Dangerous Mistakes To Avoid When Using Cleaning Products | Billy.com

Cleaning their homes with chemical products is something most people do every week, if not every day. People are used to using these chemical cleaners, but they might not be paying enough attention to safety. People actually make many mistakes with cleaning products. To learn about the most common dangerous mistakes to avoid when using cleaning products, read below.

Avoid Mixing Bleach with Other Cleaners

It’s incredibly vital to never mix bleach with any other cleaning chemicals. One of the most dangerous examples is mixing bleach with ammonia, which will produce chloramine gas, causing irritation in the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can eventually lead to coma and then death. Mixing bleach with other substances such as alcohol and vinegar can also be dangerous. These chemicals are some of the most important details to include on cleaning product labels for this reason. Always read the fine print on any cleaning chemical label, as many products contain these substances.

Ventilate Any Area You’re Cleaning

One of the common dangerous mistakes to avoid when you’re using cleaning products is not having adequate ventilation in the area in which you’re cleaning. When you have good ventilation, you’ll avoid breathing in chemical fumes. Many cleaning products are deemed safe for common use, but others have intense fumes that are unsafe to breathe in during long periods. Make sure to open a window or a door with a screen to let out any fumes. Another option is to use natural solutions on most surfaces and save the cleaning chemicals for the ones that get touched frequently.

Choose a Safe Location to Store Cleaning Products

Where you choose to store your cleaning supplies is a huge aspect of safety in the home. If you have children or pets in the house and you’re storing your cleaning supplies underneath the kitchen sink, you already have a significant danger. Kids can get into the cabinet, find a bottle of cleaning chemicals, and ingest it. Storing your cleaning chemicals somewhere that’s up high or least at eye level is the best choice. Also, if you have any cleaners stored in black bottles, make sure to label them so that you know what you’re dealing with. You can choose to make a full label, but writing with a permanent marker works just as well.

Use Products Only for What They’re Intended

This might seem like common sense, but the number of people who don’t consider this danger is surprising. Many chemicals and wipes are designed to specifically clean germs and viruses from surfaces. However, you should never use them on your hands. Substances designed for cleaning your hands are formulated very differently from surface cleaning products. Also make sure to use products meant for wood only on wood surfaces—the same goes for metal and glass.