Disclaimer: This post is about bleach. The Abbey Cleaning Service cleaners use very little bleach due to its environmental impact (unless our customers request it). We still want to discuss it in this article because other cleaning services use bleach, and people clean their homes.
Cleaning the office can be hazardous. It can be. Even natural cleaning chemicals can harm your health. What if you accidentally mix them?
That’s a surefire recipe for disaster.
You can cause damage to property or put people at risk by using the wrong cleaning products. In this article, we will discuss the most common mistakes that can be made in commercial cleaning. We’ll also cover dangers you shouldn’t ignore.
Office cleaning chemicals: Know your options
Bleach should never be mixed with anything. It is highly reactive and can create dangerous chemicals.
You can ruin a clean by using the wrong product. The bad cleaners can ruin a surface or fabric.
The greatest risk to human health and life is the most obvious.
Cleaning products often contain toxic, caustic, or flammable ingredients, even though they are marketed as eco-friendly. Even though the harshest chemicals are clearly marked, things can become very dangerous if you mix chemicals.
It can happen accidentally – for instance, by using bleach to clean and then a glass polisher for shine. Cleaning novices sometimes try to improve the performance of cleaning products by mixing them.
It’s dangerous. This is dangerous.
Why? Here are some examples.
Bleach and vinegar
The two most effective cleaners are not to be combined, as they can create chlorine gas. In areas with high chlorine concentrations or poorly ventilated spaces, it can cause coughing fits and breathing difficulties. It can cause irritation or a burning feeling in the eyes.
When chlorine gas and water combine, hydrochloric acids can be created. It is a powerful acid that, in high concentrations, can be life-changing.
Bleach and glass cleaner
Chloramines are powerful gases. These chemicals can be formed when the hypochlorites found in bleach react with the ammonia in glass cleaners. Chloramines may cause chest pain, vomiting, and breathing problems, including pneumonia.
Bleach and alcohol
Cleaning alcohol (even that used in hand sanitizers) and bleach can create chloroform, a powerful sedative that is potentially deadly. This reaction also produces hydrochloric acids and other by-products.
It is important to note that alcohol spills and bleach should not be combined for disinfection.
Hydrogen peroxide (peroxide) and vinegar
When combined, these two cleaning agents can produce peracetic and peroxyacetic acids. This acid is highly corrosive and can damage surfaces. It can also irritate the skin, throat, lungs, and eyes.
Damage to Property
Even in low concentrations, these chemical combinations can damage carpets, fabrics, and furniture.
If used incorrectly, single cleaners can cause damage to your property. If marble floors are cleaned using acidic cleaning agents, they can be permanently damaged. The acid in cleaners attacks calcium and carbon compounds in natural stone, causing it to fizz into CO2 gas. It is not possible to repair this, so do not use vinegar or any cleaners that contain acid.
Hiring a commercial cleaner who is experienced and has decades of experience will help you avoid dangerous chemicals.
We know the exact team…