# If common household bleach is left in an open container ....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 17, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047 "2011-08-17T16:52:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/1 "2011-08-17T16:52:21Z")

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If common household bleach is left in an open container what eventually happens?

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**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/2 "2011-08-17T18:10:11Z")

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The room starts to smell like the swimming pool at the local YMCA?

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/3 "2011-08-17T18:43:03Z")

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Someone will eventually knock it over?

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/4 "2011-08-17T18:54:51Z")

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The sun becomes a red giant in a few billion years. Beyond that, don’t press me.

Joe

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/5 "2011-08-17T18:56:04Z")

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its bleaching power will weaken.

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**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/6 "2011-08-17T19:23:06Z")

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I was amused when I did a bit of googling on this to see what the evaporation products of common household bleach would be:

[This learned site has some pretty good answers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=579725).

At least folks were more serious about their answers that time around.

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**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/7 "2011-08-17T19:44:09Z")

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Your mom shows up to visit and tells you to be careful with household cleaning products.

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**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-common-household-bleach-is-left-in-an-open-container/593047/8 "2011-08-17T19:54:36Z")

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> [@minor7flat5](#):
>
> I was amused when I did a bit of googling on this to see what the evaporation products of common household bleach would be:
> 
> [This learned site has some pretty good answers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=579725).
> 
> At least folks were more serious about their answers that time around.

The link provides my answer. BTW after posting I got to thinking that hordes of wiseacres would pile on with facetious answers. I asked the question poorly. Thanks for the link.