A big trend nowadays is to create your own cleaning products. The internet is overflowing with different DIY projects that promise you incredible results. Every proud homeowner has tried at least once, at least one of these hacks. However, the results are not always that good. You may try to clean your London home with vinegar and baking soda but somehow you managed to damage your wooden floors or scratched the expensive silverware. When dealing with DIY you must always remember to search for additional information about the supposed “magical cleaner.” We have created a list of cleaning agents and solutions that you must avoid combining at all cost. No matter how great the tips from the “cleaning gurus” sound, they are not always usable or safe.

The Most Dangerous Cleaning Combination

Living in London you most definitely have some form of mould in your home. And what is the best way to deal with it? Using hard and dangerous chemicals that is what. However, you must absolutely never mix ammonia and chlorine-based cleaners.

  • Usually household bleach of 91% water, 9% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl.) Household ammonia, on the other hand, is 70% water, 30% ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH.). No matter how diluted the solutions are, they still pose a treat to your health.
  • If combined these two chemicals create chloramine vapours that are toxic and highly hazardous. Stay away from them.
  • The vapours will burn your eyes, throat and lungs, and you will need to seek medical attention fast. They won’t kill you, but you will have a hell of a time in the ER.

Vinegar – What to Avoid When Cleaning Our London Home

One, of the most loved DIY ingredients of all time, is, of course, the vinegar. It can be used for many things – from laundry to carpet cleaning. Nevertheless, we need to remember that it is still an acidic solution that poses all chemical qualities that common acids have.

  • Avoid mixing bleach with vinegar. Acidic products in combination with bleach create chlorine and chloramine vapours. As we already stated, this is not something you want or will like.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide mixed with vinegar is a dangerous combination. These two ingredients are used as natural cleaners separately but if you make the mistake to mix them you will create peracetic acid. It can irritate the skin and eyes and create nasty rashes and even permanent scarring.
  • Baking soda and vinegar are not a match made in heaven. Use the one or the other but avoid mixing them. The soda is a basic and the vinegar is acidic, when combined they create an unstable acid that easily dissolves into the water. So basically, you will be cleaning your precious London home with glorified water.

Bleach – Not so Safe to Use

We have already mentioned two unpleasant combinations, but there are many more. Bleach is a popular cleaning solution, and it has various uses around the home. However expert house cleaners usually avoid using it. Even in the humid and mould-infested London, professionals prefer using specialised cleaners and rarely use Bleach as their first or second choice of a housecleaning product. Here is why:

  • Rubbing alcohol and bleach can create a dizzy situation in your home. When combined these two produce chloroform. We all know what this chemical does, you will experience dizziness or nausea. Longer exposure can lead to damage to the nervous system, eyes, skin, many of the internal organs, and even death.
  • Bleach and toilet bowl cleaner is also a mixture you must avoid. The toilet cleaner consists of different heavy chemicals and on its own pose a danger to the human body. In combination with bleach, you can get skin and eye burns and many pulmonary and respiratory problems.
  • In general, avoid mixing bleach with any acids or housecleaning products.

Stephanie Cooper

Stephanie is a content marketing specialist for Top Cleaners for the past several years. She has extensive experience working with cleaning companies and knows her audience. Stephanie creates engaging and useful content helping the customers of Top Cleaners with their struggles and providing them with the most accurate insight.