OCD and a Drano nightmare

Hello to Everyone,

I am new to this forum and this is my first post, so I hope you will all bear with my rambling here on what is a very long story, but the in depth details are required so you can get the whole picture. I share this not only for your information, but also for your opinions.

I am a diagnosed OCD patient, and I am already under doctor's care for it. I have a specific fear of germs, and very recently, household chemicals. I also suffer from panic disorder, but have that under control. I take no medications whatsoever for anything.

In early April, I went to put Drano Max Gel down a slow draining bathroom sink in my upstairs bathroom. It was an old bottle, and upon removing the cap, there was some leftover crud on the cap grooves which I was not aware of...which proceeded to break apart into a fine dust and spill all over the front of the wooden vanity. I panicked, put the cap back on, took the bottle downstairs, and immediately put it into a garbage bag I had there just in case.

I cleaned up the area as best as I could (vanity, sink, floor, etc) once with 7th Generation wipes and again with Dawn soap and water. I also wiped off the carpeted steps with the 7th Gen wipes (though I didn't see any residue come off of the bottle). I should also mention that rubber gloves were worn for all of this and everything that follows below wherever cleaning was performed.

At this point, I had also realized that I forgot to put the hairdryer away , which was at least 5 feet away on the opposite side of the sink (it's a double sink/vanity) before the mess happened. As far as I could tell nothing got on it. I should have thrown it away right then and there, but since everyone I know accuses me of being so paranoid, I decided to just wipe it off and put it on a ledge that overlooks my living room below for the time being.

I was very anxious about all of this since I know of two people who were injured from Drano previously. I did all sorts of research online for this issue, but there is actually very little available, let alone any info at all about when the Max Gel hardens into a solid form. In the mean time, I cleaned the sink/vanity about 5 more times with Dawn soap, water, and paper towels over the next few days.

My research continued. I called the manufacturer hoping for more info. The lady I spoke with was rather condescending, and seemed like she was trying to hold back laughter as we talked. After putting me on hold for several minutes, she declared that my cleaning actions were "above and beyond the call of duty" and that "everything should be fine". She did claim, also, that the gel loses its strength when it dries into a solid.

Well, when you suffer from OCD, rarely is anything ever fine, done, or ok. My anxiety continued to haunt me, and so I called Poison Control to see if they could offer any advice. The lady there was really short with me, sounded like she didn't want to be bothered, and just told me to wipe everything down with "soap and a lot of water".

I cleaned the vanity at least another 5 times in the following days. Despite this, my anxiety got much worse, so I called ServPro for their advice. The man I spoke with was very kind and patient. We had a long talk about it and the chemical cleanup overall. He basically reinforced that what I did was correct. I told him I was concerned also by this point that I may have tracked some of the residue through the house from the stairs (again, I never saw any spill from the bottle, but you know...) and he said vacuuming would be enough for that. But I wasn't so sure..

April finishes, my anxiety gets worse, and I still avoided the bathroom sink....my OCD fears grow and evolve into all sorts of new fears and paranoias. By May, I was only using the kitchen sink for all hand washing, and anytime I put clothes on or took them off I was washing my hands and arms. I eventually was taking multiple showers per day just to feel clean or before going to bed.

One day, as I sat on my living room couch while eating and watching TV, I remembered the hairdryer above me...and began worrying about that. Despite cleaning the couch, ledge, and finally throwing the hairdryer away, I eventually stopped sitting there and watching TV altogether.

By the end of May, my fears were so overwhelming that I called in ServPro to examine the vanity in person. They thought it was fine as it was, but offered to clean the vanity, sink, and stairs for "peace of mind". A few days and $400 later, they were back doing that very thing. I was so nervous and anxious that I couldn't watch them do it. Oh, and I should mention that the guy doing the sink appeared to have either the start or end of a cold sore on his lower lip (a big phobia of mine), which put my anxiety to the test. Even more concerning, though, was the fact that his rubber gloves tore during the cleaning and he kept blowing his nose with the same gloves, but he never bothered to replace them one single time (by comparison, I go thru boxes of them per month thru my normal living due to my condition). I also should mention that I had told them upfront to throw anything in, around, or under the vanity away including the small plastic garbage pail near it - I wanted everything gone.

To their credit, they did a good job on the sink/vanity and the stairs never looked better. They basically cleaned their way out of the house so as to not track anything around, etc. Not sure what type of cleaner they used, but they claimed it was their own all natural brand which "killed everything". I thanked them, they left...and the I proceeded to spend the next 12 hours (no joke) going over the entire path again thanks to my fear of germs. I lost count of how many showers I took, but I know that 8 large containers of Lysol wipes were gone by the evening, as were 4 rolls of paper towels.

The next day, I was mentally preparing myself at work to get back to normal. I spent all day getting used to the idea that maybe it was finally all behind me. Or so I thought...

I got home and took a shower. There is a small closet with a bi-fold door right next to the sink where the spill occurred. I went to open the closet, but the door was stuck, which never happened before. I forced it open...and out falls the little garbage can I told them to throw away. Which meant that the germy guy was in my closet. Which meant his same gloves used to clean a volatile chemical off of my vanity touched the closet. Which meant that my closet was no longer safe....

I threw everything from the closet away, which filled 4 or 5 garbage bags. The closet door was shut, and along with the sinks, has not been touched since. But I get to walk past it every time I go in or out of the bathroom.

I have been trying to bring myself to use the sinks and closet, but I am still fearful that something was missed and I will get Drano on me, or worse on my toothbrush, etc. I have stopped using my couch despite having wiped it off a few times. I fear that my floors now contain ultra fine specs of Drano crud that will somehow get on my body, somehow get ingested, and will kill me. I haven't bothered to vacuum because I fear that the Drano will contaminate the vacuum cleaner and the floor will still be contaminated. I am taking so many showers a day that I have to buy soap every few days. This has been my life since the 2nd week of April, with no relief in sight.

I find this situation very difficult to deal with because there is a low, though still potential risk of bodily injury from the Drano. And why hasn't it hurt me so far? Are all of my extreme measures keeping me safe, is it pure luck, or is there just nothing there at all and I am wasting my time completely?

Despite my OCD, I took this situation very seriously and have tried to stay as rational as possible up to this point. I have been dealing with a chemical that can cause death if not properly handled, and though what happened was all an accident, I hate myself for ever I opening the bottle in the first place.

I must also say that I am very disappointed with Drano's customer service, the lack of info on their site (their material data safety sheet isn't much better than what's printed on the bottle), the lack of care/concern on Poison Control's part, and how ServPro's employee not only didn't listen to what I specifically asked for, but also couldn't be bothered to put on a second pair of gloves to protect himself from a potential risk. The so called experts all leave a lot to be desired. I tried to do all the right things but I don't feel any better off for having done so.

Regardless...My psychologist and I have tried doing exposure therapy over the past few weeks but I've failed in every way. She is now recommending that I get into a group therapy program that will somehow help me, but I can't see what that would do for me. I've tried to muster up the strength to get a carpet shampooer to do the rugs, but I am just exhausted at this point. I would consider moving, but my job will be eliminated in a few months so that would just complicate things at this point. Well, that and the fact that I would fear contaminating my household items while removing them from my house.

So... that's the story. Would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has dealt with anything even remotely similar, has some suggestions on how to fight this, or may be suffering in similar ways and wants to compare notes. I'm open to pretty much any or all ideas at this point. I've just about tried everything else.

Above all, thanks for reading and I thank you for your time.

I have contamination issues too, but I think you're pretty much in the clear as far as the drano incident is concerned. Any health problems that might have occurred would have happened soon after. Your initial reaction and extensive clean-up were definitely enough to prevent you from absorbing/ingesting any of the chemical.

Nothing lasts forever. Whether it's a rotten apple or a bit of hazardous chemical. Over time, things break down and dissipate. There is probably more toxicity from the air in your home than residue from the drano. (And by 'the air in your home' I don't mean your home specifically. Unless you live high on a mountain or out in the middle of nowhere, there are always minute traces of toxic stuff in the air we breathe, everywhere in the world)

The same goes for the broken glove guy. Any traces of what he touched or left behind in your place have long dissipated, breaking down into smaller and smaller molecules until they are practically nonexistent. If you're cleaning your home regularly, they've all been wiped or vacuumed up a long time ago. Even the toughest germs die eventually.

Some hints: I also do not like it when dried chemicals flake off unexpectedly. Luckily I very rarely use drano, but I do use a lot of bleach, which is also pretty toxic, especially now that most of the bleach you buy is concentrated.

When I do use bleach, I make sure to wipe off the lips and threads of both the bottle and cap with a paper towel. This removes all of the bleach there so that next time I open it, there is never any flaky residue. Try it...it works well. You can do it with drano, too.

Another thing is vacuuming. When the spill occurred, I would have immediately vacuumed every inch of the area with one of the vacuum's tools. This would remove 99% of the offending chemical efficiently. Adding water and wiping, I think, would only spread it around before repeated wiping was able to eliminate it. I know you're worried about contaminating your vacuum: is it bagless? That's understandably worrisome, as emptying the refuse cup is difficult to do cleanly. If your vacuum is bagless, I recommend getting a canister vacuum that uses bags. This way whatever you vacuum up is contained in the bag. If necessary, the bag can be discarded even before it's full in case you vacuumed something up you don't want around anymore.

Lastly, I can relate to the unhelpful/condescending attitude of the manufacturer and poison control. These people are not remained to deal with OCDers and can add insult to injury in a situation like this. A while back, my doctor suggested I go for a routine testing. This triggered a whole lot of OCD fears, so I called the place and explained that I had OCD and was worried about certain aspects of the test. I went into detail and was calm and succinct. After listening, the woman on the other end just said "Oh You'll be fine". I don't think she listened to a word I said.

Thanks for your kind reply and detailed response. I fully appreciate where you are coming from, and you seem like you have some experience with this type of disaster, so I have a couple of questions please.

I have a Shark vacuum which is bagless, but I would not be against tossing the whole thing if that would solve my issue once I was done using it. Do you think it's too late to vacuum at this point? As stated in my story, I've had no problems physically, so I want to believe along your line of thinking that the residue must have broken up by now and the vacuum should be enough. Or do you think it's better to shampoo the rugs just to be safe? I want to believe also that with all the showers I've taken and all the water that's gotten on my floors would have watered down any crud also, but I could be wrong.

Also....your idea about wiping the cap and threads is something I should have thought of before. It's an excellent idea and would have saved me some trouble here if I was using my head. But Drano will never set foot in my home again. In fact, I was using vinegar in the sink up to that point and I wasn't helping so I pulled out the big guns, and well you know the rest...

And for the record, if any other readers out there use either vinegar or Drano on their sinks, make sure you NEVER EVER mix them...you could cause a chemical reaction and release a toxic gas.

1138 wrote:Do you think it's too late to vacuum at this point? As stated in my story, I've had no problems physically, so I want to believe along your line of thinking that the residue must have broken up by now and the vacuum should be enough. Or do you think it's better to shampoo the rugs just to be safe? I want to believe also that with all the showers I've taken and all the water that's gotten on my floors would have watered down any crud also, but I could be wrong.

No need to vacuum now. If anything was left behind after your initial cleanup, which is doubtful, it's been dispersed and broken down by now. I suppose you could shampoo the rugs if you wanted, but a thorough vacuuming would be better. Shampooing a carpet isn't always the best idea if you want it free of debris. Getting a carpet wet will only reconstitute whatever has dried up there and the water may make it sink deeper into the pile. If you do shampoo, remember that the most important step is to vacuum the shampooed area once it is completely dry. This will remove anything left over that has dried and clung to the carpet fibers.

Sorry for my late reply, but I've been working nonstop on this since the last post.

Naps..I really appreciate your kind help and support here. You were the first step in my recovery.

Just to give a quick update on this...

1. I wound up in group therapy for all of August over this situation. It sort of helped, but not much.

2. I've been off on medical leave since, and tentatively return to work on 10/17.

3. I've been working with my therapist on doing things around the house that expose me to the areas I have been concerned about. I did wind up vacuuming and feel better about the floors. This week, I am finally addressing the couch and hope to be watching TV on it by the end of the week.

4. Last step will finally be using the bathroom sink. That's going to be tough for me, but I will try.

My point for resurrecting this is because I have worked very hard to overcome this issue and I hope to inspire anyone else out there who might be struggling with something similar.

I will post again once further along.

Thanks.