If you can’t make it to the store for a few hours but are desperate to find out if you’re pregnant, the bleach test is a do-it-yourself alternative to a pregnancy test.
But before you go and grab that bottle of bleach, we have done a ton of research to let you know how safe and reliable the bleach pregnancy test really is.
Soon, you’ll know how to use bleach to find out if you’re pregnant and the science behind it, as well as the pros and cons so that you can decide if it’s worth it – or if you should just wait until you can get to the drugstore to buy an official test.
Key Takeaways
- The bleach pregnancy test is a DIY alternative to traditional home pregnancy tests, but it is not a reliable or safe method.
- The technique involves mixing bleach and fresh urine in a cup and observing if the mixture bubbles or foams, indicating a positive pregnancy result.
- The test is based on the belief that bleach reacts with the hormone hCG present in a pregnant woman’s urine, but there are no set guidelines for the amount of bleach and urine to use.
- Mixing bleach and urine can create toxic chloramine gas and can cause various health problems such as nausea, coughing, breathing issues, chest pain, and eye irritation.
- It is not recommended to use the bleach pregnancy test and it is better to wait for an official test or consult a healthcare professional.
What Is The Bleach Pregnancy Test?
This DIY testing method is supposed to be a quick alternative to traditional home pregnancy tests.
The technique is simple – pour some bleach in a cup, add your fresh urine, and wait to see what happens.
But unfortunately, there are no set guidelines for how much bleach and urine to mix together since this isn’t an official method.
If you’re pregnant, the bleach and urine mixture should bubble up and foam. If the mixture doesn’t do anything or just slightly fizzes, you should take that as a negative test result.
Bleach supposedly reacts with the HCG in a pregnant woman’s urine, and that’s why people believe this test works.
You should always ventilate any area that you are using household cleaners, solvents, or paint. Purposely mixing household cleaners and urine is dangerous. Stay safe. You may now be breathing for two!
Editor's Note:
Caitlin Goodwin, MSN, RN, CNMDoes hCG React With Bleach?
A standard pregnancy test works by measuring the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin.
Early in a woman’s pregnancy, her body starts to produce hCG. The levels continue to rise each day dramatically during most of the first trimester.
That’s why home pregnancy tests typically work better if you wait until a week or so after your missed period – although there are tests that can detect pregnancy even before your missed period.
Dangers of the Bleach Pregnancy Test
In case you’ve had better things to do with your life than memorizing the mind-numbingly long and boring names of ingredients found in cleaning products, allow me to blind you with my science skills.
The chemical name for everyday chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite (1). You likely learned some information about it in high school chemistry class, but I’ll be glad to give you a quick refresher course.
Certain chemicals and compounds are not friends. They aren’t even frenemies. They shouldn’t mix at all.
Chlorine bleach and ammonia are like that. Combined, they create a toxic fume called chloramine gas that no one should be around, least of all pregnant women. Normal urine contains urea, which can break down into ammonia (2).
Mixing urine and bleach is not only gross, but it can also create nasty chloramine gas.
Those who are around this gas can experience some terrible side effects, including nausea, coughing, breathing issues, chest pain, pneumonia, and throat, nose, and eye irritation. Inhaling the fumes created by mixing bleach and ammonia can even knock you out if you aren’t in a properly ventilated room (3).
Who Wants to Clean That Up?
If I were going to have two liquids bubbling, fizzing, and spewing in my house, my last two picks would be using bleach and urine.
Watching YouTube videos of people who’ve done this test reminds me of the homemade volcano I made with my kids a couple of years ago. That was made of baking soda and vinegar, and it was still a pain to clean up.
I can’t imagine cleaning up a cocktail of bubbling urine and bleach. But if you did this DIY test, you’d have to.
Remember
I’ve seen videos of people doing this test on a floor with a towel placed under the cup. I have enough cleaning to do at my house without adding to the workload by doing this.
Plus, if I have to put gloves on to clean something up, I don’t want it to be something that could hurt the growing baby in my belly.
Does the Bleach Pregnancy Test Really Work?
Sadly, do-it-yourself home pregnancy tests are seldom reliable.
Despite lots of YouTube videos of people’s bleach tests showing positive results, this test is no better than chance. Some women have had a positive bleach pregnancy test reaction even though they weren’t pregnant.
And even if the bleach test is sometimes right, you’ll likely still feel the need to go to the drugstore, buy a pregnancy test, and confirm the positive result at home anyway.
Waste Of Time?
Learning about pregnancy is an emotional time for moms- and dads-to-be. If I’m riding an emotional roller coaster, I’d prefer to know that the results were accurate and that I wasn’t getting my hopes up because of a test that could well be wrong.
Is It Cheaper?
When I was trying to get pregnant, I was so impatient. I wanted a baby so badly, and I couldn’t wait to find out if my dreams were coming true.
The first day of my missed period I would test to see if I was pregnant. When that pregnancy test was negative, I would wait until the next day and try again. There were times I took two pregnancy tests in one day – one first thing in the morning and one right before bed.
My pregnancy tests didn’t show up positive until the third or fourth day of my missed period. For women who have irregular periods, guessing when to take a pregnancy test is even harder. If they’re as impatient as I was, that adds up to buying a hell of a lot of pregnancy tests.
So, I get it. Pregnancy tests can be expensive. Some tests that say they can detect pregnancies days before a missed period can cost several dollars apiece.
I think I personally kept some of the pregnancy test companies afloat financially during the months I was trying for a baby. I was starting to feel like I had to take out a part-time job just to support my pregnancy test addiction.
But not all pregnancy tests will leave you broke. Some brands that receive great feedback cost less than fifty cents apiece. At that price, you can repeatedly test without feeling like you’ve been ripped off or needing to take out a second mortgage.
Bleach Pregnancy Test FAQs
Is It True If You Pee In Bleach and It Fizzes You’re Pregnant?
No, this isn’t a reliable way to determine if you’re pregnant. The idea behind the bleach pregnancy test is that when urine is mixed with bleach, it’s supposed to produce a fizzy reaction if you’re pregnant. But the idea isn’t foolproof.
The method just isn’t scientifically accurate, and there’s actually no solid evidence to support the claim that the bleach pregnancy test is a reliable way to determine pregnancy.
It’s a great idea to try if you suspect you might be pregnant to determine if you should get a real, accurate pregnancy test.
Is the Bleach Pregnancy Test 100% Accurate?
No, the bleach pregnancy test is definitely not a reliable or accurate way to determine a pregnancy. The reaction between bleach and urine is not specific to the hormones that indicate pregnancy.
The results can actually vary depending on several factors, like the amount of urine and bleach used, the temperature of the mixture, and the timing of the test.
What Does a Positive Bleach Pregnancy Test Look Like?
If you do decide to take a bleach pregnancy test, a positive result is said to be indicated by a fizzy or bubbling reaction between the bleach and your urine.
But, just remember that this reaction is not specific to pregnancy, and could be caused by other factors involved, like the pH level of your urine or the temperature of the mixture.
What Does It Mean When Your Pee Bubbles in Bleach?
When you mix bleach and urine, it’s not uncommon for the mixture to produce a bubbling or fizzing reaction.
This is because bleach is a strong base, and healthy urine is slightly acidic, so the combination of the two substances can produce a chemical reaction that releases gas. But this reaction is not specific to pregnancy and can occur for a bunch of other reasons.
Who Needs the Worry?
Expectant moms worry all the time. They need to remember to take their daily multi-vitamin, they have to avoid certain foods, and they shouldn’t drink or smoke. And, even if they do everything perfectly, things can still go wrong.
The bleach pregnancy test can give women just one more reason to beat themselves up. They aren’t only exposing themselves to toxic fumes – they are also exposing their unborn child, any other children who live in their household, and their significant other.
Even if nothing seems to go wrong while doing the bleach test inside your home, is it worth the extra worry when you can buy a cheap pregnancy test instead?
I hate the idea of women having one more reason to second-guess themselves. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if any of my actions caused my son’s peanut allergy or my daughter’s viral-induced asthma. Let me tell you, mom guilt is real, and it’s brutal.
My Opinion?
A standard pregnancy test can be bought for less than $1 at Walmart, has a proven record of being accurate, and is a lot less messy. In my opinion, that’s the better choice.
