There are many great things about having a swimming pool (or a hot tub – or both), but maintenance isn’t one of them. Beyond checking filters, dealing with pool covers, and yanking out leaves, the careful balance of chemistry in your pool to keep it perfect for you and your family while inhospitable to microorganisms is a major chore. So when you find yourself with old pool chemicals after changing brands or finding them expired, it’s a little harder than you might think to dispose of them.
Hazards
- Sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in most pool chemicals, can irritate eyes and skin.
- Sodium hypochlorite is highly reactive and can cause garage or household fires if in contact with organic materials.
- Other pool cleaning products include sanitizers, oxidizers, water and pH balancers, and specialty chemicals.
Handling
- Handle with rubber gloves.
- When sodium hypochlorite mixes with ammonia or vinegar, common chemicals in other cleaning products, the two combine to form chlorine and phosgene gas, deadly in high concentrations.
- Learn more about chlorine products, including sodium hypochlorite, in our blog, Disposing of Chlorine: Pool and Cleaning Products.
Management Options
- Sodium hypochlorite is the same chemical used in most water treatment facilities. Check with your facility to see if they will accept it.
- Do not dispose of it in the trash or down the drain.
- Take to hazardous household waste collection day or a Household Hazardous Product Collection Center.
This information was brought to you by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and NEDT. For more information, including links to their guides, visit our Fact Sheets & Links page, and make sure to check out our NEDT Blog and Household Hazardous Products Resources for more in-depth information.
