NEED HELP - Muriatic Acid Accident
Hello - this site is the only one I found that has so much info on Muriatic Acid and I am hoping you can help me!
We had a bottle of acid stored on a painted wooden shelf (in the back) that is above the washing machine (along with other cleaners - RainX, CLR, etc.) in small laundry room - we pretty much forgot it was there ... do not have a pool anymore ... but we had used it for that. Not sure if it had been opened or not.
We just arrived home after being gone 6 days and as we had some damp clothes, getting them in the washer was priority. Something had spilled onto the middle of the washer lid, and a good amount had dripped into the tub. It is thick and yellowish, for the most part dry, with a sticky/oily feeling and somewhat of a sweet smell. We could see drip residue on the shelf edge, but no damage to the wood.
Thinking it had to be a cleaner from the shelf, I added a touch of laundry soap and started a quick wash cycle. Then I started to clean the lid with a wet rag and Fantastic, while my husband started taking stuff off the shelf. We could see something on the shelf, but no clue what is was. We could not find a active leak in any of the bottles, but the acid bottle which was the last one to come down, had bumps all over the outside of it, like it had chicken pox. (I kinda smelled the acid then) so I opened the washer and the suds were just a bit too BUBBLY if ya know what I mean. Ran it through a few hot water rinse cycles. Then turned on the exhaust fan, threw a towel over the washer lid and washed my hands for like 10 minutes!!
All I could quickly find on the net that was more than just the chemical stuff references - was this site. I poured baking soda all over the washer lid and into the tub, which still shows a bit of yellow, and began this letter................
Now I know I probably sound frantic, we just don't know what to do next?????
Thanks in advance,
A very tired traveler - Michelle
The bottle is now wrapped in 3 garbage bags and sitting outside.