This is a common misconception, however. You can use multiple fans in 16) not that it smells really like bleach, but if gas water heater or furnace, smell at the exhaust flue on roof, or outdoors if direct-vent unit (just a few sniffs - don't do for long and suffocate yourself or pass out) to smell if it is exhaust smell from those appliances - if so, you may have a backdrafting vent hood at the unit, or a flue leak. Phantosmia is also called a phantom smell or an olfactory hallucination. 20) On day of closing when you noticed the smell - I presume you had not moved in yet - but if you had or were doing so at that time, look for spilled or leaking (maybe a bottle cracked during moving) cleaning or laundry products, or garage/yard solvents or such. of the house. Ditto to leaking containers that rusted through the bottom of the can and is vaporizing or maybe reacting with the shelving material. NOTE - it is important that if the ducts are used for this, it should NOT return through the furnace/air handler - can cause significant damage. Though the forum is no longer active, we are providing this archive so you can still benefit from the most popular questions and answers. 3) rarely, where highly infused in a material, replacement. If you smell animal waste, dander, cat boxes, or any other pet smells, that’s probably … 14) and as I said before, talk to neighbors about whether they have had their hot tub or pool treated or disinfected (though for it to persist 3 months would have to be a persistent dosing), septic leach field pipes cleaned/disinfected 3 months ago, or if they have noticed the smell also with wind blowing from any direction but your house, so might be a nearby laundry or institutional laundry room or hospital or chemical compnay plant venting or such. This is not good and you want to be very careful when using I am not living there. Low Water In The Bowl. Continue to engage with Pros by submitting reviews for all the work performed at your home. I was desperate and replaced the filters with paper ones. Even adding a little bit of white vinegar to bleach can create an b) they find a quite hazardous condition or that it was an illegal drug lab and, legally having to report it to the state or federal drug agents or EPA, your house is condemned - at least initially until it is cleaned up. Can happen with interior or exterior paints. It is also possible, if prior drug lab use is a viable likelihood, that the attorney will recommend asking the police if they will do a meth test on surfaces in your house - but that brings in the possibility of case 6 b) below with police condemnation of the house, at least till it is investigated and has been cleaned up to whatever local or state standards your area might have. You did not say if you are adjacent to industrial property with storage warehouses which might have leaking chemicals, a chemical plant or water/sewage treatment plant or laundry facility or such which could be leaking or illegally disposing of chemicals, or a landfill which could be leaking or discharging odorous materials. Answered by Member Services: Hello, This is Robin in Member Care. Answered by LCD: Sounds dangerous for long exposure or sleeping in, especially if you have children in the house - and almost certain your insurance company will not cover diagnosis, treatment, or temporary living expenses because most specifically exclude chemical exposure losses. Alas - SOOOO many people notice something odd or different in the final inspection but fail to follow up at that time - the reason for the pre-closing final inspection is to be sure there is nothing changed (in a negative way) from the initial viewing and home inspection - if there is, you delay closing until it is resolved to your satisfaction. --a brief background about osmium. 4) pouring bleach into crack around basement slab or into sump pump pit to kill odor coming up from stagnant under-slab water or moisture. In cases where the house surfaces are permeated it can involve stripping down to the studs (usually all loose insulation and flooring and such in area is discarded), chemically neutralizing the situation, then refinishing/ repainting (sometimes with an encapsulating paint) or rebuilding as needed. Step 7. It's used to sterilize instruments in dentists office etc ---- we've spoken to several people at the company and feel pretty comfortable this is not the smell we are experiencing. I Have A Septic Odor In My House. We'll be happy to help you find some highly rated experts to look into this, but it doesn't look like you have a subscription yet. I would think if you air out all the rooms (all windows open while weather is still nice), then close all doors and HVAC system and leave all fans off, and block the gap underneath all doors with tape or towels, after a few hours of it being shut up you should be able to go through the house room by room and detect where the smell is strongest, then track down the source by nose from there. Bleach creates this kind of smell because when you use it, it starts a chemical reaction that breaks down protein. 12) Ditto to ozone or ultraviolet or chlorine disinfection units on any hot tub, spa, sauna, etc.- yours or neighbor's near your property line. the bleach smell. Answered by msm35: Personal experience! Wear gloves to avoid smelling like a skunk yourself. If you join online, you can save 20% on an annual plan by using the promo code ANSWERS. 6) You did ask (rightly) what possible worst-case scenarios after assessment are - and bear in mind, these are worst-case but FYI, as I see it, from roughly lesser to greater consequences : a) they find a very hazardous substance or chemical concentration and you have to move out for days, weeks or months till it is remediated - normally heavily cleaning or rarely stripping the affected area only like attic floor maybe, and usually all fabric wall or floor coverings and any exposed insulation involved. This shows the advantage of multiple responsders to questions. 10) Go around house and unplug every plugged in item you don't absolutely need, especially electronic devices and any chargers, air out house well, and see if that helps - then plug back in one at a time (maybe one a day) till it comes back. Three months later the smell persists as strong as ever ---- you can actually smell it outside before you even open up our front door. The question becomes....what do I do next??? Sniff around at ducts when blower is running (which is likely a brushless motor so not likely source), any constant hot water system circulating pump or heat pump like on water heater, sump pump, reefer or deep freezer when running, and fans when running. Neither is definitive as to the specific chemical present though - that requires sealed samples taken to the lab for detailed chemical analysis, as I previously described. If you detect a bad smell, mix a solution of 3/4-cup bleach and one gallon warm water. toxic type of gas. 1) You may have some tooth or gum inflammation or infection. I got a whiff but couldn't comprehend it being mold....it's all mirrored and metal. If backdrafting you should smell the odor at the unit when it fires up. Solved! But again, it doesn't smell like garbage or mold. You need to be able to open up the windows in the room with the bleach smell problem. Called Phantosmia (phantom smell) and associated with several medical conditions as well as the famous "deja vu" where just kicking up a memory brings back a smell or sound or taste - but obviously if multiple people smell it not that. Visit the Solution Center to Explore Articles. When we came back in tonight from being out, there was a distinct smell of bleach or chlorine (my sister thought it garlicky) on the air, and the heater was running. All have said they believe the smell is chorine /bleach based. 4) Pool - if chlorine disinfected, check storage of powder/pellets or gas tank as applicable, and check all lines running from chlorinator to system for leaks. Below are some four ideas on how to get rid of bleach smells in your home. This is also great for rooms that don’t have as many windows or other practical ways that they can be ventilated.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'housetrick_com-box-4','ezslot_5',111,'0','0'])); As mentioned earlier, vinegar and bleach can combine to create a Walls also washed several times, several different ways. Eliminating the Smell in a Room Increase the ventilation in the room, if possible. Also smell around outside meter box and breaker panel - overheating electrical insulation can smell like this because they are commonly (especially for your higher-voltage main feed wires, especially black insulated ones) made of chlorinated compounds in the insulation on the wire, 13) smell around in attic and basement/crawlspace for mold/ mildew, rot, or funny smell from insulation. Can range from an acidic smell to near-urine to wet wool type smell - though certainly should be able to identify that as the source if you air the house out thoroughly (including the area of the furnace or air handler blower) with the HVAC off, then smell at registers when you first turn it back on - should smell within a minute or less of when you turn it on if that is the cause, and smell stronger than the rest of the room did before it was turned on. Your Wet Clothing. order to create the best airflow effect. Some individuals may revel in the smell that is produced from bleach and think of the smell as a demonstration of their home’s cleanliness, while others may detest the chemical odor that … You can smell a bleach like smell outside walking up to the front door, on a covered side porch and a covered back patio in addition to the smell throughout the entire inside of the house. Light smell of chlorine but washed walls, aired out and it was fine. 2) ozone - is the major irritant in smog, so causes coughing and respiratory irritation and burning, and burning of eyes and nasal membranes in higher concentrations. Could also detect (if odor is if strong at time of inspection, which you need to discusss up front mid-dauy or such visit time to catch at usual strongest time) - if drifting onto property from adjacent area. 9) Strong chlorine smell could also be from some industrial/commercial cleaner in the public sewers backing into your line and venting into the house through a faulty vent system or dried out floor drain. We are open from 8am to 9pm on Mondays through Fridays and until 5pm on Saturdays. http://somechicksblog.com/make-meth/meth-smell-is-something-not-easily-h... c) or in cases of major contamination (almost always from gross area-wide soil/groundwater contamination) sometimes permanently condemned and then remediated under CERCLA or RCRA or such (remember Superfund and Love Canal, which started this way with groundwater-borne gas infiltrating into the houses and causing illnesses). No need to panic, but don't let it go, either. I started smelling chorine-like smell that increased over weeks until it was intolerable through out the house. “Heavy air” days produce odors which are more noticeable than “light air” days. 15) one other thing I spaced on - do you have a water treatment system (water conditioner) which uses a disinfectant in its cycle - like hypochlorate for example, which may be leaking or venting into the house. So we called our pest guy, but he told us there's nothing there and to check our plumbing. California Privacy. Take preventive measures to minimize the strength of the odor the next time you use bleach. The Angie’s List Answers forum ran from 2010 to 2020 and provided a trusted space for homeowners to ask home improvement questions and receive answers directly from Pros and other users. Moisture gets caught in the door seal and detergent drawer, causing smelly mildew and mold. No one else lives there, so it's not caused by someone else. Our phone number is 888-944-5478. But it’s totally a wrong thing. You can join by visiting www.angieslist.com or by giving us a call. Before going to an air quality firm (going to be pretty pricey, though if that strong a smell testing probably will be definitive as to what chemical it is) you might consider a few more second opinions first - from friends or family, and/or from a Home Inspector and/or Plumber - both as a second sniffer to try to tie down where it is coming from, and also as a new (and with home inspector and plumber more experienced with manyu household smells) opinion as to exactly what the smell is from - is it cleaning product, chlorine, overheated insulation or plastic electronic device housing, flooring, paint, etc ? All comments are subject to review and approval prior to posting. 2) for chemicals/odors infused in absorbent surfaces, wand spraying with a liquid neutralizing agent can be used - or sometimes for agents which will volatilize in heat, steam or heat gun is used (later rarely because most such compounds are also flammable or corrosive when heated). Many assume that the strong odor you smell when you use bleach is caused by chlorine. How to Get Rid of Bleach Smell in House. 6) about the slab leak - unless chlorinated water was coming in, should be a musty, stagant water, or mildew/mold smell - easy to tell if source by taping down plastic sheeting (thin cheap painter's drop sheeting) with masking or duct tape, held up to create an airspace with a bucket or junk chair or such, then open up a side after a day and stick your nose in and smell if concentrated smell from that area. Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you. Almost all compounds formed are volatile and great effort is required to stabilize them. So frustrating! Other It can take a while for this to work but you should try to leave You said HVAC system has been investigated - I presume that means the evaporator coil for the A/C and ducts were checked for mold/fungus ? don’t involve vinegar when possible.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'housetrick_com-box-3','ezslot_3',108,'0','0'])); I’m going to go over some ways that you can use vinegar to help out later but you have to be very careful. An electrostatic filter does produce ozone - which is an acrid smell, and especially for people who have not been around high voltage equipment or opne-housing larger electric motors might be identified as a bleach or chlorine smell. What Causes a Gas Smell in a House? Hello, We have an older heater in our small condo; this is the second year we've lived here. Thankfully, it’s possible to get rid of the bleach smell as long as you take the right steps. A rotting cache of fruit or such from a resident varmint could also smell like this, as can birds nests because of the ammonia in the droppings. Well..... tried it in the master bedroom vanity area and left it an extra day as I can't be exposed to it with my sensitivities. If possibly so, you might invite a couple who seem safe (i.e. No smell in the attic or crawlspace under the house, even when we could smell the foul odor. Instead, keep it … One of the first things that you should do to get rid of that bleach smell is to... Use Baking Soda. ... Open all windows and doors in the house … 5) Because of the need for documentation and proper independence of investigations, and possible dealings with the police and local government if the odors are from prior illegal drug manufacturing in the house, I would (I hate to have to say it but for your own good) strongly advise getting an attorney experienced in contaminated property claims and issues on board BEFORE getting an environmental health /industrial health investigator in - to work with them on documentation in the event you end up having cause to go against a previous owner for non-disclosure of something he/she knew about. Many people think that bleach creates that strong odor because it has chlorine in it. When it is working correctly, a P-trap is supposed to hold enough water to prevent gases and odors from the sewer to creep up your drain. With some types of contaminants, again generally if actually saturated with the chemical as opposed to just exposed to airborne contamination, replacement of absorbent countertops, flooring, etc is necessary. Over time, the baking soda is going to be able to absorb the odor of the bleach. Certainly if this smell was not there during your initial viewing or home inspection (home inspector would probably have noted it in report if that strong), then pretty much has to be something overheating causing the smell, or some architectural refinishing or cleaning or treatment or disposal that was done just before closing. We've investigated our HVAC units, pool filter system, cleaned the entire house with a light vinegar water solution, aired the house out with commercial fans and the smell will not subside. Please do let me know what the cause ends up being - you now have me irritated by this issue and in anticipation of the result for this too. Give this a shot if your ventilation efforts are not working as well as you had hoped. It was bombed overnight, aired out from chlorine smell and then neutral. In addition --- we do not smell anything in the attic and feel like we would given the smell is pervasive throughout the house....tell me if you feel otherwise. I haven't read anyone else writing about residual chlorine smell. Can the wood attic floor be sprayed with a neutralizing chemical? Answered by LCD: Ok - now you've got me going obsessive on this problem - couple of other thoughts came to mind, though I would not call them necessarily "bleach" smell, but definitely strong chemical smell: 1) low gas level in A/C can cause scorching of the oil in the refrigerant gas which, if you had a leak in the lineset or evaporator coil or have an outdoors air handler unit, could get into the house on a persistent basis - I would call it an oily or acrid burnt smell more than chlorine, but different people call smells different things depending on their personal experience. if it's from what I think it is, then it's undoubtedly still there. A strong bleach smell can clear a room. Even if you’ve checked all of the possible sources, you’re still not safe to relax and forget about it. I am really somewhat at a loss, because since you did not notice it during how ever many times you were in the house before closing day (initial viewing, home inspection, etc), but did notice it on closing day - has to be something from outside, something inherent in the house itself, or something you moved in before closing (assuming you had not yet moved in and were not living in the house at that time) - so if it was a bare house that really narrows the list of possible sources, and there are very few in-house things that could cause this for months without either dissipating or burning out, so I am tending toward: 1) the pool (yours or neighbors) or any spa/hot tub/sauna having excessive disinfection (or an ozone or ultraviolet disinfection unit), 2) chemicals in the sewer system getting into your house, or. 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