Bleach Spill! Pregnant! HELP!!!!

Posted: Tue, May 15 2012, 2:47 pm Post subject: Bleach Spill! Pregnant! HELP!!!!

I put in a load of laundry and then left the house. Came back in and the house smelled like a swimming pool. Put the kids to bed, then went into the kitchen and saw that the bottle of bleach on top of the washing machine had fallen down, broken, and spilled all over the floor!

What do I do now? I'm pregnant, have two little kids sleeping in the house, and really don't want to be breathing in the fumes. I opened the windows so I wouldn't be breathing them in now. But can I touch the stuff? Should I just take the kids outside as soon as they wake up and let dh do it when he comes home? (We're going out for dinner tonight anyway).

Also, any tips on cleaning up spilled bleach besides just sopping it up with shmattas? I'm assuming I should wash the floor afterwards, right?

wow - if I were you, I would keep away as much as possible and leave it for dh to take care of. I wonder how useful shmattes would be - won't they just disintegrate? maybe scooping it up with a dustpan into a pail would work better? (that's what I do for other spilled liquids)

from now on, please don't leave any dangerous liquids on top of a washing machine - its spinning often tosses things off.
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Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. (I haven't finished growing up yet; I'm still a work in progress - until 120!)

Grin -- I was nervous you'd say that. But is it really better to leave it there on the floor while the kids are sleeping and I'm in the next room (we live in a small apartment, there's nowhere else to go!). Or should I just quickly clean it up and then leave it in a garbage bag outside or something for dh to take to the dumpster?

Never mind. B"H my wonderful father who lives in town is going to be here in a few minutes to help me clean it up. Thank you, though, grin. Without your post, I was planning on just going in there and cleaning it up myself, figured I was making a mountain out of a molehill. When I asked my df, he was very glad I'd called and said I most certainly should not clean it up while pregnant, and he'll bring a mask so he isn't breathing in the fumes as much.

Update: My father cleaned it up, but I went in to help him move something out of there at one point and I did start getting dizzy! I was ordered out of the kitchen.

It's pretty clean now, but I'll wait until tonight to mop it, or ask dh to do it. I'll try to take the kids out of the house as soon as they wake up, but until then, at least I know it's all gone...

Thanks again!