Do not mix toilet cleaner with chlorine cleaners

Do not mix acid cleaners for the toilet with chlorine cleaners

25/02/2013

Not infrequently, serious accidents happen in the household out of ignorance. The industry association for personal care and laundry detergent (IKW) warns in a recent communication of the dangers of interactions in detergents. If mixed improperly, severe burns of the nasal mucosa and skin may occur. This also applies to organic acids.

„I thought a lot helps too much“, reports Karin R. from Augsburg. The housewife and mother had mixed the one cleaner with a second, because the first did not clean properly. „This triggered a serious chemical reaction and I had to be taken to a hospital for poisoning“. It does not happen to me a second time, she emphasizes.

Toxic chlorine gas by mixing toilet cleaners
Mixing toilet cleaners can be dangerous to health. The cleaning agents contain organic acids such as formic, acetic or citric acid or inorganic acids such as sodium hydrogen sulfate or phosphoric acid. These substances are responsible for removing and eliminating lime and urine deposits in the toilets. "Under no circumstances should these acidic cleaners be used together with cleaners that contain active chlorine," warns Bernd Glassl of the industry association for personal care and laundry detergent (IKW) in Frankfurt am Main. If it comes to a mixture of substances, produces highly toxic chlorine gas. Inhalation of the gas can lead to serious health problems.

Another common mistake is mixing acidic sanitizers with other alkaline cleaners. The alkalis have the property to neutralize the acids, the expert said. „As a result, the toilet cleaner loses its effectiveness against lime“.

Wash immediately if the cleaning agent gets on the skin
When cleaning, consumers should take care that the toilet cleaner does not drip onto the floor. By no means all floors tolerate these sharp remedies. Particular care is given, for example, in marble floors. If there are splashes on the skin, they should be washed off immediately with clear water. It would be best to wear cleaning gloves, so that the hands are protected. (Sb)

Picture: BirgitH