SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 11: Bottles of Clorox bleach sit on a shelf at a grocery store on February 11, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Shares of Clorox stock rose 7.6 percent to close at $71.26 after billionaire investor Carl Icahn disclosed in a regulatory filing that he holds close to 9.1 percent stake in the company. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)We're going to be scrubbing and disinfecting everything for a while, but be very careful about mixing household cleaners. Here are four combinations that can be harmful, or even fatal, so PLEASE be careful!
1. Bleach and rubbing alcohol make chloroform. Yes, that's the same stuff used in movies to knock people out. (Except, thank goodness, it doesn't really work that fast. It would actually take about 5 minites to knock you out like in the movies. so DON'T fool around with it.)
2. Bleach and vinegar make chlorine gas. Which was first used as a chemical weapon in World War One.
3. Bleach and ammonia make chloramine gas. Windex and a lot of other household cleaners contain ammonia. So check the label. It might be listed as "ammonium hydroxide."
4. Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar make a toxic compound called peracetic acid. It's been known to cause a lot of respiratory issues.
Again, please be safe when trying to make your own cleaners!
