Mixing Home Cleaners Can Be Disastrous!

By Mrunal - Updated: November 3, 2018

In this Article

Dangerous Mixes of Cleaning Chemicals to Avoid

Many cleanliness freaks resort to mixing common household chemicals in the hope of creating something stronger and more effective. Well, cleaning supplies don’t come without harmful substances and when combined with other cleaning agents, could actually endanger you and your family!

Well-intentioned though you may be, you can’t always be Doctor Quack and experiment with household things. Especially not with different cleaning substances! To keep from harm’s way, avoid these hazardous cleaning chemical combinations at all costs.

Dangerous Mixes of Cleaning Chemicals to Avoid

1. Ammonia and Bleach

Attempting to clean or unclog your toilet? This combo will not produce sparkles but toxic chloramine vapours! If inhaled, these vapours could cause chest pain, coughing, nausea, throat burns and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. They can also cause fluid in the lungs and respiratory damage. Oops!

2. Rubbing Alcohol and Bleach

Mixing cleaning chemicals such as bleach with rubbing alcohol results in the production of chloroform and hydrochloric acid. So? Well, exposure to these gases can damage your eyes, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys and the nervous system! While low concentrations will make you feel dizzy and nauseous, extreme exposure could even result in death.

3. Alkaline and Acidic Chemicals

A mix of acidic chemicals with base chemicals or alkalis can cause dangerous household chemical reactions leading to chemical burns if the mixture splashes onto the skin. Not something you can risk with children around the household, right?

4. Bleach and Vinegar

Another chemical burn causing substance is the combination of bleach with vinegar. While it makes for a good disinfectant, it doesn’t make a safe cleaning combo. Avoid this invariably if you want to steer clear of nasty burns of the eyes and lungs.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar

On their own, they are both good natural cleaning agents. But mixed together in the same container? What you’ll have is peracetic acid which is potentially corrosive. Though it is an effective sanitizer, you don’t want the irritation to the eyes, nose, skin, throat and lungs! Worse still, it has the potential for causing permanent scarring of the skin, cornea and even throat.

Dangerous Mixes of Cleaning Chemicals to Avoid

6. Baking Soda and Vinegar

While the combination of baking soda with vinegar is not dangerous, it isn’t effective either. This mixture produces mostly water so the entire time you’re cleaning your bathroom or kitchen, you’re busy wasting time. Now, that is dangerous when you have tons of mommying chores to do!

7. Disinfectants and Detergents

This combination is yet another ineffective one and a total waste of time. The quaternary ammonia found in some disinfectants becomes neutralised when mixed with detergents, rendering the resultant useless.

The mixing of two cleansers may seem completely harmless but you see how hidden danger lurks beneath the surface. Keep this list of what cleaning chemicals not to mix handy. However, the safest approach should be to never mix cleaning agents no matter how harmless the combination may seem or how effective they are in cleaning dirt, disinfecting, or sanitising surfaces. Better safe than sorry!

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