Bleach is a dangerous product and needs to be treated as
such. In industrial settings, workers will wear protective gear when working
with bleach, because of its corrosive nature. Unfortunately, most people do not
protect themselves this way when using bleach in their household or other
casual settings (Educating Wellness). Inhaling the gasses released by bleach,
or misuse of bleach, can cause skin irritation, irritation of the eyes,
respiratory damage, headaches, nosebleeds, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and
in severe cases, death (Educating Wellness; Yahoo! Voices).
Many people
make the mistake of mixing bleach with ammonia-based cleaners, which could very
well be the last mistake you make. Ammonia and Chlorine cause a chemical
reaction that produces chloramine vapors, which are extremely deadly (Helmenstine).
Chlorine and Ammonia mixtures were used in WWI and WWII as weapons. The onset
of symptoms caused by these vapors is very quick. It is NOT something you want
to take a chance with. Nitrogen trichloride is another extremely dangerous
chemical that is the result of mixing bleach with ammonia, and this chemical
reaction is an explosive agent. (Yahoo! Voices; Washingtion State Dept. of
Health).
There is ammonia in urine, and
numerous other household messes, so using bleach as a way to clean up a mess is
dangerous. Bleach should never be used on organic matter because of this risk,
and also because it is not an effective way to clean organic matter. When
bleach comes in contact with organic matter, the disinfectant compounds can
deactivate. The same is true when mixing cleaners together. Mixing chemical
cleaners causes chemical reactions that alter the composition of the chemicals,
usually deactivating the agents that make that cleaner useful.
The only thing bleach can be safely
mixed with is water, even then you should be very careful, be in a well
ventilated area, wear protective gear, and make sure you are using the correct
dilution. Bleach disinfects surfaces, but only if the surface has already been
cleaned with a soap or detergent. Even then, it cleans just the surface. It is
not effective on porous materials. Also, because it is a corrosive, bleach is
damaging to most materials. There are much better products out there than
bleach (Yahoo! Voices; Educating Wellness).
The Link below is an article that
goes over the pros and cons of bleach, and a natural alternative, vinegar. It’s
an interesting read.
Bleach: Health Dangers & Effectiveness. Yahoo! Voices.
Dangers of Bleach. Educating Wellness.
Dangers of Mixing Bleach with Cleaners. Washington State
Department of Health.
Helmenstine, AM. Mixing Bleach and Ammonia: Chemical
Reactions from Mixing Bleach and Ammonia. About.com.
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http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Ammonia.htm>
