Safety Tips for using Chlorine Bleach Around the House and How to LimitExposure to Toxic Chlorine Byproducts

Chlorine bleach has a very bad reputation as hazardous to our health. I still use chlorine bleach around the house sometimes, so I wanted to sort out all the information out there and get the real scoop on the product. Is it bad to use around the house? How is it harmful? What safety measures or precautions do I need to take?

Does Chlorine Bleach Contain Dioxins?

• When the paper industry mixes cellulose fibers with chlorine bleach, dioxins are produced which are some of the most toxic cancer causing chemicals known.  This process also generates organochlorines which enter our bodies and behave like our hormones do - which stay in the body and cause cancers - see  Organochlorines at LeafLady.org .


• Dioxins are not created when using chlorine bleach around the house.

What Are the Precautions to Using Chlorine Bleach Around the House?

• Fumes: watch out for fumes - they can cause irritation and damage to the lungs. The fumes are also one way that organochlorines enter our body. So wear a face mask!


• Corrosive action: don't let it get on your skin - it has a corrosive power that is caustic to your skin and another way organochlorines enter our body.


• Watch out for combining it with any other cleaners - they can contain ammonia or vinegar.  A combination of chlorine with ammonia or chlorine with vinegar will cause a toxic gas to form - either gas is very bad to breathe and can damage the lungs!!

Are there Hidden Sources of Toxins from Chlorine Around the House?

Products that we purchase that have been bleached can be a danger to us as well. That is because bleached paper and cotton products that touch our skin can introduce dioxins and organochlorines into our body.

So it is best to avoid purchasing bleached products such as:

• paper plates


• toilet paper


• facial tissues


• paper towels


• tampons

Also, plastic marked recyclable with a "3" is made from PVC or polyvinylchloride - which can leak these organochlorines into whatever is contained in it.

What About Chlorinated Water that We Drink and Wash With?

Many people drink a public water supply that is chlorinated. The chlorine that is added transforms into another bad toxin called trihalomethanes or THM. THM's are bad for our health and have been linked to asthma, heart disease and some cancers. See more info at ecowe.blogspot.com "The Pros and Cons of Chlorine"

Water containing chlorine that is heated can release the toxins into the air.
So beware of:

• showering


• boiling water


• hot steam from the dishwasher

So, How do I Avoid Exposure to Toxins from Chlorine?

• buy paper products that have not been bleached


• buy a water filter for your drinking and cooking water (or a whole house water filteration system would be the ideal)


• or let water sit on your counter for 1/2 hour and the chlorine will dissapate (but it will dissapate into the air that we breathe)


• put a water filter on your shower head


• do not use plastics marked recycle #3 for eating or drinking or cooking in the microwave


• buy cleaning products that do not have chlorine in them (watch out for automatic dishwashing products, tile and counter cleaners, etc)

What do "I" Use Chlorine For?

I know about the dangers of chlorine, but it sure does help me around the house with some of my chores! Because we live in the southern USA, there is a lot of rain and heat and that produces mold and mildew.  One of the things that does seem to clean mold and mildew well is chlorine bleach! I have tried vinegar to remove mold but even after scrubbing profusely, it still will not be completely gone - and that allows it come back to full dirty bloom in a shorter amount of time than when I use chlorine bleach.

We use it to clean outdoors where mold grows like:

• the patio


• the roof


• the outdoor shower


• the hot tub cover

How to Use Chlorine Bleach

bleach, latex gloves, face mask

• wear latex gloves


• use a face mask - Otherwise, the mold and the bleach will make me feel sick and tired and give me headaches. And I don't want to breath it either.  Especially in a closed area - very bad for the lungs!!


• wear old clothes


• Apply the bleach to the areas that need cleaning


• Use a scrub brush to brush the area - this helps clean it faster. And it gets the chlorine into the small cracks - which will prevent it from coming back a little bit longer than if you did not scrub it.

For additional information, see Facts About Chlorine at Body Fueling.com

Alternatives to Bleach for Killing Mold

I did read that there are alternatives to using Chlorine bleach for killing mold.  One is using  Tea Tree Essential Oil.

Tea tree oil reputedly kills all types of molds.  So I figured I would give it a try. (See my article coming soon.)

Disclaimer: I do not provide medical advise or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA. Consult your doctor before following anything you have read on this website.See my full medical disclaimer under Terms of Use.