Thursday, August 26, 2010

CLOROX AND AMONIA COMBINED CAN KILL YOU

I was 27 years old and in a beginning emergency medical class before I ever knew that Clorox and Ammonia combined can kill someone.

"Some people mix Clorox and Ammonia to do housework, then realize they are in trouble and when they call the ambulance, it's too late..."

I am flabbergasted that they are not teaching this to junior high students. I should not have had to be taking a paramedical class to find this out!

I put this in my long-term memory. NEVER MIX CLOROX AND AMMONIA.

THEN ONE DAY, I was cleaning rooms with two other girls and we don't have, "CLOROX," or, "AMMONIA," we have, "PURPLE POWER," "ORANGE," AND "BABO."

Scouring powder, and Windex are in the caddy too.

What is in those bottles? Certainly, if any combination of these could kill us, they would teach us this on the first day of work, RIGHT??


Housekeepers are of all different mentalities. Some have not even graduated high school.

I asked these two girls I was working with, "Is it okay to mix the purple and the orange?"

They both walked into the kitchen. "NEVER MIX THE CHEMICALS."
"DON'T MIX THEM BECAUSE IT'LL TURN INTO MUSTARD GAS AND WE'LL ALL BE DEAD."

"I replied," I know you can't mix Clorox and Ammonia, there was someone who died that way."

"But when it's, "ORANGE"AND "PURPLE," then I'm not sure.

"Well, we should have a list that specifically talks about what we're carrying."

Can you imagine if I hadn't taken EMT class to learn this basic information?
I might not only be dead but might have killed my co-workers too.

Can you imagine if I had not known enough to ASK THEM? Maybe nothing would have happened.

My next move is to research these, "ORANGE," and "PURPLE," cleaning fluids in the maid basket.

I think the MSDS is a good place to start.