How to Dispose Of Bleach
Clorox bleach is a very strong chemical and can harm the environment badly if you do not dispose of the bleach properly. When using bleach we should always wear gloves and a face mask because the bleach is strong enough to strip the skin on your hand. This had happened to me before.
This article will show you the best ways to dispose of bleach plus educate you on the harm it can do to the environment over time if you do not dispose of the bleach properly. Let us begin.
To dispose of bleach properly add 3 times the amount of water to the bleach you have snd pour it into the bathroom drain and then run hot water in the bathroom drain for 3 minutes to help break the bleach down even more.
1. Using Up The Bleach
Before you think of disposing of the bleach. Look in your house and see what you can use it to clean. Bleach is very powerful and strong and can get stains out of your bathroom shower, stains out of the grout on your tiles, and clean your tiles and make them look clean again.
That I just a few things that you can do with bleach so check around your house to see if you can use it to clean. Just make sure the area that you are going to clean can tolerate the harness of the bleach and will not change color. If you have a substantial amount of bleach you can donate it to your local charity for them to use and clean.
2. Depose Of Bleach Down The Bathtub Drain
I know this is one of the first things that came to your mind when you thought about getting rid of bleach. Pouring it down the bathroom drain is one way you can do it but there are a few steps you need to take before pouring it down the drain.
Diluting the bleach will help break it down and the damage it can do to the environment. What you need to do is measure out the bleach and add water to every along of bleach you have. If you have a half-gallon of bleach add 1 gallon of water to it and pour it down the bathtub drain.
You can also run hot water down the bathroom drain once you did that to help break down the bleach. Plus the extra benefit of pouring it down the drain will make the bathroom smell better because it will get rid of any odor that was in the bathroom drain.
3. Pour The Bleach In Your Toilet
Poring it down the toilet is the next method obviously. Briefer you pour it down the toilet, use some of the bleach to clean the exterior and inside of the toilet to remove watermarks and dust. Also, use some of the bleach to clean out the toilet tank because the toilet tank will have an odor to it because of the constant water that is there.
Now you are ready to pour the bleach down the toilet tank but first, you need to follow this step. If you have half a gallon of bleach pour half of it into the toilet tank and flush the toilet. Once the toilet is ready to be flushed again pour the rest out in the toilet and you are done. To dispose of the beach bottle read the instructions I wrote for that.
Also Read: How to get rid of cinder blocks
4. Dig A Hole In The Ground And Dump It
Disposing of the beach outside isn’t for everyone. If you live in a certain neighborhood where pipes and other things run underneath the ground you shouldn’t dump the bleach outside. You should use the methods above.
If where you live isn’t close to other houses and pets and animals will not get close to where you dump it then you are fine to dig a hole about 2 feet deep and dilute the bleach in a 1:3 ratio. Meaning for every amount of bleach you have add 3 times that water to it and dump it in the hole and cover it up.
How To Dispose Of Bleach Container
Bleach containers can melt and be used to do other things. But not all dumps melt bleach containers with other plastic bottles. There might be a risk of fire or toxic fumes if they melt the bleach bottle.
If you have more than one bleach bottle, group them together and ask your garbage man if he can take them and dispose of them the proper way.
If your state recycles plastic, never put bleach bottles in the same garbage bag as regular water bottles. Follow the method above. The reason why your bleach bottle might release fumes is that even when you empty the bottle and wash it out a small portion of bleach will still be inside the bottle.
What Does Bleach Do To The Environment And The Effects:
Water Pollution
We all learn about water pollution in school. Pouring bleach into a stream or lake near you will kill all the wildlife in the water body or make them sick. And this action can create a chain reaction if other people use the lake for fishing and drinking water especially if it is a natural stream. Never pour pleach into any body of water.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is caused by toxic fumes that get released into the atmosphere. And damage the ozone layer that protects the earth from the heat of the sun. Our ozone layer is already damaged and if we dump bleach outside the fumes from the bleach will get in the air and pollute it and make it even harder for us to breed plus raise global warming.
Natural Environment Pollution
This should be a surprise to you that bleach is dangerous to the environment. If your pour bleach on plants they will turn brown in less than an hour. If you choose to dump a bottle of bleach in the woods or an empty space that has tall grass over time the bottle will burst because of the sunlight and the fumes in the bleach.
The beach will leak into the ground and get sucked up by the plane and wild animals will eat that plant and get sick. Scavengers will now eat that dead animal and get sick as well. Now you see the chain reaction that it will cause if you dump the bleach in the environment.
Conclusion:
The best way to dispose of bleach is to use up the bleach to clean your house and get rid of bacteria. Bleach does not expire so you can have it for a long period of time. If you have to dispose of bleach choose one of the methods above that works for you.
Frequently asked questions:
Can your pour bleach down the drain?
Yes! You can pour bleach down the drain but you need to dilute the bleach before you pour it down the drain so you can degrade it more.
Can I dump Bleach Water Outside?
Yes! Bleach water can be dumped outside out of reach by animals and kids. It is best that you dig a hole that is at least 1 foot deep and dumps the bleach water in it.
What If I Pour Bleach Down The Drain?
Nothing bad will happen if you pour diluted bleach down the drain a few times. If you pour the raw bleach on one occasion it will not cause a problem but if you continuously pour raw or diluted bleach down the drain on a weekly basis you can pollute the environment.