How to remove the smell of Drano from my Car?
September 22, 2010 12:40 PM Subscribe
I spilled a bottle of drain cleaner in the back of my car, and I'm wondering what my next steps should be? There is a slightly chlroinated odour in the cabin, so I've been trying to drive with the windows down.
Wear goggles and heavy, chemical-resistant gloves during any cleanup efforts. Drain cleaner can be nasty stuff.
posted by jon1270 at 1:01 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by jon1270 at 1:01 PM on September 22, 2010
via Lifehacker: Use Charcoal Briquettes for Cheap and Non-Toxic Odor Removal
posted by doorsfan at 1:04 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by doorsfan at 1:04 PM on September 22, 2010
You'll want to make sure all of the cleaner is gone, so prepare to pull out your carpets and clean/replace the padding underneath (I know this from firsthand experience with a spilled Thai iced tea.) Good luck.
posted by davejay at 1:08 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by davejay at 1:08 PM on September 22, 2010
Is it actually Drano? Because that stuff's mostly lye. It will eat through fatty organic stuff (like most parts of the human body) and dissolve aluminum, which means you never want to get it on aluminum car parts. And it gives off hydrogen gas in the process. Wash it out carefully but thoroughly.
If you want to risk life and limb by making a hydrogen balloon, put lye (Drano will do), aluminum parts (or foil), and plain water in a pop bottle with a balloon stretched over the top. Be super careful, though. Protective goggles, protective apron, rubber gloves, no spectators, no open flames or sparks, make a will first, etc. The hydrogen gas could blow hot caustic liquid lye all over your face and leave you like a blind Frankenstein's monster, and hydrogen gas is what made the Hindenburg so memorable. You could blind and maim yourself and your friends and family and pets and clergy, and then burn the house down with everyone roasted to an unrecognizable crisp inside.
posted by pracowity at 1:17 PM on September 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
If you want to risk life and limb by making a hydrogen balloon, put lye (Drano will do), aluminum parts (or foil), and plain water in a pop bottle with a balloon stretched over the top. Be super careful, though. Protective goggles, protective apron, rubber gloves, no spectators, no open flames or sparks, make a will first, etc. The hydrogen gas could blow hot caustic liquid lye all over your face and leave you like a blind Frankenstein's monster, and hydrogen gas is what made the Hindenburg so memorable. You could blind and maim yourself and your friends and family and pets and clergy, and then burn the house down with everyone roasted to an unrecognizable crisp inside.
posted by pracowity at 1:17 PM on September 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Don't think it's actually drano, pracowity, it's some off-brand i got at the dollar store.
posted by matkline at 1:27 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by matkline at 1:27 PM on September 22, 2010
Vacuum and blot as much of the material as you can, then flood the area with vinegar to neutralize the base, finish rinse with water.
posted by hortense at 1:34 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by hortense at 1:34 PM on September 22, 2010
Vacuum and blot as much of the material as you can, then flood the area with vinegar to neutralize the base, finish rinse with water.
I've read you shouldn't mix vinegar with commercial drain opener because it can create toxic fumes. Also, I'm not sure you'd want that stuff in your vacuum cleaner.
posted by wondermouse at 1:42 PM on September 22, 2010
I've read you shouldn't mix vinegar with commercial drain opener because it can create toxic fumes. Also, I'm not sure you'd want that stuff in your vacuum cleaner.
posted by wondermouse at 1:42 PM on September 22, 2010
Most brands of drain cleaner are Sodium Hydroxide, some sodium chloride, and sodium hypochlorite (bleach). I would pretty much follow hortense's advise. Using gloves blot with paper towels, water (though because of the bleach it may discolor your car rug). The vinegar is an option to neutralize any remaining acid but then your car would smell like vinegar instead of bleach which may or may not be much better.
posted by Captain_Science at 1:58 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by Captain_Science at 1:58 PM on September 22, 2010
Drain cleaner is caustic soda, pH 14 a base, flooding with vinegar yields heat and water! no toxic fumes. Water is ever so much easier to rinse than caustic soda, any residual vinegar is easily dealt with water.
Most generally, the following occurs:
acid + base → salt + water
For example, the reaction between Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions:
HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
or as a net ionic equation:
H+(aq) + OH−(aq) → H2O(l)
posted by hortense at 3:16 PM on September 22, 2010
Most generally, the following occurs:
acid + base → salt + water
For example, the reaction between Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions:
HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
or as a net ionic equation:
H+(aq) + OH−(aq) → H2O(l)
posted by hortense at 3:16 PM on September 22, 2010
Warning! There are also acid drain cleaners, for which more acid definitely won't help. Check to see what the active ingredients are first!
posted by that girl at 3:52 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by that girl at 3:52 PM on September 22, 2010
The container should say what it contained as an active ingredient.
If it says its active ingredient is bisulphate, then you neutralize it with baking soda. If it says its active ingredient is lye or potash, sodium or potassium hydroxide, then you neutralize it with white vinegar.
In both cases you wear protective clothing and rubber gloves and a face mask (including eye protection). Neutralizing a powerful acid or a powerful base can release a lot of heat, and it could boil and splash.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:34 PM on September 22, 2010
If it says its active ingredient is bisulphate, then you neutralize it with baking soda. If it says its active ingredient is lye or potash, sodium or potassium hydroxide, then you neutralize it with white vinegar.
In both cases you wear protective clothing and rubber gloves and a face mask (including eye protection). Neutralizing a powerful acid or a powerful base can release a lot of heat, and it could boil and splash.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:34 PM on September 22, 2010
If you've been smelling chlorine, then it may be based on hypochlorite (i.e. bleach) and in that case I don't know how you neutralize it. Anyone here know?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:37 PM on September 22, 2010
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:37 PM on September 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by grizzled at 12:44 PM on September 22, 2010