Can you mix bleach and hydrogen peroxide?
Bleach and Hydrogen peroxide
No — it damages something or fails
No — it is exothermic and destroys both, and can spray hot liquid.
What actually happens
The two oxidisers react to release oxygen rapidly, generating heat and pressure. In a closed bottle that means a burst container; in an open one it means hot spray. The reaction also consumes both products, so whatever cleaning either would have done is lost. This one is less lethal than the gas-producing combinations and more likely to injure by heat and splash.
What to do instead
They are both effective disinfectants on their own and neither is improved by the other.
Cleaning products
| Combination | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bleach and ammonia | Toxic gas | No. This is the classic household poisoning and it produces chloramine gas. |
| Bleach and vinegar | Toxic gas | No. Any acid plus bleach releases chlorine gas. |
| Baking soda and vinegar | Pointless | Safe, dramatic, and it leaves you with salt water. |
| Bleach and toilet cleaner | Toxic gas | No. Most toilet cleaners are acidic, so this is the bleach-and-acid reaction. |
| Bleach and rubbing alcohol | Toxic gas | No. It produces chloroform and other chlorinated compounds. |
| Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar | Do not | No — mixed in a bottle it forms peracetic acid, which is corrosive. |
| One drain cleaner and a different drain cleaner | Toxic gas | No. Drain cleaners come in strongly acidic and strongly caustic types, and combining them is violent. |
| Vinegar and castile soap | Pointless | Safe, and it curdles into a white mess that is worse than either. |
| Vinegar and ammonia | Pointless | Not dangerous, and they cancel each other out. |
Common questions
- Can you mix bleach and hydrogen peroxide?
- No — it damages something or fails. No — it is exothermic and destroys both, and can spray hot liquid.
- What happens if you do?
- The two oxidisers react to release oxygen rapidly, generating heat and pressure. In a closed bottle that means a burst container; in an open one it means hot spray. The reaction also consumes both products, so whatever cleaning either would have done is lost. This one is less lethal than the gas-producing combinations and more likely to injure by heat and splash.
- What should I do instead?
- They are both effective disinfectants on their own and neither is improved by the other.
Related pages
- Bleach and ammonia No — this one produces a toxic gas
- Bleach and vinegar No — this one produces a toxic gas
- Baking soda and vinegar You can, but it achieves nothing
- Bleach and toilet cleaner No — this one produces a toxic gas
- Bleach and rubbing alcohol No — this one produces a toxic gas
- Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar No — it damages something or fails
- Bleach and ammonia Also produces a toxic gas
- Bleach and vinegar Also produces a toxic gas
- Bleach and toilet cleaner Also produces a toxic gas
- Bleach and rubbing alcohol Also produces a toxic gas
- Hazard symbols What the pictogram on the bottle actually requires
Sources
- US Environmental Protection Agency — EPA (Public domain (US Government))