Household Cleaners You Should Never Mix

If you are facing a tough mess and have a cleaning job to deal with, it’s easy to get annoyed and mix different cleaning products to finish the job quickly. It is a common misconception that if one cleaning product works well than mixing it with another will make it much better. But the truth is there are certain household cleaners you should never mix because they can become toxic. They can give off fumes and cause dangerous chemical reactions.

Always read the labels when using any product because you cannot be sure what kind of effect two products will have when combined.

1. Ammonia + Bleach = Many window cleaning sprays contain ammonia, and they should never be mixed with bleach because they produce a gas, chloramine. It causes coughing, burning eyes, chest pain and shortness of breath.
2. Drain cleaner + Another drain cleaner = You should never ever mix one drain cleaner with another because they can cause an explosion. Drain cleaners are powerful chemicals, and you should never use one after the other. If you have used one drain cleaner and it has not worked, call the plumber.
3. Vinegar + Baking powder = Although on their own, both these products are superheroes for cleaning jobs around the house, but they should not be combined together. Vinegar is acidic while baking soda is basic in nature and they both can cause an explosion if their mixture is kept in a small container.
4. Vinegar + Hydrogen peroxide = In most households, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide is used to clean countertops, but both of them should never be mixed together. They create peracetic acid that can cause burning eyes, irritation of the skin and cause breathing problems.
5. Rubbing alcohol + Bleach = Both these products produce a toxic liquid which can irritate you and make you pass out as well. You should never mix bleach with anything else except for water because it always causes a bad reaction with other chemicals.
6. Bleach + Vinegar- Although both these products are powerful disinfectants on their own, when combined they produce chlorine gas. Even in low quantities, chlorine gas can cause respiratory problems and watery, irritated eyes.