House Smells Like Chlorine? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

The smell of bleach can make you feel like you are in a clean and sterile environment. In fact, many people love when a kitchen or bathroom has a slight lemon bleach fragrance that lingers long after cleaning. What about when your house smells like bleach and you have no idea why?

When your house smells like bleach, the first step you should take to identify the problem is to rule out a dangerous chlorine gas leak. Chlorine gas normally forms when bleach is mixed with chemicals it should not be mixed with. Other possible sources of the bleach smell include chemicals spilled in the home, chlorine based detergents, the smell of toilet cleaners or even your pool chemicals.

While the smell of bleach may often mean a clean home, if you do not know why your home smells like bleach you should investigate further. Bleach smells can become off-putting and can even be incredibly toxic, depending on their source.

Chlorine is a very popular chemical used frequently in everyday life. When used properly chlorine is highly effective at killing bacteria, decontaminating swimming pools and even purifying the water you drink. If chlorine is mixed with certain other chemicals, however, you can create chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is highly toxic and can have very harmful consequences.

Chlorine gas is likely to have formed if two chemicals were mixed together that should not have been mixed. When inhaled, chlorine can cause shortness of breath, vomiting, coughing, feelings of suffocation, and chest pain. It’s best to remember that each of these symptoms of chlorine gas exposure could have a different cause.

As soon as you notice your house smells like chlorine, seek help from professionals to remove the hazardous gas and prevent harmful exposure to the chemical.

When chlorine is stored in the bathroom, in acrylic kitchen cabinets, or the laundry area, leakage is possible. It’s difficult to detect such leakages because the bleach tends to seep into the bottom boards of the cabinets.

When you notice the pungent smell of chlorine in your house, one of the first places to check is underneath the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry area cabinets. The boards are often lightly nailed down, making it relatively easy for you to remove them and check underneath. Wood is absorbent, thus the need to carefully examine the cabinets for signs of spillage.

If the chlorine odor in your house is caused by a leakage in the cabinets, the solution is to remove them to air out for a couple of days. If the cabinets are in tightly packed spaces, consider unloading them, then leave them open. In a few days, the smell will dissipate.

Your house could smell of chlorine if you used chlorine in the past to remove mold and mildew that was growing on the walls. Ideally, the smell should dissipate by using chlorine to eliminate mold and mildew. However, if the smell persists, it could be because of the bleach penetrating cracks on the floor and walls.

Even if the smell goes away, it’s likely to be reactivated whenever the area gets moist. Therefore, it’s advisable to avoid using chlorine to remove mold and mildew. If you use chlorine, avoid pouring it liberally into cracks around the edges of your walls or floor.

Avoid using large quantities of chlorine when cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, basement, or any other space that tends to be moist. It will penetrate cracks, however much you wipe it off. In addition, when it comes into contact with water, there will be a pungent smell in your house.

Many homeowners use chlorine tablets to clean their toilets. Some even toss chlorine tablets into toilet tanks to kill any unpleasant odors. However, this can leave you with an unpleasant smell around your house. If you’ve just moved into a new home and you notice there’s a lingering chlorine odor in the air, one of the places you should check is the toilet tank or sump pump pit.

The previous owner may have used chlorine tablets to dissipate unpleasant toilet odors or odors from stagnant under-slab moisture or water in the septic tank. Getting rid of these tablets can be quite a challenge, but it’s best to avoid using chlorine in your toilet tank once you do. The following video explains why it’s best not to use these tablets.

Most residential swimming pools feature a chlorination system for purifying the water. However, if the pool’s chlorination system malfunctions, it can release significant quantities of chlorine into the water. Thus, there’s likely to be a lingering chlorine odor in your home.

If you suspect that a malfunctioning chlorination system causes the scent in your pool, the first step to take is switching off the system for a couple of days to see whether the smell will dissipate. When it doesn’t, have an expert check out the system to pinpoint further problems.

If you use tablets or powder chlorine for your home swimming pool, it’s advisable to check where it’s stored to ensure none of it is leaking into the swimming pool. Also, check the pool acid storage to ascertain that there are no leaks. Chlorine gas can leak if dry hypochlorite becomes wet, thus the need to ensure there are no leaks in your chlorination system.

Your house could have a lingering chlorine odor because you use chlorine-based dishwasher detergents. As you flush the detergents down your kitchen sink over time, they will leave a distinctive chlorine odor in the kitchen and other areas of your house.

If you use chlorine-based detergents in your dishwasher, the chlorine will seep into the air in your house as the machine vents during operation. If you hate the smell of chlorine, it’s best to avoid using chlorine-based detergents around your house. There are dozens of alternative products that can serve you without leaving a lingering odor in your house.

Faults in electrical equipment can also cause a sharp, chlorine-like smell in your house. For example, some electric transformers and brush-type motors put out a sharp, biting smell similar to chlorine gas. If you notice the smell, consider checking the electric motors installed in your home, including the furnace blower, AC, doorbell, reefer, water recirculation pump, and boiler transformer.

If the motors in the equipment overheat or malfunction, they will give a stinging odor, more so when running. Turning off the equipment for a day or two will see the odor dissipate. However, you should still have the equipment checked by a technician.

If your house smells like bleach, the first thing you should do is ensure you do not have dangerous chlorine gas in your home. This gas is normally caused by the mixing of chlorine with a chemical it should not be mixed with. Once you rule this dangerous threat out, make sure there are no bleach spills in areas where cleaning products live.

If you have a pool ensure that all pool chemicals are stored and mixed properly. The smell may be something as simple as a new detergent or cleaning product, so be sure to check all your labels carefully.

Related Articles