You’ve walked into your house and it smells a bit like a swimming pool with a bleach smell. Or, you turned on the facuet and get a whiff of chlorine odor. Where are those chlorine smells coming from?
Chlorine smells in a house may come from cleaning products themselves, mixtures of cleaning products, municipal drinking water, new appliances, or even some hidden surprising sources!
I Smell Chlorine In My Home-What Do I Do?
Anytime you smell chlorine, you should investigate the cause. While a small whiff of chlorine isn’t dangerous, a persisent, overpowering chlorine odor can impact your body.
Locate the source of the smell. If the chlorine smell is very strong and/or persistent, this is a critical step.
If needed, ventilate the area well, until the smell is gone with fresh air from fans or outside. Have another person to sniff around to check if the smell is gone, because you may still smell chlorine stuck in your nostrils for a little while.
Take action to prevent the smell from coming back. This includes properly disposing of leaking chemicals, separating ammonia-based cleaners from other cleaners, or other steps to avoid another accidental chlorine smell.
Chlorine Smell From Mixing Cleaning Products
Certain household cleaners mixed or misused will produce dangerous chlorine gas or other toxic fumes. Here’s a breakdown of how this happens:
Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) + Ammonia: When these two common cleaning agents are mixed, they produce chloramine vapors. Chloramine vapors are harmful when inhaled, causing shortness of breath and chest pain.
Bleach + Acidic Cleaners (e.g., vinegar, some toilet bowl cleaners, and lime/lemon-based cleaners): Mixing bleach with an acid releases chlorine gas, which is harmful to respiratory systems and can be deadly in high concentrations or prolonged exposure.
Bleach + Alcohol: Combining these produces chloroform, a toxic compound that can cause dizziness, nausea, and even unconsciousness.
Chlorine gas has a pungent, irritating smell, similar to the smell of bleach but stronger and more choking. Even short-term exposure to chlorine gas is harmful, causing respiratory problems, eye irritation, and a host of other symptoms. If someone is exposed to chlorine gas or any other toxic fumes, get them to fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.
For safety:
- Always read product labels before using and mixing.
- Never mix cleaning products unless the label explicitly says it’s safe to do so.
- Ensure good ventilation when using strong chemicals or cleaners.
- Store chemicals in their original containers with clear labels, out of the reach of children and pets.
What Else Causes A Pool Smell In My House?
When a house smells like chlorine, there are a few possible reasons behind it:
Cleaning Products with Bleach
One of the most common sources of a chlorine-like smell in homes is the use of bleach-based cleaning products. Chlorine bleach is a popular disinfectant and stain remover. If someone recently cleaned the house, especially bathrooms or the kitchen, using bleach cleaners the chlorine smell lingers. Laundry bleach added to a washing machine creates chlorine smells as well.
Leftover Cleaning Products
Bleach left in a drain, like a shower or sink drain, can generate a smell when disturbed by adding more water. If you notice a temporary chlorine smell that immediately goes away after running water down the drain, it may be leftover product trapped in the drain’s p-trap.
Water Supply
Municipal water suppliers are required to disinfect drinking water for public consumption. Many add chlorine or chloramines (a combo of chlorine and ammonia) to the water to disinfect it and kill harmful microorganisms. If the concentration is high, or the water supplier notifies you of a temporary water change, you might notice a chlorine smell when you first turn on the tap, shower, or fill the bathtub.
New Appliances
New appliances that deal with water, such as refrigerators with water dispensers or ice makers, might emit a chlorine smell the first few times they are used. This is typically due to the sterilization process during manufacturing or the presence of components like water filters that contain activated charcoal.
Ventilation and Air Circulation
If chlorine or bleach was used in any part of the home and the area without adequate ventilation, chlorine smells linger and spread through the house, especially if air conditioning or heating systems circulate the air.
Hidden Issues
Underlying issues, such as mold or mildew growth, often occur in hidden corners, behind walls, or under floors. In attempts to treat these problems, homeowners or professionals might use chlorine-based products, leading to the smell. If everyone in the home is not aware of the treatment, they could breathe the chlorine smell unnecessarily. Proper ventilation disperses the smell within minutes.
Pool Close to the House
If there’s a chlorinated swimming pool nearby and the ventilation system or open windows pull in air from that direction, you might occasionally catch a whiff of chlorine, especially after pool maintenance. The smell should go away in a few minutes to hours.
Powerwashing/Pressurewashing
Powerwashers, also known as pressurewashers, can add cleaners to the wash water to increase their cleaning power. Household (laundry) bleach kills and removes mildew, algae, or lichen from structures, brightens light-colored materials, and is commonly used in pressurewashing. If you or your neighbor had their house pressurewashed, you may smell a bit of chlorine for a few hours afterward outside, or possibly even inside your home if the wind carries the smell to your outside air conditioner unit.
Except for cleaning products, all of these sources of chlorine smells are not dangerous if they are weak and go away quickly.
When Is Smelling Chlorine Around My Home Normal?
Since chlorine bleach is a common cleaning and disinfecting agent used around the house, there are times when smelling bleach is normal and not a cause for concern. Below is a table summarizing when smelling chlorine around your home is normal.
| Reason for Smelling Chlorine at Home | Is this Normal, Concerning, or Dangerous? |
| Using Cleaning Products with Bleach | Normal |
| Leftover Cleaning Products in Drain | Normal |
| Water from Kitchen/Bathroom Tap or Shower/Tub | Normal |
| New Appliances | Normal |
| Indoor Ventilation and Air Circulation | Normal |
| Pool Close to the House | Normal |
| Powerwashing/Pressurewashing Outside | Normal |
| Hidden Issues Treated with Bleach Product | Concerning |
| Improperly Mixed Cleaning Products | Dangerous |