Woman reveals how she accidentally mixed bleach and chlorine, producing a deadly gas
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A TikTok user has shocked her followers after revealing that she “accidentally” mixed bleach and vinegar in a mistake that led to her entire family being blocked.
Samantha, what’s up? @silkalmondmilk_ers on the video-sharing platform, he found out the hard way that combining cleaning products didn’t make them stronger and, in fact, made them poisonous.
She revealed that she had been trying to clean the kitchen before the holidays, but ended up creating a potentially lethal concoction.
The US-based social media user said her family was forced to call poison control after the mistake before being instructed to all stay in one room together.
TikToker Samantha found out the hard way that combining cleaning products doesn’t make them stronger and actually makes them poisonous
In her viral video, which has amassed more than 21.5 million views, Samantha pans her camera around the room where her family, including the dog, had gathered with the door locked tight.
In her viral video, which has amassed more than 21.5 million views, Samantha moves her camera around the room where her family, including the dog, have gathered with the door locked tight.
She then turns the camera towards herself before knowingly making a guilty face.
At the top of the video, she writes: “I accidentally cleaned the kitchen with bleach and vinegar and now we’re all stuck in the same room on the phone with poison control.”
Uploading the video on Christmas Day, he jokingly captioned the clip: “My grandparents were excited to spend time with us.”
Fortunately, Samantha and her family escaped unscathed, but mixing bleach and vinegar is not laughing matter.
The combination of the two solutions creates gaseous chlorine, which can be fatal if inhaled in high concentrations.
The TikTok creator’s cautionary tale shocked users, as many of them had no idea the concoction was deadly.
Vinegar is dilute acetic acid and when mixed with bleach, it creates a poisonous gas that is released into the surrounding air.
Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist and interim executive director of the National Capital Poison Center, said Today that many make this ‘common’ mistake.
According to the National Poison Data System annual report from US Poison Centers, there were 4,800 single-substance exposures to chlorine gas, defined as mixing an acidic household product with bleach, called to poison centers.
Johnson-Arbor noted that bugs are often the result of “unsuspecting, well-meaning adults trying to clean up.”
If you inhale chlorine gas, it enters your mouth, throat and lungs, exposing your “eyes and other mucous membranes,” according to Johnson-Arbor.
When exposed to the gas, it irritates the respiratory tract and can cause permanent damage.
The usual symptoms include coughing; irritation or burning in the nose, eyes and throat; labored breathing; a feeling of tightness in the chest; crying eyes; and nausea or vomiting.
According to experts, these symptoms can start immediately after being exposed to the gas, or they can be delayed.
The severity of the symptoms depends on how long you were exposed to the gas, as well as the surrounding ventilation.
Johnson-Arbor noted that there have been cases where people exposed to the gas become seriously ill and are hospitalized for a week or more.
In serious and fatal cases, a person can develop a buildup of fluid in the lungs, but Johnson-Arbor wanted to emphasize that this was rare.
“Young, healthy people can probably go outside to a well-ventilated area, and their symptoms should go away fairly quickly,” Johnson-Arbor told Today.
Luckily, Samantha and her family got out of the situation unscathed, but mixing bleach and vinegar is no laughing matter.
If you are exposed to chlorine gas, the first thing you should do is get yourself and others out of the area.
Before returning to the exposed area, make sure the room is well ventilated by opening the windows and the door for fresh air.
According to Johnson-Arbor, those who clean the area and get fresh air should be fine in 10 to 15 minutes.
If the symptoms do not go away or get worse, you should seek medical attention.
You should also contact poison control by calling 1.800.222.1222 or visiting PoisonHelp.org.
Once the symptoms have subsided and the area has been fully ventilated, you can dispose of the chlorine gas by pouring it down the drain.
“People should only use cleaning products as directed on the package label, and only for the way they are meant to be used,” Johnson-Arbor said.
Kaitlyn Brown, PharmD, chief clinical officer for America’s Poison Centers, also told the publication that the number of chemical exposures from mixing household cleaners had apparently “peaked in 2021.”
Brown explained that this was likely due to the pandemic, but went on to warn people to avoid mixing bleach with any household chemicals.