---
title: "Can you mix bleach and rubbing alcohol?"
description: "Bleach and rubbing alcohol: no — this one produces a toxic gas. What actually happens, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-rubbing-alcohol/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you mix bleach and rubbing alcohol?

**Bleach and Rubbing alcohol: No — this one produces a toxic gas**

No. It produces chloroform and other chlorinated compounds.

> If the two have already been mixed: leave the room, open windows and doors from outside if you can reach them without breathing the air, and ring your national poison line. Do not go back in to neutralise it — adding a third chemical to a reaction in progress is the intuitive move and the wrong one, and most exposures happen to the person who returns to clear it up.

## What actually happens

Sodium hypochlorite reacts with isopropyl or ethyl alcohol to form chloroform and chloroacetone among others. Chloroform is an anaesthetic and a suspected carcinogen, and the associated compounds are corrosive to the eyes and airway. The reaction is not obvious while it is happening, which is part of the problem.

## How people end up doing it

Combining a bleach spray with a hand-sanitiser or alcohol-based surface wipe, which became far more common as both entered general household use.

## What to do instead

Use one at a time on a rinsed surface. If they have mixed, leave and ventilate rather than trying to clear it up.

## 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. |
| 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. |
| Bleach and hydrogen peroxide | Do not | No — it is exothermic and destroys both, and can spray hot liquid. |
| 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 rubbing alcohol?

No — this one produces a toxic gas. No. It produces chloroform and other chlorinated compounds.

### What happens if you do?

Sodium hypochlorite reacts with isopropyl or ethyl alcohol to form chloroform and chloroacetone among others. Chloroform is an anaesthetic and a suspected carcinogen, and the associated compounds are corrosive to the eyes and airway. The reaction is not obvious while it is happening, which is part of the problem.

### What should I do instead?

Use one at a time on a rinsed surface. If they have mixed, leave and ventilate rather than trying to clear it up.

### What if I have already mixed them?

Leave the room, ventilate it from outside, and ring your national poison line. Do not go back in to neutralise it.

## Related pages

- [Bleach and ammonia](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-ammonia/)
- [Bleach and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-vinegar/)
- [Baking soda and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/baking-soda-and-vinegar/)
- [Bleach and toilet cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-toilet-cleaner/)
- [Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/hydrogen-peroxide-and-vinegar/)
- [One drain cleaner and a different drain cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/two-drain-cleaners/)
- [Bleach and ammonia](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-ammonia/)
- [Bleach and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-vinegar/)
- [Bleach and toilet cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-toilet-cleaner/)
- [One drain cleaner and a different drain cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/two-drain-cleaners/)
- [Hazard symbols](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/)

## Sources

- What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Occupational Noise Exposure — Occupational Safety and Health Administration (https://www.osha.gov/noise) [Public domain (US Government)]