![]() Lye gives off toxic fumes and can cause skin burns and severe eye injuries including blindness if the liquid or fumes come in close contact with the eyes.Trisodium phosphate (TSP) isn’t commonly found in cleaners now since most phosphates have been phased out due to environmental impact concerns. They are very caustic and can cause chemical burns on the skin and in the lungs if strong fumes are inhaled. Strong alkalis are in products such as oven cleaners, lye (caustic soda or sodium hydroxide), and drain cleaners. In fact, never mix any cleaning chemicals since it might lead to a chemical reaction and release poisonous fumes. Ammonia should never be mixed with chlorine or bleach products! This can release a highly irritating gas, chloramine. Ammonia is added to many household cleaners for its grease-cutting ability. Moderate alkalis include ammonia and sodium borate (borax). Mild alkalis like sodium bicarbonate are not caustic and are generally safe to use around children and pets. These are produced as drain cleaners, oven cleaners, scouring powders, and all-purpose cleaners. Make sure to ventilate the area in which you are working thoroughly by opening a door or window and using an exhaust fan.Īlkalis include sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium carbonate (also called washing soda or soda ash), and trisodium phosphate (TSP). Never mix household cleaning products! For example, mixing an acid toilet bowl cleaner with bleach will result in formation of very irritating chlorine fumes that might cause serious breathing problems. All of these are poisonous and can injure skin with direct contact, or eyes and lungs if in direct contact or by strong fumes.Īlways follow label directions to avoid injury. These include toilet bowl cleaners, rust removers, concrete cleaners and others with hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, sodium acid sulfate, or sulfuric acid. They are likely to be corrosive, meaning they can "gnaw" away at metal - or human tissue. ![]() ![]() Strongly acidic cleaners can be very dangerous. These mild acid cleaners are of low toxicity to humans aside from irritant effects to the skin and eyes. Some other mild acids found in household cleaners are gluconic acid, glycolic acid and levulinic acid. Phosphoric acid is stronger than acetic or citric acid and is in many bathroom tub, tile, and toilet bowl cleaners. They are used to dissolve hard water spots on glassware and other surfaces, eliminate soap scum from sinks, bathtubs, and shower doors and to remove mild rust stains. Cleaners made with these mild ingredients are generally safe for use around children and pets. Mild acid cleaners include those with acetic acid (such as in vinegar) or citric acid (found in lemons and other citrus fruits). Always read labels carefully when choosing acid-based products for cleaning! Acid-containing household cleaning products include toilet bowl cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, tarnish removers, and metal cleaners. Leaving cleaners containing strong chemicals within reach can lead to poisoned children who not only get these products on their skin, but swallow, inhale, or get them in their eyes, resulting in serious toxicity or injury.įamiliarize yourself with these major categories of household cleaners along with their dangers if handled by children or improperly used by adults:Īcids used in cleaners can be very mild to very strong. It's wise to anticipate that it will be tiring and disruptive and to plan for safety in advance. It could involve rearranging things in the home and leaving multiple cleaning products out longer than usual. Spring cleaning can be more of a safety challenge than everyday cleaning.
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