# Chemists help. Leaking bleach ate through some wood. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562 "2019-05-26T17:50:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562/21 "2019-05-27T11:55:46Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Thanks Beck. It was an odd find. I was moving stuff out from under the sink to make room to pull the trap and fix a clog. > > “What’s this? I say. Hmmmm. Something must have leaked. I started wiping it up, and instead of up, it went down into the wood. OhOh, I say.” > > I had to inspect closely to find the offending bottle of cleaner. How it got punctured remains a mystery. Perhaps I pissed off Mr. Clean. > > Apologies if I have been harsh in this thread. Rough winter and spring. Summer hasn’t even knocked on the door yet. Two feet of snow this week was hopefully springs last visit. Does your drain run down out the bottom of the cabinet or out the side? and could your bleach have gotten under the bottom and is now [del]affecting[/del] [del]effecting[/del] acting on your subflooring? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562/22 "2019-05-27T12:01:55Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > That’s a great idea. I’m stealing it, Heloise! Really bad idea if you have leaking bleach. Use something less reactive like polyethylene. ---
**Author:** ![Richox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Richox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richox)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562/23 "2019-05-27T13:35:35Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Thanks. A solid answer. I wasn’t planning on using ammonia. Thought that perhaps a wipe of vinegar might help to get the PH closer to zero. Counter act the damage that the chlorine is doing that is soaked in. I guess I was not clear. And that does not sound like a good strategy. Target a pH of 7, otherwise you’re going to be back in the same boat all over again ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562/24 "2019-05-27T18:33:07Z")
> [@Richox](#): > > Target a pH of 7, otherwise you’re going to be back in the same boat all over again Yeah. I did get a ‘B’ in Chemistry 40 years ago. Little rusty. Great teacher though. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562/25 "2019-05-27T18:53:44Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Does your drain run down out the bottom of the cabinet or out the side? and could your bleach have gotten under the bottom and is now [del]affecting[/del] [del]effecting[/del] acting on your subflooring? The sink drain runs out the side. No bleach drained under the cabinet. It may have been 2oz of bleach that leaked out of a bottle. To get rid of the rest of the bottle, I used it to clean the laundry room sink. So I got that, 😃 The bleach that leaked did not penetrate the wood of the vanity, and we are on a concrete slab. No Sub floor. No Joists to worry about. This will not [effect]([Effect Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effect) anything but the vanity itself.) the floor. As I have said, It’s just a 2" x 4" area in the bottom of the vanity. I thought that perhaps, I could counter act the damage by changing the PH of the bleach. I’ll keep my eye on it, but it’s a done deal. Thanks all. I think I should stick to answering questions, instead of asking them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemists-help-leaking-bleach-ate-through-some-wood/834562.md?page=1)