Mixing bleach and ammonia does not make a super cleaner (idea) by Spuunbenda

Exactly why should you not mix ammonia and bleach?

In a nutshell, the combination produces corrosive substances in your airways that cause your lungs to fill with fluid. You drown.

Household bleach is usually about 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl).When mixed with ammonia (NH₃), mono- and di-chloramines are formed: NH₂Cl and NH₂Cl₂. These cause respiratory tract irritation, tearing, and nausea.

Worse, these compounds decompose in water to form ammonia gas (nasty in itself) and hypochlorous acid. This last in the presence of water forms hydrochloric acid and nascent (monoatomic) oxygen, which are highly reactive and can lead to pulmonary edema and pneumonia.

Don't mix bleach with phospate-based cleaners, either: that releases chlorine gas (quite nasty), which in water also produces hydrochloric and hypochlorous acids.

Since I'm a tree-hugger I'll add that citrus-based solvents or good old cider vinegar do an excellent cleaning job without the side effects above, plus they cost less and don't fsck with the downstream water supply.

So, you want to change your hair color? Read this first!	How to create tear gas in your very own home	Making plastic explosives from bleach	Everything I learned from "Survivor"
Stealth Bathroom Attendant	Blip, Bleep (Soundtracks to Imaginary Video Games)	Fifteen Elvish ways to die	Making love out of nothing at all
smelling salts	Ammonia	Hydrazine	Nascent
Whizzo Chocolate Company	On the Duty of Civil Disobedience	Bleach	Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right
Marlboro	Big Mac Index	Sarcasm	Oxygen poisoning
Baker's ammonia	Mustard Gas	Chlorine	18 situations that shout Watch Out!