Bleach as an odor eliminator

 

Mixing diluted ammonia or urea with diluted chlorine is not dangerous and in fact is what goes on in swimming pools and spas. The reactions are as follows:

2NH₃ + 3HOCl --> N₂(g) + 3H⁺ + 3Cl^- + 3H₂O
Ammonia + Hypochlorous Acid --> Nitrogen Gas + Hydrogen Ion + Chloride Ion + Water

(NH₂)₂CO + 2HOCl + 1/2 O₂ --> N₂(g) + CO₂(g) + 2H⁺ + 2Cl^- + 2H₂O
Urea + Hypochlorous Acid + Dissolved Oxygen --> Nitrogen Gas + Carbon Dioxide Gas + Hydrogen Ion + Chloride Ion + Water

If you were to use concentrated solutions, especially of chlorine, then you can form higher order chloramines including nitrogen trichloride which smells really bad and is irritating and in sufficient concentrations, dangerous. We are not talking about high concentrations, so therefore you are way off the mark.

 

Grimel, if you make another inaccurate post like the one above, I will stuff you right back where you came from, the dreaded Recoil Scrub Pit.

 

H202, needs to be handled with caution, although it's many benifits from adding to drinking water to harsh cleaning tasks, it would not be cost effective in your application.

 

                                                          Nightrider

 

There have been times when I walked into a house and it was as if I walked into a giant urinary tract. Of course, it would be best to simply discard the carpet and pad, clean the subfloor etc. but some customers don't want that for varying reasons. I have found that a dab of bleach in your extraction water works better than anything. Of course I would also recommend water claw flushes and make sure you charge a significant amount extra for it. I would stay away from the $75 a gallon chemicals because they are too expensive and don't even work as well as a $3 gallon of bleach. You just have to be very conservative with how much bleach you use so you don't damage the carpet.