Kitchen

[RinaRina]

This morning, I scrubbed down my kitchen countertop with Clorox "Germicidal" bleach.  After about 30 minutes the entire downstairs smelled like Clorox and the odor was burning my nose.  So, I sprayed "Simple Green" over the counter and wiped it down again.  Now it's stinking up the house!  So, ... I put my MONSTER Honeywell Air Purifier in the living room and turned it up high.  Ugh!  It's just circulating the odor.

HOW do I get rid of that awful chemical smell?  Smells worse than the inside of a sweaty tennis shoe.

How about wiping lavender oil on the Air Purifier filter?  Would that work?

[novamc1]

Even if the weather might not be conducive to open windows, maybe you should open them anyway and air out the house.  Mixing other cleaning materials with bleach is quite dangerous because of the toxic fumes that can be released.  Ammonia and bleach are especially deadly together (if I remember correctly) and most bath and kitchen cleansers have labels warning about mixing with other cleaning materials.

[RedTop]

My suggestion is to heat, in the microwave, or on the stove, some white vinegar to help neutralize the odor.   When I heat this on the stove, I put about a cup of water and maybe half a cup of vinegar in a pot, boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, turn the pot off and let the vinegar continue to do its job.   I would not put anything on the air filter.   

[novamc1]

You've probably already done this, but I'd get some towels, wet a few of them and keep some dry.  Then get as much water on the countertop as you can with the wet towels and dry off with the others.   That won't clear the air, of course, but will get rid of any lingering residue on the counter.

[ChynnaBlue]

Every time you spray something else on there, you are making it worse and adding to the fumes that could become a health hazard, as well. Please stop adding anything to the mess. Open every window in the area and spend the rest of the day outside or in another part of the house. Leave it be and air it out, do NOT try to alter the smell by adding more smells. That just never works out well for anyone.

I only use bleach with windows open or with the fan on if it's a windowless bathroom. In the summer when it's too hot outside to open windows, I don't use bleach unless I absolutely have to.

[okaywitheasypay]

I am sure by now the odor has gone. When I have odors I find that an open window and fans,fans , & more fans directing it out are the best. Then air purifiers if you have them even a few days after.

Also I believe I read in studies that vinegar is just about as good at killing germs as bleach without being as toxic. Of course there are times for bleach.

[TTerri]

The title of your thread is misleading. In your thread you're asking for ways to remove odors from the air, not the countertops, as the title says.

[chickenbutt]

I agree about not adding stuff to bleach at this point.  Some things and bleach don't mix! 

Because we have a bird and I have problematic lungs, I use bleach extremely infrequently and exceedingly sparingly.   I hate to think how it is wafting through the house.

Will it just go away on its own, eventually?

[JGalt]

I can't help the OP, but wanted to point out to those who don't have much bleach experience: it doesn't take much bleach in your bleach to water ratio for the bleach to do its germicidal and other functions.  

For sanitizing counter tops, use 2 tsp. bleach in a gallon of water. Let it sit for 2 mins., then rinse with clean water.  Clorox.com has lots of information on cleaning with bleach.  Just remember, use teeny bit of bleach in your spray bottle.  It will do its job well, and you won't have the lingering odor.

[ID2]

The OP doesn't even mention what type of countertop she has that she's trying to get rid of the odor on! You should NEVER use Simple Green (full strength) in any part of your kitchen area. No where around food! Simple Green is a very heavy duty cleaner and is very fragrant! Using bleach then using SImple Green is the biggest mistake! Sorry can't help.