold outside, fans and air filters can be used to create ventilation. For example, you can turn on the air circulation feature in your furnace, if you have one.
If you have a cleaner that you like the smell of better than bleach, it can be used to mask the smell of the bleach. Simply use the cleaner on your surfaces and wait for the smell to work its magic.
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Light a candle or spray a room deodorizer to eliminate the smell immediately. If you have a guest coming over or you just can’t stand the smell any longer, use a scented candle, room deodorizer, or any other highly scented product to mask the smell immediately.
- If you light a candle, be sure that you stay in the room while it is lit. Leaving an unattended candle burning creates a risk of fire.
Tip: Other products that release a constant scent, such as plug in air-fresheners and incense, are also good choices.
The tell-tale smell in a room cleaned with bleach is created when the chemical in bleach breaks down proteins, such as pathogens on your counters. 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.^{[4]
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Do you need to rinse after cleaning with bleach?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Yes. Bleach can leave a residue behind on surfaces or items, so you should rinse it thoroughly after cleaning with it. However, if you’re using bleach to disinfect a surface, the CDC recommends leaving it on the surface for at least 1 minute before rinsing it away.

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Why do I still smell bleach after cleaning?

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If you’re using bleach in an area that’s not well ventilated, fumes can linger because they have no place to go. Bleach can also soak into porous surfaces and stay for a while even after you rinse the surface with water.

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Can bleach fumes contaminate food?

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It’s unlikely that the fumes will affect your food, but bleach residue could potentially get into food if you don’t rinse kitchen surfaces properly. If you use bleach to clean your kitchen, dilute it and rinse it away carefully with plain water when you’re done. Throw out any food that smells like bleach.

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Things You'll Need

Getting Rid of the Smell on Your Hands

Dish soap
Lemon juice, or another citrus juice
Scented lotion

Washing the Smell Out of Your Clothes

Washing machine
Laundry detergent
Baking soda
Clothes drying line

Eliminating the Smell in a Room

Fan
Nice-smelling surface cleaner
Candle
Room deodorizer
Air freshener
Incense

Tips

If your room smells too much like bleach after using a bleach spray-cleaning product, try using the product without spraying it in the air. Simply pouring a small amount onto a sponge or towel will put less of the chemical into the air and will reduce the smell created.^{[5]
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Warnings

Do not use an ammonia-based cleaning agent to try and get rid of the bleach smell. Mixing ammonia and bleach is very hazardous, as it will create chlorine gas.

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Don't use vinegar to clean the smell of bleach off of your hands. It is dangerous to mix vinegar and bleach together.^{[6]
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