Bleach and Ammonia?

On a question and answer site, a consumer asks, "Is it safe to mix ammonia and bleach together?"

"Uh-no," comes the reply, followed by some great posts and explanations. Check them out HERE.

There are many warnings about doing this - but so many people are hospitalized, because they don't realize they are mixing the two chemicals. Be sure to read the ingredients on the bottles of your cleaning supplies. You won't regret it if you follow all the warnings...

"In case your mom didn't tell you, mixing bleach and ammonia can kill you. The nitty-gritty details of the chemical reaction aren't important, but the end result is a release of chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is so dangerous, it was used as a chemical warfare agent in World War I." About.com

"When washing floors, or any really soiled surface, don't think of combining ammonia and bleach. Even diluted in water, the fumes from this combination are very toxic. It can cause swelling of eyes, burns in nasal passages, and worse." - A Nurse.

If you are curious to understand the science behind what happens, go to the BBC Home website.

What to do if there really is a problem? If you have mixed these together and are suffering because of it? First, it is recommended you call 911... find a step by step list HERE.

And if you'd like to avoid this catastrophe all together, think about switching your cleaning products... for some samples of alternatives, click HERE.