Mixing cleaning products can create dangerous gas, cause lung issues

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Now that we have entered cold and flu season, you may find yourself cleaning and disinfecting more than usual. To kill germs, many people grab bleach and add a lemon scented multi-purpose cleaner for the smell, but the dangers of mixing cleaning products be serious.

According to National Capital Poison Center, in 2023 poison control received 2,080,659 human poison exposure calls. 77.2% of poison exposures reported were unintentional, household cleaning products were #1 most common exposure for children and #5 most common for adults.

Sarah Watkins, Medical director of the West Texas Poison Center says mixing bleach and ammonia is the most dangerous combination. Watkins says it is important to keep all cleaners out of reach from children especially dish detergent pods.

"You would not want a child like a toddler to get into that and bite into it. Same with laundry detergent pods and different things happen from biting into those, but with dishwasher detergent, it can cause chemical burns. That can be pretty nasty," Watkins said.

Tune in the ABC-7 at 10P to hear what El Pasoans use in their home and how to identify what products are best for your family.