What better to clean things up than a little number 17, Chlorine.

The Atomic number for Chlorine is 17.

In the form of chloride ions, chlorine is necessary to all known species of life.

Labarraque A French chemist and pharmacist who had discovered that Berthollet's chlorinated bleaching solutions ("Eau de Javel") not only destroyed the smell of putrefaction of animal tissue decomposition, but also actually retarded the decomposition.

Labarraque's discovery helped to remove the terrible stench of decay.

Clean them up with some 17.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine