Can Mixing Cleaning Chemicals Kill You?

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!” Think again - your all purpose cleaning cocktail could turn a bad day even worse. Can death by toilet bowl cleaning really happen? Today on Reactions, you're about to find out.

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Writer/Producer:
Kirk Zamieroski

Scientific consultants:
Michelle Boucher, Ph.D.
Brianne Raccor, Ph.D.
Hans Plugge, M.sc., S.M.

Sources:

[jayduby]

This needs to be in middle school education.

[johnjhill]

A neighbor in NYC accidentally killed her 5 yr old German Shepherd by mixing *Clorox and Ammonia.* She barely got out of the apartment herself, coughing and gagging painfully.

[Ostinat]

Wasn't expecting to learn anything new from this one but I actually didn't know about bleach and iso alcohol! Thanks for the protip <3

[ericvilas]

My stepdad told me a story about how he once accidentally put bleach in a bucket that already had another cleaner. He's not sure what the cleaner was but the gas it produced almost knocked him out and he's had nose problems ever since.

[redtom]

I found this out the hard way, I was cleaning my bathroom and like he said I was looking for a way to get it done faster so I got some bleach and another chemical I can't remember and mixed them in a bucket all sudden it burst in to a smoke, luckily I wasn't to close but close enough to inhale a little bit and swear I was gasping for air for about 5 minutes, one the scariest moments of my life. Who knew you could make a gas chamber right in your home. With that being said be careful mixing chemicals folks, you might accidentally create a nuke

[Ceelvain]

I once started to clean a sink with a bleach containing product. As it felt more like limestone than soap, I added an acidic limesone remover.
When my eyes and throat started to sting a bit, I remembered my high school chemistry class and thought: Fuck! That's chlorine!

[Amrith]

Had a high school friend that mixed bleach with ammonia cleaner while cleaning a camp bathroom. They weren’t seriously hurt, but they had an unpleasant night.

[sharachi]

I mixed toilet bleach and an all purpose cleaner. A chemical reaction occurred the toilet bowl was hot and smoke was coming out of the toilet

[reginabedgood]

I really could have used this video around two years ago when I mixed a TON of bleach and ammonia together and had to close off 1/3 of my apartment for 24 hours with fans and open windows. Chloramine gas is no joke. You know instantly that you have f***ed up because your whole body is screaming RUN. My boyfriend and I were only exposed to it for a very short period of time before closing off the doors and we had terrible headaches for the next day or so.

Side note you should do an episode on chemical burns from household items like mineral spirits. I got some inside a nitrile glove one time which meant it couldn’t evaporate and half of the back of my hand felt like it was on fire. DIY probs.

[kgpnerd]

Ugh, do you really need that background music?

[ukus]

i mixed toilet bowl cleaner and bleach at work shit starting sizzling and i breathed in through my nose and it BURNED i ran immediately lmao i have congestion for a week straight

[missingno]

i mixed bleach and ammonia trying to clean my bathroom and learned firsthand what mustard gas feels like

[BudMcSmokeYo]

Oh my gosh! I mixed rubbing alcohol with Bleach to spray the cracks in the hallway to kill bed bugs!

[Eleanormarie]

I literally just did this. I've been having chest pain😭😭😭

[ToonandBBfan]

The Dark side of the chemistry lab is a pathway to many abilities some consider to

[baileymccoy]

Tip here are some cleaning products you should never mix
1. Bleach and ammonia=toxic chloramine vapor
2. Bleach and rubbing alcohol= toxic chloroform
3. Bleach and vinegar= toxic chlorine gas
4. Vinegar and peroxide= paracetic acid

[AndreLanger]

Use vinegar, backing soda etc! No need to buy cleaners.

[Peachsnowcone]

This video reminded me of "Thousands ways to die"

[DeRien]

Digging the classic safety video soundtrack

[KEVIN-omgj]

Very informative! Ty.
? I have an extra link of magnesium anode rod that was part of a water heater replacement. Because of higher iron in our water, the toilet tank, (over time), creates a brownish film on the tanks inner surface. If placed in the tank, would that anode link help reduce that film and could there be any safety/health concerns? Such as cleaning the tank/bowl later. Thanx again!