Will bleach fumes damage natural surfaces?
November 10, 2020 5:51 AM Subscribe
What it says on the tin. I have an old, stained tile floor I'd like to clean with bleach, but don't want to damage fabrics and woods within the room if the fumes from the bleach don't dissipate quickly.
I'm aware of the health risks and will be taking the necessary precautions. However the room in question has no windows and is in an old and poorly ventilated building, and moving bigger furniture items out during the process would be exceedingly inconvenient.
I've found information about harmful effects of breathing the fumes, and of mixing bleach with other cleaning products. Obviously I will be doing neither of these. However, I've not been able to find any information on whether the fumes have the same bleaching/potential damaging properties as the liquid, and if having wood and upholstered furniture in an enclosed space with said dissipating fumes will cause discolouration or another type of damage.
I'm aware of the health risks and will be taking the necessary precautions. However the room in question has no windows and is in an old and poorly ventilated building, and moving bigger furniture items out during the process would be exceedingly inconvenient.
I've found information about harmful effects of breathing the fumes, and of mixing bleach with other cleaning products. Obviously I will be doing neither of these. However, I've not been able to find any information on whether the fumes have the same bleaching/potential damaging properties as the liquid, and if having wood and upholstered furniture in an enclosed space with said dissipating fumes will cause discolouration or another type of damage.
Consider using a powder version of bleach. That way you can use the bleach in really small, dense, applications with minimal vapors. I like to clean a tile floor with bleach like this: sprinkle a tiny bit evenly, wet a paper towel, put the towel over the area, and use my foot to scrub the area. That way, you've got minimal use of bleach and water, and a lot of control over how much your irreplaceable body gets exposed to chlorine, which is a teratogen.
posted by effluvia at 7:40 AM on November 10, 2020
posted by effluvia at 7:40 AM on November 10, 2020
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Also I highly recommend you use toilet bowl cleaner instead of liquid bleach. The bleach in toilet cleaner is contained in a gel, so fewer fumes and it stays very visibly right where you put it. Apply, leave for 20 min, and scrub off with a stiff bristled brush.
posted by ananci at 6:16 AM on November 10, 2020 [7 favorites]