Showing posts with label ammonia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ammonia. Show all posts

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.

It's basic, but do we know it?

Ammonia is a common ingredient in many household and industrial cleaners, especially window-cleaning products. It is also used on farms, and to make fertilizers for farm crops, lawns, and plants. Thus, it is used often in the house, and we use it to help our food grow... but...

"Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Exposure to 300 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health..."
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry provides a long list of FAQs for ammonia. Below is just a snippet from their website:

"No health effects have been found in humans exposed to typical environmental concentrations of ammonia. Exposure to high levels of ammonia in air may be irritating to your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs and cause coughing and burns. Lung damage and death may occur after exposure to very high concentrations of ammonia. Some people with asthma may be more sensitive to breathing ammonia than others. Swallowing concentrated solutions of ammonia can cause burns in your mouth, throat, and stomach. Splashing ammonia into your eyes can cause burns and even blindness."

Now of course, very few of us come in contact with straight ammonia, when it is in its most potent form. It is highly diluted when it makes its way into the home, but there are still warning labels on the bottles - and we are told to never mix it with bleach. The fact of the matter is, the chemical is still dangerous, toxic and is known to provide many health risks - especially when used around the house. So, check this out:

Want to stop living in a toxic home?
Want to eliminate ammonia based-window cleaners?
One 32 oz. bottle of Basic-H equals 4,608 32 oz bottles of Windex OR 188 32 oz. bottles of Fantastik!

Basic-H is a highly concentrated multi-purpose, non-toxic organic cleaner that can be used to clean almost anything! As I've mentioned before, I dilute a couple drops in a bowl of water and soak my fruit and vegetables in it to clean them. ONE DROP in a 16 ounce spray bottle can be used to clean windows and mirrors - a great replacement for windex. 1/4 tablespoon mixed with 16 oz of water provides an all-purpose cleaner, great for countertops, linoleum, marble, patio furniture, sinks, stainless steel, aluminum, tiles, toys, walls, wood... and 1.5 tablespoons with 16 oz of water acts as a degreaser! Believe it or not, my husband actually cleaned the very dirty tires of our car with Basic H as a degreaser - it worked so well!

"Introduced in 1960, Basic H was one of the first biodegradable cleaners. It is versatile, safe, and effective at the recommeded dilutions on all types of materials and surfaces."

Other basic uses:
1. General Cleaning: walls, counters, woodwork, sinks...
2. Windows and Mirrors
3. Kitchen Appliances: greasy stovetops, etc.
4. Pots and Pans
5. Dusting
6. Floors
7. Fine Fabrics
8. Gum
9. Outside windows and screens
10. Windshield Washing Fluid
11. Automobiles
12. Camping

If you are interested in more detailed information, please contact me...