At some point, most of us can find ourselves in a messy situation without the proper cleaning chemicals to clean up. Often we can find ourselves resembling a mad scientist mixing various kinds of cleaning solutions from under the kitchen sink, trying to come up with a special brew to get rid of that tough stain.
Here’s something that might make you think twice before you go blindly mixing different chemicals in your home.
Here’s a list of some common household chemical that when combined can cause serious health risks (and in some cases death).
Vinegar + Baking Soda
- Hazard: Toxic Chlorine Gas
- Potential harm: long exposure can lead to a chemical burn
A common remedy for lifting tough stains around the kitchen and bathroom, but beware! This combination of chemicals actually produces toxic chlorine gas that can cause chemical burns, respiratory problems, dizziness and nautia.
Makes you wonder how safe all of the volcano lava experiments at school could have been, YIKES!
Similar combinations:
- Vinegar + Bleach
- Mildew Stain Remover + Bleach
- Oven cleaner + Bleach
- Bleach + Lemon Juice
- Bleach and any other cleaning product
Rubbing Alcohol + Bleach
- Hazard: Chloroform
- Potential harm: short exposure to chloroform can cause nausea and dizziness; a long exposure can damage the nervous system, skin and lungs, and kidney and liver.
The chemical component of these two common disinfectant results in a dangerous by-product called chloroform. Chloroform is often used in lacquers, floor polishes, resins, adhesives, alkaloids, fats, oils, and rubber. Back in the mid-1900s, it was used to sedate patients who need to undergo medical procedures.
Vinegar + Hydrogen Peroxide
- Hazard: Peracetic Acid
- Potential Harm: Highly corrosive chemical
Individually used for cleaning, these two can work wonders in removing hard stains and grime on our surfaces. However, when mixed together, they have a chemical reaction that results in a highly corrosive mixture. Though vinegar and hydrogen peroxide is effective in sanitizing surfaces, it is also highly corrosive. The mixture causes skin irritation and even damage to some of our surfaces like polished wood, and more.
These are only some of the most dangerous mixtures we can make at home. We are pretty sure that you have already mixed some of them in the past, not knowing the potential harm it can cause you and the people in your house. Take note of these concoctions and avoid them as much as possible.