Mixing Hydrogen Peroxide With These Popular Cleaners Is A Bad Idea

Using caution with commercial cleaning products is understandable, considering all the concerns about toxic ingredients and their environmental impact. Homemade ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide or vinegar, can provide cleaning benefits without the toxic chemicals. However, it is also important to be cautious when using ingredients that are considered safer alternatives, and one of the things you should never do with hydrogen peroxide in your home and garden is mix it with other cleaners like bleach or vinegar.

Combining two different cleaning agents is often extremely dangerous. Depending on the mixture, you could be accidentally creating a noxious compound that could irritate the eyes, throat, or skin, and damage your lungs if inhaled. Certain mixtures can even explode.

While you should never mix chemical cleaners, there are homemade cleaning recipes that you can safely make using hydrogen peroxide. For a homemade general cleaner, you can mix hydrogen peroxide, water, and some lemon juice or a few drops of lemon essential oil and use it in a spray bottle. Just as hydrogen peroxide is sold in dark bottles, any cleaners made with hydrogen peroxide should be stored in an opaque bottle so it doesn't get exposed to light. You can also mix hydrogen peroxide with baking soda or dish soap for a variety of cleaning purposes.

You should definitely think twice before mixing bleach with certain cleaning agents, and that includes hydrogen peroxide. Mixing hydrogen peroxide with bleach creates a dangerous chemical reaction that releases oxygen gas at high speed. This creates pressure that can result in a reaction that generates a lot of heat. This hazardous gas is highly corrosive and can cause shortness of breath and other respiratory problems. In a sealed container, that activiy could potentially cause an explosion.

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are two cleaning agents that people often use in place of harsher cleaning products. Although both are good to use separately, mixing hydrogen peroxide and vinegar while cleaning is a big mistake. When combined, the mixture creates peracetic acid, which is highly corrosive and could end up damaging the surface you're trying to clean. This concoction can be toxic and causes irritation to the skin, eyes, and lungs.

Whether you are using hydrogen peroxide as a homemade cleaner or store-bought cleaners containing this ingredient, it is important to avoid mixing any cleaners that you make or buy. If you do want to use more than one cleaner, such as hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, use them separately. Before you switch from one to the other, make sure to rinse and wipe the surface dry before spraying the new cleaner.