Warning: Stop mixing bleach with vinegar for cleaning

I keep seeing people online say to mix bleach and vinegar for a 'super cleaner' but that creates chlorine gas which will straight up ruin your lungs. Last month a tenant in my building in Portland tried this on their bathroom grout and I had to call the fire department at 10pm. Anyone else run into people who don't know basic chemical safety?

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jones.brooke2mo ago

Yeah my neighbor in the apartment next door did that exact thing last spring trying to clean her shower. She couldn't breathe for like 20 minutes, scary stuff. The whole hallway smelled like a swimming pool exploded.

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olivia_carr72mo ago

Right, @jones.brooke is spot on about the swimming pool smell - that's the chlorine gas burning off and getting into your sinuses before you even realize what you've done. In my experience people get way too comfortable with mixing household cleaners without thinking of the chemical reactions happening in the bottle. A rule of thumb I pass along is never mix anything that says "sodium hypochlorite" on the label with any acid, which includes vinegar and most toilet bowl cleaners. Your lungs just aren't worth saving a few minutes on grout cleaning.

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