A Guide To Using Pepper Spray Indoors

I just sprayed pepper spray in my room!

Pepper spray delivers an immediate and powerful blow to the nervous system of an assailant. While most people carry this potent self-protection spray when they’re walking to their car after dark or out for a jog on a deserted trail – there may be a time when you need to deploy pepper spray indoors. Using the spray in an indoor space has unique implications. Here are some tips on how to use pepper spray indoors safely: 

When to Use Pepper Spray Indoors 

It goes without saying that you should only deploy pepper spray when you need to; it’s so powerful that you shouldn’t play around with it. It quickly affects the skin and mucus membranes and could be even more potent when deployed in an enclosed space. If you’re going to test a canister for any reason, you should always do it outdoors. Activating pepper spray inside means the chemical can get into carpets, furniture fabrics, and even HVAC systems. Only use pepper spray indoors in the case of an actual emergency and never to practice your aim. 

What to Do After Spraying

“How long does pepper spray last in the air?” There isn’t a hard and fast rule for how long pepper spray can linger, but the substance could remain in the air for about 30 minutes after its deployed. When you’re outdoors, this isn’t a huge problem – the wind will dilute the potency of the spray fairly quickly. Indoors, however, a lingering cloud of pepper spray will continue to irritate the eyes, nose, and throat of anyone who walks by for the full 30 minutes (and the residue can be harmful after it leaves the air). 

If you must deploy pepper spray to protect yourself while you’re inside your home or office, begin ventilating the space as soon as it’s safe to do so (after the attacker has been apprehended, etc.). Open the windows and doors, and turn off any central air or heating system that could be cycling the pepper spray throughout the building. You may want to sleep somewhere else if you don’t have time to clean up before you go to bed. 

Cleaning Up Pepper Spray Indoors

Once the immediate aftermath has passed and your home or office has been properly ventilated, the real clean-up begins. Pepper spray can get into clothing, furniture, and even onto flat surfaces. Wear rubber gloves and clear goggles while you clean to avoid contaminating your eyes, nose, and throat again.

Here is a quick list of things to clean up after you use pepper spray inside:

• Once you’ve vented the area and the pepper spray has dispersed, you can start cleaning. You should always clean up any residue of pepper spray as soon as possible – even if you don’t think anyone will come into contact with it. The oils in the pepper spray can cause skin irritation, so it’s important to take precautions. Here are some tips for cleaning up pepper spray:
• Wear gloves: This will keep the oils from getting on your skin.
• Use a wet cloth or sponge: Dunk the cloth in soapy water and wipe down all of the surfaces that the pepper spray came into contact with. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.
• Throw away any food that was exposed to the pepper spray. Decontaminating food can be difficult to impossible, and even fruit with peels could be risky to eat.
• Use oil-free soap on all fabrics that were contaminated by the pepper spray. This might include clothing, throw pillows, towels, and chairs.

Pepper spray is a powerful personal protection tool that should never be used lightly, especially indoors. While the chemical is designed to be non-lethal, it still poses a significant risk to anyone who breathes it in. As far as when can you pepper spray someone, the answer is always: only when you need to. In fact, most states have laws to that effect. If you’re ready to start comparing pepper spray, check out our best pepper spray for sale and pepper spray for women. Contact The Home Security Superstore today to find out more about self-defense weapons, including pepper spray and stun guns. 

Frequently Asked Questions