Dangerous Mixture: Man Mixes Chlorine With Detergent And Blows Up House
'02.09.2024'
ForumDaily New York
Man injured in Bronx house explosion after mixing bleach with another chemical, reports ABC7.
An explosion occurred in a house in the Bronx on September 1. A man mixed bleach with another cleaning product.
The explosion blew out several windows and caused a fire.
Fire crews responded to the scene on Paulding Ave. in Wakefield.
The homeowner mixed chemicals to clean the floor. The man suffered a minor leg injury, but doctors say he will be fine.
Dangerous combinations
"Some substances are harmless on their own, but when combined with other substances, they can create dangerous fumes and other chemical reactions," said Nancy Bock of the American Cleaning Institute, an organization that studies and promotes cleaning products.
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It is better not to mix chlorine-containing products with anything other than water, reports Lifehacker. Many cleaning products contain acetic acids, ammonia, etc. But you may simply not understand what is meant in the composition under the name "hypochlorous acid" or "sodium hypochlorite". Therefore - no mixtures except with water.
You might think that they would make a powerful disinfectant, but it's not that simple.
"When they mix, they create chlorine gas, which even in small amounts can cause coughing, difficulty breathing, and burning eyes," cautions Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's product testing lab.
Ammonia is found in many window and mirror cleaners. Remember that you cannot use them together with chlorine-containing compounds. When bleach is mixed with ammonia, the toxic gas chloramine is released.
"The effects will be the same as a mixture of bleach and vinegar, plus suffocation and chest pain," Forte warned.
Chlorine should not be mixed with alcohol, otherwise you will get chloroform, a toxic gas used as an anesthetic. You will not be able to achieve a concentration that will send you into a drug-induced sleep, but a headache is guaranteed.
