PUBLISHED: APR-14-2021

These Tips Could Save Your Life!

Cleaning chemicals are designed to do just that... Clean! However, there are many chemicals you should never mix. Ever. We'll let you know what doesn't go together, why its bad, and give you some alternatives that won't kill you. Sound good?

Bleach is such a strong household cleaner, and Ammonia is as well. When you mix both of these you get a reaction that forms chloramine vapors that may lead to poisonous hydrazine.

How This Affects You: Chloramine can burn your eyes, your respiratory system, and damage your internal organs. The hydrazine is produced when there is more Ammonia in the mixture, and that combination is not only toxic, but can also be explosive.

Household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, and when this is mixed with ethanol or isopropanol that is in common rubbing alcohol, the reaction produces chloroform. There are other compounds that can be produced form this mixture such as hydrochloric acid, but chloroform is the most known one.

How This Affects You: We all know about chloroform, let's be honest. It's in movies and tons of crime scene investigation shows. Chloroform will knock you out, and if you pass out while cleaning in the bathroom you won't be able to move to fresher air. If you breathe too much chloroform it can kill you. The hydrochloric acid can cause chemical burns, organ damage, and eventually other diseases and cancers.

Yep, there's a pattern here! Bleach is really just the issue. It is so highly reactive that honestly, it shouldn't be mixed with other chemicals. I've heard of some people mixing bleach and vinegar as a common household acidic cleaner because 2 chemicals are stronger than 1, right?

WRONG.

When you mix the two together you get chlorine gas - and this doesn't just go for vinegar. Toilet bowl cleaners and lemon juices should also not be mixed with bleach as they are acetic acids.

How This Affects You: Chlorine gas was once used in chemical warfare. It was once used to cause intentional pain and suffering - you do NOT want to be making and inhaling this inside your house. Your respiratory system, mucous membrane, and skin are attacked with chlorine.

Worst case? You can get a chemical burn and the exposure could be deadly in high concentrations if you aren't able to get fresh air. Best case? It will irritate your nose, eyes, and mouth and will make you cough. Still not ideal.

Vinegar with hydrogen peroxide make peracetic acid, which is a more potent disinfectant. HOWEVER, it is also corrosive and can do more damage than good.

How This Affects You: The mixture causes an acid that can give you a chemical burn and can cause irritation in your eyes and nose. Not worth it!