Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Inhaled bleach

May 7, 2015 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

my roommate left bleach in the toilet with the windows closed. I smelled it when I entered the apartment, but thought she had just cleaned. We were in another room for about an hour and I only noticed the smell again when leaving. So, I only took a breath once or twice when looking into the bathroom and passing by when leaving the apartment. And spent an hour in the adjacent room with the door closed. The bathroom has no window or ventilation.

Could I have been harmed? What should I watch out for and what should I do? Should I see a doctor? I read that bleach can also react and produce chlorine gas. But inhaling bleach alone is supposed to be bad?

Best regards.

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good day,

Under no circumstances could you have been harmed by these events! Bleach may smell strong, but in this dosage it does not harm the mucous membrane when inhaled (otherwise it would not be approved as a cleaning agent). What you read there was clearly exaggerated!

Everyone who cleans with bleach inhales much more than you did.

Therefore, you do not need to see a doctor or worry about anything.

Sincerely, Dr. Höllering