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More and more people choose DIY cleaning solutions over ready-made products, out of their desire to use natural, eco-friendly and less toxic products. However, some of these people believe that they can mix and match any substances to create powerful and effective all-natural cleaning solutions.

This is a wrong approach. Some combinations of natural substances can be extremely dangerous health hazards.

Whether you prefer regular household cleaning products or DIY combinations, keep in mind that there are substances you should never mix. Here are a few of the forbidden combinations.

Bleach And Ammonia

According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, bleach and ammonia should never get in contact with each other. Their combination releases toxic gases known as “chloramines.” When inhaled, these gases can trigger health issues such as shortness of breath, coughing, nausea and chest pain, as well as pneumonia, fluid in the lungs and severe lung damage.

Bleach And Vinegar

Most people use vinegar to prepare effective household cleaning solutions. Nevertheless, you need to keep in mind that vinegar is an acid. This means that in combination with bleach, vinegar releases toxic chlorine gas. Even a low level exposure to this substance can cause severe nose, eye and throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and various other breathing problems. You are at risk of permanent respiratory system damage. Higher concentrations of this gas can be lethal.

Rubbing Alcohol And Bleach

Rubbing alcohol in combination with bleach create hydrochloric acid and chloroform. You may have already seen action movies in which kidnappers and criminals use chloroform to anesthetize their victims. While you won’t knock yourself out, you’ll still risk to injure your eyes, your skin, and your airways. Chloroform can also affect your central nervous system, causing severe health problems. As it can be absorbed through the skin, not inhaling it doesn’t keep you away from danger.

Vinegar And Hydrogen Peroxide

Although vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are known to be among the most effective household cleaners, mixing them is a very bad idea. The combination of these two substances creates peracetic acid. It is true that peracetic acid is oftentimes used to disinfect food processing equipment and medical offices. However, in those situations, the dosage and the concentration are strictly regulated. Exposing yourself to this substance may cause irritations of your eyes, skin, and respiratory system, according to renowned medical authorities. There’s also a high risk of severe and irreversible lung damage. This should be a good enough reason to avoid mixing these two household cleaners.

As you can see, trying to add some power to your regular household cleaning products by adding bleach is a very bad idea that can lead to severe injuries. Think Maids knows the right combinations for cleaning. Call us for a quote and in the mean time, as a general rule, you should only mix bleach with water, in order to be on the safe side.