How to Get a Bleach Smell Off Your Hands Quickly

Published March 3, 2021
How to get bleach smell off

Learn how to get bleach smell off hands with simple and effective methods. Find out if bleach on hands is dangerous.

How to Get Bleach Smell Off Hands

Bleach is a common household cleaning agent. And unless you religiously use rubber gloves, you'll get the smell stuck in your hands a time or two when cleaning the bathroom. However, there are a few different ways you can remove it. The key to getting bleach off your hands is to start with the simplest method and work your way down. To remove the bleach, you need to grab a few things:

  • Baking soda

  • White vinegar

  • Lemon/lemon juice

  • Dawn dish soap

  • Coffee grounds

  • Essential oils

  • Coconut oil

How to Get Bleach Off Hands With Baking Soda

The easiest exfoliant and smell remover to start with is baking soda.

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water.

  2. Pour a fair amount of baking soda into your palm.

  3. Rub it all over your hands.

  4. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes.

  5. Rinse off the baking soda.

How to Get Bleach Smell Off Hands With Lemon or White Vinegar

Another excellent method if baking soda doesn't work is to give home acids a try. The two best home acids for removing the smell are lemon juice or white vinegar.

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water to ensure all the bleach has been removed.

  2. Fill a bowl with white vinegar or lemon juice. Enough that you can fully submerge your hands.

  3. If you don't have lemon juice, you can just rub your hands with a lemon cut in half.

  4. Allow the juice to soak on your hands for a few minutes.

  5. Rinse and dry your hands.

If you don't want to use straight vinegar or lemon juice, you can dilute them 1:1 with water. This might make the solution a bit less effective, but it will be easier on your hands.

Hand holding lemon

How to Get Bleach Smell Off Hands With Coffee Grounds

You might not realize, but coffee grounds are also a great odor neutralizing agent. So if all else fails, reach for a bit of coffee.

  1. Put a bit of Dawn in a cup or container.

  2. Add a fair amount of coffee grounds.

  3. Stir the mixture around.

  4. Use the soap and coffee mixture as an exfoliant scrub to remove lingering odors on your hands.

Remove Bleach Smell From Hands With Essential Oils

While essential oils might not neutralize the odor, they are going to cover it up. For this method, grab your favorite essential oil and coconut oil.

  1. Combine coconut oil and a few drops of your essential oil.

  2. Rub it all over your freshly washed hand.

Not only will this get rid of the smell, but it will be great for softening post-cleaning hands.

Is It Bad to Get Bleach on Hands?

Bleach is not great for your hands. However, if you wash it off right away, it shouldn't cause any problems. Prolonged exposure to chlorine bleach or using too much bleach can get into the bloodstream from the skin and be toxic. Bleach can also be damaging to the eyes, according to Healthline.

Can Bleach Burn Your Skin?

Yes, bleach can burn your skin. Prolonged exposure to bleach, an allergy to bleach, or using too much bleach can cause a chemical burn or blisters on your skin. Therefore, it's important to use rubber gloves when cleaning or doing the laundry with bleach. Not will it avoid the smell on your skin, but it makes sure you don't have any reactions.

How to Get Bleach Off Hands

When it comes to getting bleach smell off your hands, washing with soap and water is your first line of defense. If that's not working, there are a plethora of different methods you can try. And if you got bleach on your hands, chances are good you also got some on your clothes. Luckily, there are methods to remove bleach stains too.

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How to Get a Bleach Smell Off Your Hands Quickly