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When things start looking grimy in the bathroom, and it’s time to whip out yellow gloves,
the only thing that matters is getting the job done as soon as possible.
So you open the cabinet, see a bunch of bottles and think “Hey, this cleans and that cleans,
why not mix them all together?
That’ll kill dirt and grime faster!”
Well think again - your all purpose cleaning cocktail could turn a bad day even worse.
Is death by toilet bowl cleaning a real thing?
Can mixing household cleaning supplies kill you?
Today folks, you’re about to find out.
So pay close attention - this video may very well save your life one day.
First and foremost - realize that household cleaners are safe to use when used properly,
read the label, wear your gloves, and you’ll be perfectly fine.
But some of these chemicals, when mixed together, undergo reactions with dangerous results.
And I don’t just mean pouring them in a bucket together, the most common risk of danger
is when people mistakenly clean the same surface, like a toilet bowl, with two different cleaners
at the same time.
Let’s take a look at some of the most typical mistakes.
Bleach is a common household cleaner that’s found in a host of different products.
Typical household bleach is usually a solution of around 5% sodium hypochlorite in water.
Sodium hypochlorite is an oxidizer that’s really good at breaking down dyes and can
kill microorganisms by denaturing their proteins - so aside from brightening your white laundry,
bleach is also an excellent disinfectant toilet bowl cleaner.
But this highly reactive molecule won’t stop at dirt, germs, and colors in your clothes,
it will quickly react with other cleaners like ammonia, which can create dangerous byproducts.
This grease killing household cleaner is usually a 5-10% solution of ammonium hydroxide in
water, but can be found in a host of products, from blue window sprays, to typical all purpose
cleaners.
When mixed with bleach, ammonium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite will react to create
a noxious gas called chloramine, which in turn can further react with the sodium hypocholorite
to create other byproducts such as dichloramine and nitrogen trichloride.
Exposure to this tryptic of chemical vapors that irritate the eyes and can cause severe
respiratory issues.
They may not exactly kill you, but serious exposure can certainly land you a trip to
the ER.
Now if chloramine and its byproducts weren’t enough to freak you out, you’re going to
love what happens when alcohol enters the mix.
Sodium hypochlorite reacts with isopropyl alcohol to create a host of caustic chemicals,
including hydrochloric acid, chloroacetone, and most importantly, chloroform.
This highly vaporous chemical causes extreme irritation in your eyes, and can be absorbed
into your body through your skin which can cause a lot of damage in and of itself.
While it’s hard to imagine why anyone would intentionally mix these two, which would be
pretty dangerous small poorly ventilated room - it is possible that someone may spray and
scrub a surface with alcohol that was just previously cleaned by bleach.
This type of exposure even though small, can still affect you cause eye irritation and
respiratory issues.
PRO TIP!
The same reaction can occur with ethanol, so be extra careful when cleaning up any messes
at a party.
Drain cleaners are often very concentrated, which is necessary, because their job can’t
be done with the help of a scrub brush.
But the big thing here folks is that drain cleaners are not all made of the same stuff.
There are three primary categories - oxidizers, acids, and bases.
Some oxidizing drain cleaners can contain high concentrations of sodium hypochlorite,
or bleach.
If you were to pour an acid like hydrochloric acid down a drain that already has high concentrations
of sodium hypochlorite, they will react to make chlorine gas -- a gas more commonly known
for making WWI one of the worst living nightmares in human history.
Not only can this stuff asphyxiate you, it can also lead to severe chemical burns inside
your throat and lungs.
Even if it doesn’t kill you, it can still have long lasting effect on health.
If you see a spooky looking yellow gas coming out of your drain, you’re in huge trouble.
But that’s not all.
Many of the de-cloggers like sodium hydroxide cause exothermic, or heat generating reactions
when they’re busting up the oily grime.
When you mix acids and bases together, the reactions may cause scalding hot water or
steaming vapor to coming billowing out of the drain.
Depending on the pH of your two decloggers, it isn’t necessarily true that they’ll
have neutralized each other.
So in other words, that scalding hot water might have a rough chemical edge as well.
So, is death by toilet bowl cleaning really possible?, in certain circumstances, yes,
but for the most part, if you do end up coming in contact with these dangerous chemical byproducts,
you will more than likely end up in the emergency room.
Sobeing wise about chemistry might just save your life one day.
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You can find activity ideas and additional information on their website at g.co/ScienceJournal
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Has chemistry ever done you any major favors?
Post them down in the comments and let’s get the discussion going.
Remember folks, safety first!
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