Staying Clean Out of Danger

When 23 Junior ROTC students were rushed to local hospitals a few years ago after being overcome by fumes, officials first assumed they had a major toxic scare on their hands. But they discovered that the sickening fumes were caused by a seemingly innocent mistake: cadets adding bleach to floor cleaner while cleaning a restroom.

Mixing cleaning products is considered one of the most common household hazards, though experts say many people don’t know about the danger until it’s too late.

“It’s a very common occurrence,” said Dr. Tony Manoguerra, director of California Poison Control System. “Rarely a day goes by we don’t get a call like that.”

Indeed, the Poison Control received almost 4,000 phone calls nationwide in 1998 involving hazardous chemical mixes from cleaning products, with six life-threatening cases and one death.

People exposed to the cleaner fumes usually suffer only minor problems like nausea and light-headedness. Some gases cause eyes to water, according to experts.

But long-term exposure can lead to lung scarring--and, in rare cases, death. People with asthma or lung troubles are especially susceptible.

Those exposed to gases from mixed household chemicals should ventilate the area and get fresh air, Manoguerra said.

The most common dangerous combination is bleach and ammonia, which produces chloramine gas.

A troublesome trip to the emergency room and a scary firsthand lesson, however, can be prevented by just reading the warning labels on cleaning products, said Jas Nagra, health education coordinator for Universal Care, a Long Beach-based health care provider.

“The labels are sufficient if they’re read,” Nagra said. “But the problem is they are not read. People don’t realize these products can be poisonous because we use it on a daily basis.”

Labels warning against mixing with other products, ingesting and inhaling can be found on bleach, car wash products, glass surface cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and other products. However, more than 1.3 million people visited emergency rooms last year due to accidental household poisonings.

There are alternatives to dealing with household cleaning products at all, according to Peggy Payne, director of health education at Universal. Payne suggests homemade cleansers such as vinegar that could be substituted for glass cleaning products. Baking soda can replace scouring powders for scrubbing bathtubs, toilets and sinks.

However, some experts hesitate to recommend making cleansers at home. Rose Ann Soloway, associate director of the American Assn. of Poison Control Centers, warned that if these homemade cleaners are ingested, they too can be dangerous.