Cleaning products can often come at a price and with needing different products for each room of the home, cleaning can turn out to be a very expensive chore. This is why lots of people have turned towards creating their own cleaning combinations in order to save money and create less waste for the environment. However there are certain chemicals that should never be mixed together otherwise it can be extremely dangerous for you.
Bleach and vinegar
The cleaning expert explains: “Believe it or not, some people have assumed that you should mix bleach in with vinegar when vinegar alone doesn’t remove those tough stains – never do this!
“Bleach mixed with vinegar can produce chlorine gas, which can cause a burning throat, wheezing, a serious chesty cough and other potential health problems. If the stain or fabric damage is so bad you’re considering mixing chemicals, get the piece dry cleaned or call in professional cleaners.”
Ammonia and bleach
Deyan says: “Most household cleaning products contain ammonia, for example, oven cleaners, floor cleaners and even some antibacterial sprays.
“Mixing ammonia and bleach for a ‘stronger cleaning solution’ is never recommended as this can produce chloramine vapour which can cause a sore throat, runny nose, watery eyes and chest congestion and other potentially serious health conditions. Stick to using the products separately.”
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Rubbing alcohol and bleach
The expert explains: “Rubbing alcohol is often used to make services clean and shiny, people use them with a soft cloth on services such as metallic sinks or glass. If rubbing alcohol is mixed with bleach it can produce a seriously dangerous chemical called chloroform.
“Chloroform is a heavy sweet-smelling chemical and can cause damage to the liver and kidneys if inhaled and can actually cause fainting, so please only stick to one cleaning product.”
Deyan explains that people often unintentionally mix chemicals when cleaning surfaces with bleach for a deep clean and layer products by going over the same surface with different products.
He continues: “This is never advised! Stick to one cleaning product, preferably bleach (for non-delicate surfaces) but make sure that the bleach is diluted. To make a bleach cleaning spray, dilute 2 tablespoons bleach to 1 litre of water.”
You can also make other safe cleaning products at home by using baking soda, white vinegar, soda crystals and even a lemon.
To make an effective kitchen cleaner you can add four tablespoons of baking soda into one litre of warm water.
Baking soda causes dirt and grease to dissolve in water and so it is very effective in cleaning numerous spots in the kitchen, including countertops, fridges and stoves.
Baking soda itself is not a disinfectant, but it is an effective cleanser when combined with other ingredients.
You can also add a small amount of lemon juice into a cleaning mix to create a disinfectant that will leave your home smelling fresh for hours.
The acid in the fruit can break down stains and gunk and it is also antibacterial and antiseptic and is known to be a natural bleach.
Recently, one cleaning fanatic explained how she used a lemon to remove the water stains off of her shower door.
She explained how she simply cut a lemon in half and rubbed it all over the shower doors.
It is advised to make sure that the lemon is well rinsed off to ensure that the juice will not continue to react with anything that there may be in the shower.
Another fan explained how she squeezes a lemon into a trigger spray bottle and dilutes it with water to create a great cleaning mix.