Dangers of Cleaning Products
As the head of household, it takes a lot of organizational skills to keep everything running smoothly and comfortably for my family. I have to prioritize a lot of chores and tasks to make sure I get everything done. I assign days to cleaning the bathroom (unless an emergency such as a sick 10 year-old means a random cleaning), days to clean the kitchen and so on. I try to keep the appropriate cleaning products near ground zero; for instance keep the dish washing liquid on the kitchen sink, the tub scrubbing products in the bathroom.
I try to read the labels on household supplies before using them for a number of reasons, but the primary motivation is safety. Some of these ordinary household supplies can be potentially explosive threats to you and your family if you dont follow the instructions.
I remember once when I was little, my Mom was cleaning the bathroom. She decided that since she didnt have enough of the product she normally used to clean the toilet, she would mix it with another cleaning product. I dont know exactly what or how many chemicals my Mom mixed in that concoction, but it caused what looked like a chemical burn on her face. I never forgot that horror of hearing my Mom when she realized something was wrong. Since that day, Ive always used cleaning products as directed on the instructions.
Most of us, if not all of us are certainly aware of the dangers of cleaning products if ingested or exposed to for a prolonged period of time. We all know that we should wear rubber gloves when using many of them. But many of us never think about the possible dangers of mixing some of these household cleaning supplies. One product by itself may be fine, but mix it with the wrong combination and you can experience shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea and worse.
Reading the labels can be beneficial because you see the product as lets say glass cleaner. You may not realize that mixing that harmless household supply with the urine in the toilet bowl or the litter box can become toxic. Some glass cleaners use ammonia which is dangerous when it connects with urine. Thats not a pleasant example, but it gets the point across. All those chemicals can turn your bathroom or kitchen into a chemistry lab.
Mixing bleach and ammonia can produce chloramines. These are toxic gases can cause a number of physical reactions in you including pneumonia. Now, this is not some protest against household cleaning supplies. Its simply meant as a word of caution. Dont mix cleaning supplies thinking that you can create something that will do the job better.
Read the labels, you should know whats in your hands and what under the bathroom sink. A simple trip now to the internet to learn more about the dangers of mixing household cleaning supplies can help you avoid a trip to the doctor or hospital later.
Jake is the owner of Economic Paper Towels, a wholesale distributor of paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, roll towels, c-fold towels, center pull towels, soaps, dispensers, bar supplies, restaurant supplies, janitorial supplies and other sanitary needs.
