Can Bleach Make You Sick?

June 16, 2022 Leave a Comment

When we talk about disinfecting products, bleach is one of the first words that come to mind. Bleach is sold in multiple forms, and it's a common sight within households, office settings, and even in the storage areas of hospitals and other healthcare centers. None of that changes the fact that each time you use bleach, harmful chemicals are released into the environment, contaminating the air you breathe and permeating many of the surfaces you touch on a daily basis.

Now, can bleach make you sick? Some people risk using bleach in their daily life without seeing any major change. You may trust that the effects of bleach will be manageable if you keep a safe distance and refrain from inhaling too deeply while it dries, but the truth is that there are many ways for chemical cleaners to get into our bodies.

What Is Bleach?

Bleach is found in a number of products, from stain removers to surface cleaners and disinfectants. While on its own, it can't remove residue, bleach is mostly used to kill germs and bacteria after a surface has been scrubbed clean.

In essence, bleach is no more than a mixture of chemicals, namely sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and smaller amounts of additives like sodium persulfate, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium hypochlorite. In theory, the percentage of sodium hypochlorite in chlorine bleach is enough to kill germs and bacteria, and this brings a new layer of risks when we want to use multiple cleaning products on a single surface.

Because sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidizer, it is used in a number of industries. Meanwhile, bleach is one of the most inexpensive alternatives when it comes to cleaners and disinfectants, so it's used in a variety industries and settings despite the toxic chemicals in its formula. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has certified bleach as an effective disinfectant, but that does not dimmish the health risks that custodians suffer due to constant exposure. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that bleach can wreak havoc on a person's body when it's a fixture in their cleaning and disinfecting habits.

The Effects of Bleach on the Human Body

One of the reasons why it's important to know about the dangers of bleach is because it's in many of the household cleaning products commonly found on the market. To name a few examples, you can find bleach in your toilet cleaner, dishwashing liquid, glass cleaners, and laundry detergent/whiteners.


How exactly can bleach make you sick?

• Short-term problems include headaches, dizziness, eye irritation, and allergies.


• If swallowed, bleach may cause strong bouts of nausea, abdominal pain, and throat irritation, which is why it's so important for homeowners to keep any bleach-based formulas out of children's reach.


• Respiratory issues may include shortness of breath, cough, chest pains, and irritation of the throat and nasal passages. In more severe cases, exposure to bleach might cause lung damage and onset diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia.


• Direct contact can result in burns, skin allergies, or infection. If bleach gets into a person's eyes, the consequences range from irritation to permanent tissue damage.


• Studies have linked bleach exposure to chronic conditions like kidney failure and osteoporosis.

It is recommended to dilute bleach formulas when there are no more options at hand, mixing one part of bleach with 10 parts of water. If you must use bleach, you need to keep your face, arms, and hands covered at all times. A miscalculation might still result in splashes on your skin, so have soap and water at hand to scrub them off.

What Makes GenEon Technologies the Ideal Alternative

If you're looking for maximum disinfecting power without adding more risks into the mix, GenEon Technologies has the answer. We have rewritten the concept of sustainable cleaning by harnessing the power of natural minerals to create cleaning, degreasing, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions that can kill 99.999% of common germs in less than 60 seconds.


GenEon's products result from a process called electrochemical activation (ECA). Through the use of natural minerals, water, and electricity, the sanitizers and disinfectants created with our technology remain harmless to people and pets, with little to no fumes or VOCs to contaminate the air or damage the surfaces they touch.

GenEon's systems allows users to create electrochemically activated solutions on-site.. It goes as follows: one of the natural minerals that GenEon uses as a catalyst is salt, which is a compound comprised of sodium and chloride. Sodium ions are positively charged, and chloride ions are negatively charged. GenEon Onsite Generators expose these ions to a low electrical charge. The positive side of the charge electrochemically converts the chloride ion (Cl) to hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is a powerful sanitizer. The negative side of the charge electrochemically converts the sodium ion (Na) into sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is a cleaning compound commonly found in soaps and detergents. Unlike many other OSG systems, GenEon's system is a Blended Stream System that uses both versions in the same solution. The hypochlorous solution is represented as Free Available Chlorine (FAC) that has 80-200 times the disinfecting power of chlorine bleach.

The result are cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions that surpass bleach on all fronts when it comes to disinfecting power against germs, viruses, and bacteria. Thanks to GenEon's solutions, cleaning, and disinfecting practices are safer for janitorial workers, homeowners and others, including children, who may be exposed. On the one hand, you can kill germs much faster when compared to the average dwell time for most store-bought products. On the other hand, cleaning staff can forgo the risks of handling multiple products to reach proper hygienic conditions, using our solutions to clean, degrease, sanitize, and disinfect each surface and appliance. Our products also remove the need to store potentially harmful chemicals, reducing costs and preserving people's continued well-being in the process.

Learn More About GenEon's Products

GenEon's technology has been perfected to match the standards of all settings, including schools, medical facilities, restrooms, gyms, commercial establishments, and residential buildings. Our Instaflow produces the right amount of cleaning and sanitizing solutions to cover most of your facility cleaning needs. Our Trio Rx, produces a high-level EPA Registered Disinfectant and is ideal when used with the Mist Sprayer/Blower to enhance workability while distributing our non-toxic disinfectants all over a room with little to no fumes left behind. All our products create healthier spaces because we guarantee a true eco-friendly system that protects people while safeguarding natural resources.


If you want to start introducing eco-friendly solutions into your cleaning and disinfecting routine, GenEon Technologies is your best choice. Our products and solutions will help you maintain a hygienic environment and promote safer living conditions. Don't hesitate to fill out the form on our website to learn more about our technology and its benefits.

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