It is to laugh...not this time...this is a word of caution! Danger in mixing household cleaners.

[3825-87867]

https://sciencenotes.org/household-chemicals-you-should-never-mix/

There are many commonly used, freely available household products containing chemicals when mixed incorrectly or improperly that can cause serious health problems or worse.The fumes from mixing the common cleaners with other ingredients can make someone uncomfortable to seriously ill. Lots of reading and ventilation when used is prescribed to make sure you know which of these can cause problems to you , your family or even others. And don't get any on exposed skin. Too much absorption on exposed skin can cause anything from a mild rash to life-threatening incidents.

And just as an added bit of caution, "covid masks" really won't do any good against most of these cleaners when mixed incorrectly. The "95 masks" aren't safe enough, either. Even some basic industrial gas masks can't keep some of the fumes from irritating lungs, throat and eyes or skin around the protection. Goggles may not help against some unless the whole face is protected. Plus, exposure to skin from incorrectly mixed liquids can be painful to life threatening.

I strongly advise everyone to make sure they understand the seriousness of this warning. The basic danger, of course, is in the home, in doors. However, mixing the wrong chemicals and/or incorrect amounts can even cause very serious problems OUTSIDE especially if you are downwind of the flow or get any liquid on your skin or even clothes.

I've listed one site to let you know some of these hazards. There are others - some more serious. Take a look on the net to see what other incorrect mixtures may cause problems. Please take all these precautions into account when using, mixing or discarding any of these common cleaning agents especially once you've mixed them but didn't use all of it. And make sure to discard the unused portion according to the labels. Also, storing these mixes can be dangerous. Leaving that mixture where anyone can get it onto themsuch as groups of gathered people, especially kids, can cause severe pain and health problems and could actually become fatal.

Again, I can't stress enough how easy it is to run into serious respiratory, dermal or vision problems if exposed to incorrectly used cleaning chemicals. Wear gloves and make sure you have adequate ventilation if indoors and if you use them outside make sure the wind doesn't blow fumes or spray back at you!

Learn to stay safe if you use dangerous household cleaners.

[KentuckyWoman]

1. "I learned this from my grandma" social media posts.

Every time I see one I comment with the exact graphic you posted. I always wonder if the "Oh I should try this" responses are bots or if people are ending up hurt. I hope it's bots.

[EdmondDantes_]

2. Also don't mix liquid and powder drain cleaners

It made my place rather uninhabitable for several hours.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Depends On Which Types

The are liquid & crystal versions that are the same compounds, just dry & in solution.
But, there are brands incompatible with one another.
Your advice of just not doing it is best for 99.99999% of people. It's ok for people like me who have the chemical knowledge.

[lastlib]

4. Excellent advice! Important to heed it

and damned dangerous to ignore it! I hope everyone on DU sees this and follows it.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. It's Good Advice

Another issue with chloramine can, under the right conditions, detonate. It's more than a health risk.
The formation of chloroform, while accurate, is a bit less concerning because chloroform is both insoluble in & denser than water, so a buffer layer of water provides some protection. Still unwise, because even without the reaction concerns, mixing the 2 doesn't really make an effective cleaner. It's a complete waste of time.
The peracetic acid concern is misplaced. Household peroxide is far too dilute, and so is the acetic acid in vinegar.
The reaction becomes concentration limited, plus at low concentrations the reaction requires a strong acid to initiate/catalyze the reaction.
While non-knowledgeable people shouldn't mess with peracetic acid, (yes, I've used it and other organic peracids) this is extremely unlikely (read as nearly impossible) to occur using standard household products.
The bleach & vinegar is a valid concern, though the low concentrations of acetic & hypochlorite in these household products is awfully low, hence only a tiny amount of Cl2 gas is formed. But, a little chlorine is a lot without appropriate PPE.
IOW, they shouldn't be mixed even though it's not an aggressive reaction.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. I once had to go to the ER after creating chlorine gas. I forgot I had put bleach in a toilet and added a bowl cleaner,

the Works. I started coughing, and even when I took myself and my dogs outside, couldn't stop. Finally, drove myself the few blocks to the ER. They had me breathe in something and it stopped the coughing in minutes.

[boonecreek]

7. Thanks for posting this.

Saving image to the pictures folder for future reference.

[Jack Valentino]

8. One of my college friends and co-workers made the mistake of creating ammonia gas

where we worked together at a 'Domino's Pizza' outlet....

He woke up on the floor.....


He was attempting to perform the nightly task of cleaning/mopping the floors,
and mistakenly mixed bleach and ammonia in his mop-bucket---
thinking that this would 'get the floors very clean'---

but re-creating the formula for World War One 'ammonia gas',
and spent too much time with his face over the mop-bucket breathing it in....


Luckily he hit the floor before breathing in a lethal dose!

[nilram]

12. I think it was called Mustard Gas then

[Jack Valentino]

14. No, mustard gas and ammonia gas were two different things...

[nilram]

19. Ah, yes, somewhat more complex to make

but only somewhat. Having looked it up now, I'm still not going to try it.

[Old Crank]

9. Basically. RTFL

Read the $%^#& label.
Cleaners all have instructions and cautions. Read before use. Read before using with another product.

[Jack Valentino]

15. Well, we were all anxious to close the store and head to home

back in those days...... ooops.....



and possibly too tired to read those instructions..... Luckily in my little story, nobody died...
but it is instructive

[Old Crank]

20. When I was young

I cleaned a bath tub with comet cleaner. I let it sit in the tub and then sprayed the glass shower doors with Cret-nu. The result where they mixed produced free chlorine gas. Comet has bleach and the Cret-nu was phosphoric acid. Oops.

The information given by the OP is useful and a good reminder.

[Grumpy Old Woman]

10. Thank you

I may not remember the details, but I will remember - "Don't combine common household chemicals without checking first.

[Ocelot II]

11. When we were teenagers (parents out for the day) my brother and I were messing around,

just to see what would happen if we mixed this thing and that other thing, so we mixed bleach with boat hull cleaner, which contains muriatic acid. There was an instantaneous odor of swimming pools, and we ran that mess outside as fast as we could. I'm not sure how I survived some of the dumb things I did.

[tclambert]

13. Mixed feelings about this post. Info that could save lives, but . . .

now the terrorists know how to produce some pretty inexpensive weapons.

[Ilsa]

16. I don't own guns, so this fills out a few gaps in my

chemistry. I knew some of it. Might come in handy if goons come over.

[crimycarny]

17. Sulfur product and toilet bowl cleaner deadly H2S

Never mix any product with high sulfur content with toilet bowl cleaner. Deadly H2S gas that can be fatal with one breath.

[Talitha]

18. Thanks for posting this!!

[B.See]

21. Interestingly important info to help

stay safe. And heaven knows I've messed up a couple times, with cleaning products that resulted in something that smelled like I'd better get out, fast.

Out of curiosity, I found this little piece:

20 Common Household Cleaning Products You Should Never Mix - Family Handyman