Bottle of sulphuric acid worries me!

[DinkyDaisy]

Hello,
I am tidying and found unopened box containing unopened bottle of sulphuric acid. Box feels heavy so assume in glass bottle.
Been in kitchen for years on a shelf. Put in bottom shelf now at back of a cupboard. Supposed to be one shot drain cleaner. Concerns me having it.
Obviously dangerous if opened but is it safe to keep unopened? Want rid really...
Asking Mumsnet before asking my handyman type neighbour... Who may laugh at me!

If you want rid of it, surely the easiest solution is to pour the drain cleaner down the drain?

I am assuming it is a domestic drain cleaner that you can buy in a shop rather than a specialist professional product? It is illegal to keep sulphuric acid with a concentration higher than 15% without a licence.

Trying to work out how strong it is from the box as don't want to open the box

Just pour it down the drain? Or pour it onto lots of baking soda in the drain. Or with running water if you’re that nervous

Looks like you can buy on line....
However, I would not want to use it... Looks like dangerous stuff.
Will probably ask neighbour about it and for moment leave unopened in safe place.

More information I am reading realise being over dramatic. One shot drain cleaner...

Thank you for your calm advice!

Without knowing what strength it is, I would be very careful about doing either of these options.

The safest thing you do with it is to follow the instructions exactly.

It contains concentrated sulphuric acid so it is really dangerous. When I was doing a science degree one of my classmates got a small amount on the back of her hand - it burnt away the skin quickly and she had to have a skin graft.

I wouldn't pour it onto baking soda or any other alkaline substance either. The chemical reaction would be very intense and give off a lot of heat, possibly making the acid boil and spit.

Maybe take it to a household recycling centre and hand it to one of the employees for proper disposal?

Or you could carefully pour it down the drain, so long as you haven't got a septic tank.

https://www.dcs.supplies/datasheets/4910.pdf

Take it to your local waste recycling centre to be properly disposed of rather than pouring it down the drain.

scientist here. Definitely terrible advice to pour it down the sink with baking soda. Yes it will neutralise but the reaction generates gas and heat. It will potentially erupt all over you.

I neutralise acid regularly, but in a very controlled way. In a beaker, being stirred and slowly add small quantities of sodium carbonate which is washing soda, checking rhe ph with litmus paper until it’s at pH 7. Then can go down the sink.

if it’s 98% it’s really dangerous. I would take it to a tip that has chemical disposal.

No soda with acid, you'll get bubbles, heat and possibly splattered which would be a very bad time

Add some acid to large amounts of water, let the water drain out, repeat.

If you'd rather hand off responsibility ask your local pharmacy if they'll take it.

Thank you all. One shot drain cleaner seems to be 91%.
I am going to keep unopened in safe place and think about taking to recycling centre or appropriate place to get rid of for me. I won't use it or try to dispose of.

Ring the local chemist and see if they'll take it.

That is not not domestic OTC drain cleaner! If it's 91%, you need a licence to buy it. I suggest you call the refuse team at your local council to arrange safe disposal.

Here is the data sheet for it:

https://www.selcobw.com/media/files/CS182181586%20MSDS%20Information_v4.pdf

From the data sheet:

General information
Waste is classified as hazardous waste. Disposal to licensed waste disposal site in accordance with the local Waste Disposal Authority.
13.1. Waste treatment methods
Dispose of waste and residues in accordance with local authority requirements. Confident professionals may dispose of waste residues, by diluting into an excess of water and neutralising through careful and slow addition of an aqueous alkaline solution.

There is absolutely no way I am going to open the box!
I will look into safe disposal.
It is stored safely from children and animals...
I did not buy it all those years ago but know the silly sod that did...

@DinkyDaisy What did you end up doing with this? We have the same - bought it on advice of a plumber without understanding what it was!

Hello! Shamefully, sitting in the back of a cupboard, still in it's original box.
Still need to safely get rid of it....

@DinkyDaisy
D'oh! I can't believe what's in that stuff. I had no idea - plumber made it sound like just a normal powerful drain unblocker!!

Keep me posted on what you do about it. You have reminded me we still have it sitting there, ominously!
We have a plumber coming over to check our boiler in next couple of months...may ask him! Trip to dump probably most sensible and be disposed of properly...
I need your user name!

When I was a child in the 1950s, my sister and I had a chemistry set, which came with sulphuric acid, and, when we had used it up, we could go to the chemist and buy some more!

Reminds me of a daft (and grim!) poem..
Little Tommy took a drink
But now he'll drink no more
For what he thought was H2O
Was H2SO4...

My husband opened a bottle of this and splashed himself slightly. His screams were awful and he had some horrible burns from it, it also damaged our bathroom....but ultimately he was lucky. It's awful stuff. Don't open it. The bottle it was in was flimsy which was the main problem. Take it to the tip.

I very much doubt it was anywhere near as concentrated as what the OP is talking about.

I would gladly take it to the tip, but I'm not sure they'd actually accept it there. I'm worried this requires some sort of commercial hazardous chemical disposal service. I've emailed local council to find out... So annoyed we've ended up with this!

Eek - that sounds awful. Bottle is sealed on the top shelf of a tall, dry cupboard - but we're moving soon and I don't want to transport it anywhere else, so need to deal with it!