Last updated on November 9th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
Dealing with tough stains can be frustrating and challenging; you may attempt to mix various cleaning products to fix the problem.
Mixing Oxiclean and bleach may seem a good idea because of their efficiency. However, it would help to clarify the result of mixing them.
No, you can’t mix Oxiclean and bleach. Mixing both of them can affect your health and cause severe permanent damage. The mixture can also lead to a fire hazard when a spark or fire is in the area. Hence, it is best to use them separately and avoid mixing up the containers for storing any of them.
In this article, I will explain the chemical reactions of mixing Oxiclean with bleach, the other mixtures you should avoid, and the individual potency of Oxiclean and bleach.
By the end, you will understand how Oxiclean and bleach work.
Can You Mix Oxiclean With Bleach?
You can’t mix Oxiclean with bleach because it is extremely hazardous. The mixture undergoes a chemical reaction that produces toxic fumes.
Inhaling these fumes in large amounts is fatal to your health and could eventually lead to death. In addition, the mixture also causes a fire hazard.
The gas from the Oxiclean and bleach mixture reacts with other combustible substances to produce flammable heat, which causes an explosion when it comes in contact with fire or sparks.
The substances that react with heat to combust include ether, acetylene, hydrogen, ammonia, and turpentine.
Although, the toxicity level of the mixture is more potent in an area without adequate ventilation. However, it is still dangerous irrespective of the location and ventilation.
Each of these substances is mostly present in households and office buildings, and it is impossible to prevent combustion.
Furthermore, bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, an unstable and highly reactive chemical compound.
On the other hand, one of the major ingredients in Oxiclean is sodium percarbonate. This ingredient releases hydrogen peroxide when you dissolve Oxiclean in water.
When you mix Oxiclean with bleach, the sodium hypochlorite reacts with the released hydrogen peroxide in the Oxiclean to create a dangerous gas.
The gas can severely damage the respiratory system and cause reactions like watery eyes, coughing, breathing difficulty, and chest tightening.
You may experience any of these reactions if you have short exposure to the gas. However, prolonged exposure can damage the body tissues and paralyze the lungs.
Any affected person would be unable to breathe, and the lungs become prone to filling with water. When the lungs fill with water, it can cause pneumonia, eventually leading to death.
Therefore, avoiding mixing Oxiclean and bleach is best so you don’t endanger yourself and others around you.
You should also avoid using a container that previously contained Oxiclean for bleach, likewise a container that previously contained bleach for Oxiclean.
If you mistakenly mix them, you should exit the area to avoid breathing in the gas. Also, you should not bring fire close to the area.
What Else Should You Not Mix Bleach With?
It would be best if you did not mix bleach with products containing ammonia, acids, and some other cleaning products. The reaction can be extremely toxic and cause you severe harm.
The worst thing that could result from any of these mixtures is death, especially when there is a high level of exposure.
Therefore, it is best to identify the different products containing these substances and the reaction they create with bleach.
Here are the substances and their toxic reactions outlined below.
#1. Ammonia Products
Mixing bleach with ammonia or its products can produce chloramine gases which are toxic to the lungs and can result in death.
The reactions to these gases include coughing, likely progressing to pneumonia. Examples of ammonia products include paints, window cleaners, and glass cleaners.
You can also find ammonia in urine, so you should be careful when using bleach to clean toilet bowls, litter boxes, and bathroom areas.
#2. Acid Products
The mixture of bleach with acids and its products causes a reaction that releases chlorine gas. High exposure to this gas can be fatal and cause severe harm.
Such exposure can cause vomiting, chest pain, serious breathing problems, pneumonia, lung fluid, and death.
At the same time, low exposure can irritate the respiratory system and mucous membranes. The reactions include coughing, difficulty breathing, runny nose, and watery eyes.
These acid products include toilet bowl cleaners, vinegar, rust removal products, automatic dishwasher detergent and rinses, and brick and concrete cleaners.
#3. Other Cleaning Products
Mixing bleach with other cleaning products, such as hydrogen peroxide, oven cleaners, pool cleaners, and insecticides, can cause extreme chemical reactions.
It causes severe injuries and permanently affects your health. Therefore, it is best to avoid mixing bleach with any cleaning products.
It is best to always read the label on any cleaning product before using it with bleach. You should only mix the product with bleach if the label indicates so.
You should avoid any product that contains any of these reactive substances, especially when the label doesn’t indicate but you know its composition.
What Can You Mix Oxiclean With?
You can mix Oxiclean with a detergent that does not contain vinegar and bleach. You may mix it with some white distilled vinegar in small quantities to form a cleaning paste.
The paste is a potent cleaning agent for greasy stains. It is effective for cutting through oily substances.
However, the mixture should only be in small amounts because it can cause a severe chemical reaction. One cup of vinegar is enough for a scoop of OxiClean.
Then you can pour the mixture into a bowl of water. It is essential to note that excess mixture can cause injuries to your skin and health.
In addition, you can mix OxiClean with Dawn detergent to clean extremely dirty surfaces. It will perform the dual purpose of cleaning and adding a pleasant fragrance.
Which Whitens Better, Bleach or Oxiclean?
Oxiclean whitens better than bleach. Although they are both effective cleaning products, Oxiclean is best for white and colored fabrics.
Oxiclean removes and dissolves severe stains from any fabric. It is gentle on the fabric and doesn’t create holes and discoloration in colored fabrics.
On the other hand, bleach is a potent whitening agent for white fabrics. It breaks down stains while brightening your white fabric.
However, its whitening power is less potent than that of Oxiclean. Plus, bleach is only suitable for white fabrics.
Below is a table to help you understand the individual uses and reactions of bleach and Oxiclean on your various fabrics.
| Bleach | Oxiclean |
|---|---|
| It is best for white fabrics. | It is best for white and colored fabrics. |
| It partially whitens. | It whitens completely. |
| It is likely to create holes in your fabric. | It can remove any stain. |
| It breaks down color bonds. | It is efficient without detergent. |
| It removes the dye from colored fabrics. | |
| It may not remove tough stains. | |
| You might need to repeat it for efficiency. |
Although, bleach has a lesser whitening power than OxiClean. But, it is still a potent whitening agent for white surfaces and fabric.
However, it will be best to avoid using bleach if your fabric has some colored parts. The color can come off and stain the white parts.
Oxiclean will be better in such a scenario, so you don’t damage the fabric. You should also avoid using bleach if your white fabric has tough stains.
It may not remove the stains completely and make your white fabric have faded stain patches. You may have to use it multiple times to remove the stain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, OxiClean and bleach are effective cleaning products as long as:
- You do not mix them.
- You do not mix them with other products without confirmation.
- The labels on other products allow you to mix them with bleach and OxiClean.
These will help you to use the two cleaning agents harmlessly. Nonetheless, you can use them for any cleaning process individually.