- checking login information
Loading...Is Ammonia Safe for Cleaning?
- Annie B. Bond
- December 5, 1999
- 10:54 pm
- 19 comments
Q: I’ve been trying to track down a recipe I remember for cleaning the house using vinegar, water, ammonia and baking soda. Do you know it? —Michelle, Canada
A: I never recommend using ammonia.
* When ammonia is combined with bleach highly toxic gases are released, which can be fatal.
* Ammonia also is poisonous, a suspected mutagen, corrosive, and explosive when exposed to flame!
* It is highly irritating fume to the eyes, nose, and lungs.
* As for the combination of ingredients you list, acidic vinegar will neutralize the highly alkaline ammonia and baking soda, making them all worthless for cleaning.
Check out the many cleaning recipes in the Healthy Home section of Healthy Living!
Read more: Home, Health & Safety
Annie B. Bond
Annie is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living. Named one of the top 20 environmental leaders by Body and Soul Magazine, Annie has authored four books, including "Home Enlightenment" (Rodale Press, 2005) and "Better Basics for the Home" (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
Go to the Source
Better Basics for the Home
1,000 formulas for less toxic living in and around the home, by Annie Berthold-Bond.buy now
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Think of everyone with whom you come in contact ... When you see the produce worker in the store…
thanks for sharing.
:(
LOL, I also celebrate my dog's "adoption-versary."
Well, its good to know we are normal. Of course, I never questioned it.
19 comments
+ add your ownUseful link on Wikipedia with all kinds of information relating to Ammonia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia
I'm allergic to it
It always amazes me as to how much I take my General Chemistry Class for granted. Whenever I see someone mixing an acid and a base and expecting stellar cleaning results.
FYI. in chemistry class, baking soda is kept on hand for emergency acid spills or contact. Acid(vinegar) and bases(ammonia, Hydroxides,and bakingsoda)= neutral, harmless, ineffective for cleaning, pH.
I never use ammonia.
If we know the right way
I never could understand why people use ammonia. It takes your breath away and the smell is overwhelming.
thanks
Thank you for sharing.
While commercial ammonia cleaning products are pretty safe, I would not recommend mixing ammonia with anything that could lower its pH, such as baking soda. This could have the same poisonous effect as mixing with bleach. To be safe, I just wouldn't mix it with anything.
Thanks.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment