I've used Clorox Bleach steadily for years. It's the only thing that seems to 'clean'. The products sold in stores ( i.e. Clorox Softscrub, etc.) used to mask the bleach smell that have bleach in them, don't do the job as well as just bleach alone. I usually blend a few drops of bleach on a rag with Polmolive dish soap to do my kitchen counters then rinse afterwards. The smell IS strong but goes away after a few minutes.
Is using Bleach unhealthy on the lungs? I really like the stuff and don't want to stop using it but if it's toxic then I'll have to find other options.
Thanks for any info on this.
Sincerely,
Laura
POSTED BY LAURA :: FLORIDA (NEWLY TRANSPLANTED FROM NY) USA :: 10/09/2006 8:52 AM
DEBRA'S ANSWER:
Product labels on chlorine bleach warn only of the danger when accidentally ingested, however, the inhaled fumes also pose a hazard. Toxicology books report that chlorine is "toxic as a [skin] irritant and by inhalation."
The Material Safety Data Sheet for Chlorox Bleach states:
Causes substantial but temporary eye injury. May irritate skin. May cause nausea, vomiting if ingested. Exposure to vapor/mist may irritate nose/throat/lungs. Under normal consumer use conditions the likelihood of any adverse health effects are low.
The question is, what are "normal consumer use conditions"? Perhaps they are three times a week when you are putting it in the laundry, not every day cleaning of a kitchen counter.
Many people do have adverse reactions to chlorine. The chlorine in bleach is the same stuff people often want to remove from drinking water.
Personally, I don't use chlorine bleach or any products containing chlorine, and I remove it from my water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. That would be my recommendation for you, too.
Debra :-)
