Why is it not a good idea to mix disinfectant with other cleaning agents?

When you're cleaning and you're faced with stubborn stains or grime, it can seem like a good idea to mix several cleaning products together. While you might think that the effects of several products will add up to create an effective combination, mixing them together can actually be dangerous: it can cause irritation, poisoning, or even an explosion. Read on to find out why you shouldn't mix different cleaning products.

Mixing certain ingredients in different cleaning products can produce toxic gases

Cleaning products are made up of chemicals, and mixing certain chemical elements can trigger a reaction that can produce various, even toxic, gases or even lead to an explosion. Bleach is one of the most dangerous ingredients in this regard, as when mixed with other, even seemingly harmless, cleaning products, toxic gases can be produced. When mixed with another disinfectant, alcohol (in the hope that it will be even more effective), chloroform is created, which can lead to fainting or other serious consequences.

Dangerous combinations

It is best to use each cleaning agent individually, but be especially careful to avoid the following combinations:

• Bleach and vinegar : Bleach (which most of us know as hypo) combines with any weak acid, such as chlorine, to produce toxic gases. Many people think that by combining the two, they can create a more potent substance, but the resulting toxic gas can cause severe burns, damage the eyes and lungs, leading to coughing, eye burns, and even more serious injuries in the long run.
• Baking soda and vinegar : Although mixing the two together creates a seemingly effective, effervescent mixture, the end result is actually nothing more than a harmless mixture of water and sodium acetate (a salt of acetic acid). This is because one is acidic and the other is alkaline, so they essentially cancel each other out. There is no health risk in mixing the two, but it is a really time-consuming and unnecessary activity to clean with such an effervescent, yet completely useless solution.
• Bleach (hypo) and ammonia : ammonia, like vinegar, does not make a good combination with bleach. When mixed, they produce a toxic gas, chloramine. Inhaling it can cause shortness of breath and chest pain. Many cleaning products contain ammonia, such as some window cleaners, so it is not a good idea to mix these with bleach. It is especially worth paying attention to the fact that if you mix a large amount of ammonia with bleach, you get an explosive mixture, which is obviously worth avoiding.
• Drain cleaner and another drain cleaner: we all know that annoying feeling when our drain is clogged and we can't seem to get it unclogged. In such cases, it's tempting to mix two super-strong drain cleaners to get a super-strong combination. We warn everyone against this, drain cleaners are made of strong chemicals, and mixing them together can even lead to an explosion!
• Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar : Both are popular cleaning agents, but when mixed together, they create peracetic acid, a highly corrosive, irritating substance. This acid irritates the eyes and skin, and can also damage the lungs if inhaled. It is therefore advisable to use these two products separately.
• Bleach and alcohol : Household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite (hence the old name: hypo), which when mixed with alcohol forms chloroform. It also contains chloric acid and chloroacetone. Chloroform is a toxic gas, depending on the amount, it damages the nervous system, eyes, skin, lungs, liver and kidneys, and in very large quantities it can even lead to death. But even smaller quantities cause nausea and dizziness.

Less is more

When cleaning, stick to using one product, as less is definitely more, and you won't be exposing yourself to unnecessary risk. You'll most certainly achieve excellent results without combining cleaning products.

Finally, here are some tips on how to avoid accidents caused by mixing:

• Never mix bleach with anything: as mentioned above, bleach reacts violently even with innocuous household ingredients like vinegar. Keep bleach away from all other cleaning products and read the instructions on the label.
• Let's look at the ingredients: if you decide to turn your home into a chemistry lab and mix this and that, be sure to read the warnings and ingredient list on the packaging.
• Soap and water work great if you run out of common household cleaning products: don't have any at home and don't want to run to the store? Soap is safe and cleans well.
• Choose effective, organic cleaning products: cleaning products like CYCLE do not contain any substances that are harmful to the environment or health. Moreover, the acetic acid on which CYCLE is based is extracted from biomass, so not only does it create perfect cleanliness in our homes, we also do not pollute the environment with it.

So, when cleaning your home, always use only one product at a time! But it's best to try to avoid using harmful chemicals as much as possible, so a sustainable, completely vegan CYCLE will be an effective choice!