Bleach + ammonia?!
Question: Last night I soaked up my dogs pee with a rag and threw it in the washing machine with other rags and I poured a little bit of bleach. Then it started to stink very bad and I knew something wasn't right so I stopped it and drained it. Then I read the bottle and said not to mix it with household products containing ammonia that it could release hazardous gases. So I thought "omg pee has ammonia." Maybe this is common knowledge to know not to mix these 2 things but me being 20 years old and bad at science I didn't know. So I got very scared. I then read people have died from doing stuff like this and one woman died from using bleach to clean out her cats litter box. I'm feeling fine now but I'm just wondering..if you were going to die from that would it be right away? I'm really worried and scared. :(
Answers: Last night I soaked up my dogs pee with a rag and threw it in the washing machine with other rags and I poured a little bit of bleach. Then it started to stink very bad and I knew something wasn't right so I stopped it and drained it. Then I read the bottle and said not to mix it with household products containing ammonia that it could release hazardous gases. So I thought "omg pee has ammonia." Maybe this is common knowledge to know not to mix these 2 things but me being 20 years old and bad at science I didn't know. So I got very scared. I then read people have died from doing stuff like this and one woman died from using bleach to clean out her cats litter box. I'm feeling fine now but I'm just wondering..if you were going to die from that would it be right away? I'm really worried and scared. :(
First of all..Please KNOW~ You are going to be fine...the small amount of fumes that did arise from what you combined is NOT a huge threat at all to you~! But KUDO's to you for having the common sense to simply realize! You did just fine...It is indeed TRUE...DO NOT mix chlorine/ammonia/bleach or similar caustic substances...YES they can indeed be a very dangerous mix!! the fumes when within a closed environment can INDEED burn one's airways when you breathe in(inspiration/inspire or aspiration). So you learned a valuable lesson ...That is good, and NOW you can relax...you are not in ANY danger of leaving this world anytime soon from that chemical combination you just experienced! Be careful from now on...Good thinking on your part! Take care~
Hydrogen chloride is irritating and corrosive to any tissue it contacts. Brief exposure to low levels causes throat irritation. Exposure to higher levels can result in rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchioles, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, and even death. Exposure to even higher levels can cause swelling and spasm of the throat and suffocation. Some people may develop an inflammatory reaction to hydrogen chloride. This condition is called reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma caused by some irritating or corrosive substances.
Depending on the concentration, hydrogen chloride can produce from mild irritation to severe burns of the eyes and skin. Long-term exposure to low levels can cause respiratory problems, eye and skin irritation, and discoloration of the teeth.
Swallowing concentrated hydrochloric acid will cause severe corrosive injury to the lips, mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach.
We do not know if exposure to hydrogen chloride can result in reproductive effects.
It is highly unlikely that you had enough ammonia to cause a problem. Remember that in addition to the bleach you used was a copious amount of water in the washing machine. Don't worry. You did nothing dangerous or wrong. Dog urine is NOT 100% ammonia.
If you're still alive now, you're not going to die. Just relax, and open a couple of windows, before you get cancer.
Just don't stand around & breathe the gases, but pee may not have enough ammonia in it to cause this reaction ( it usually means not to mix ammonia cleaner with bleach). Next time you clean up the dog's pee, use a rag with vinegar which will remove the smell & disinfect the area without bleaching the color. If you happen to do this again, just go ahead & run the washing machine or put the rag outside. Open a window if you smell bad fumes.
RN
Mixing chlorine and ammonia results in the release of ammonium chloride gas. The gas is irritates your eyes and air passages; it blocks the absorption of oxygen into your lungs, may cause you to produce mucus (blocking air flow), and usually causes bronchioconstrction (closing of air passages, also blocking air flow). In your blood, it interferes with oxygen transfer.
Some people are more sensitive than others; if it is true that someone died from it, she was in an enclosed space and probably also had an allergic reaction. You should never use bleach (or ammonia, or any solvent) in an enclosed area, or without adequate ventilation.
To answer your question, yes, any harm that was going to be done has been done, and is past. In the future, when exposed to chemicals like this, go immediately outside and face into the wind. For liquids, wash it off with plenty of cold water.
don't worry about it, it's only if you are exposed to that a lot, and by alot i mean, breathing those gases everyday. i've washed a rag w/ dog urine in bleach and I'm ok. this is something you shouldn't worry about... people are exposed to hazardous gases more often than you know... the body fights alot of things that are not good for you. if you're ok now, i'm pretty sure you'll be ok.