Ammonia
An alkaline cleaner found in some glass and general-purpose products. What matters most about it is what it does when mixed with bleach.
What not to do
These are the combinations an authority has warned about. It is not a list of everything dangerous: a substance nobody has warned about has not been cleared, and none of this is permission to mix.
Never mix
Chloramine gases are released. These are severe respiratory irritants: exposure causes coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, nausea, watery eyes and irritation of the throat, nose and eyes, and in serious cases pneumonia and fluid in the lungs. In an enclosed space such as a bathroom, concentrations build quickly. Get into fresh air at once and seek medical advice. FEELING BETTER SHORTLY AFTERWARDS IS NOT AN ALL-CLEAR: the regulator recommends medical observation for 24 to 48 hours after overexposure, because fluid on the lungs can be delayed.
Ammonia is unsafe on Finished wood flooring
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Ventilate the area
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Maintenance, and How to Clean and Take Care of Your Wood Floors
National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That ammonia-based cleaners can strip the finish off wood floors and cause permanent damage. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Mirrored glass
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Ventilate the area
- Never mix with other cleaning products
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Glass Technical Paper FB06-05: Proper Procedures for Cleaning Flat Glass Mirrors
National Glass Association (NGA), Mirror Division, 2019 · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That commercial mirror cleaners containing ammonia must not be used, and that alkali cleaners can attack the front surface, the edges and the backing. (states this directly)
Ammonia must never be mixed with Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach)
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Regulator sheets state this hazard at substance level, not only at product level.
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
- Keep away from children and pets
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Ammonia
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That ammonia reacts violently with halogens including chlorine, and with calcium hypochlorite. (states this directly)
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Chlorine
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That chlorine is a strong oxidiser, reacts with water to form acid solutions, and can cause pulmonary edema, described as a medical emergency. (states this directly)
Ammonia may damage Microwave oven
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
The damage named is to appearance rather than to the material itself.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Owner's Manual: Microwave Oven, models JEM31 and PEM31
GE Appliances · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That cleaners containing ammonia or alcohol must not be used on the microwave oven, because ammonia or alcohol can damage the appearance of the microwave. (states this directly)
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Scope matters: the same manual prescribes an ammonia soak for a REMOVED drip pan.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Use and Care & Installation Guide: Self-Cleaning Electric Range
GE Appliances · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the metal parts of the range must not be cleaned with steel wool, abrasives, ammonia or commercial oven cleaners, and are instead washed, rinsed and dried with a soft cloth. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Laptop keyboard
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Which rules out ordinary window cleaner, the most common thing reached for when a screen or keyboard looks smeared.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Guidance for Keeping Your Dell Technologies Equipment Clean
Dell Technologies · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That ammonia is among the named prohibited substances, and that glass cleaning products containing ammonia must be avoided on display surfaces. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Refrigerator
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Which rules out most window cleaner, and window sprays are separately named on the same list.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Cleaning the Interior of the Refrigerator
Whirlpool Corporation · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That appliance sprays must be non-abrasive and AMMONIA-FREE, and that window sprays are among the cleaners which must not be used on plastic parts, liners or gaskets. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Copper and brass
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
The regulator's instruction is written about equipment and generalises straightforwardly to a surface.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Wear gloves
- Wear eye protection
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Ammonium Hydroxide (RTK 0103)
New Jersey Department of Health, 2011 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That ammonium hydroxide reacts with heavy metals such as silver, copper, lead and zinc and their salts to form explosive compounds and flammable and explosive hydrogen gas, and that copper, aluminium and galvanised metals must not be used when handling it. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Aluminium
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Wear gloves
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Ammonium Hydroxide (RTK 0103)
New Jersey Department of Health, 2011 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That copper, aluminium and galvanised metals must not be used when handling ammonium hydroxide. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Galvanised steel
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Wear gloves
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Ammonium Hydroxide (RTK 0103)
New Jersey Department of Health, 2011 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That copper, aluminium and galvanised metals must not be used when handling ammonium hydroxide. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Finished wood flooring
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Maintenance, and How to Clean and Take Care of Your Wood Floors
National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That bleach and ammonia-based cleaners strip the finish off wood floors and cause permanent damage. (states this directly)
Ammonia is prohibited by the manufacturer for Hob
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Use and Care & Installation Guide: Self-Cleaning Electric Range
GE Appliances · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That metal and painted surfaces of the range take no steel wool, abrasive, ammonia or oven cleaner. (states this directly)
Ammonia is unsafe on Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
How to clean and care for stainless steel surfaces
Whirlpool Corporation · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That abrasive cloths, paper towels, newsprint, steel wool pads, abrasive powders, ammonia, citrus-based cleaners, vinegar-based cleaners and oven cleaners must not be used on fingerprint-resistant or black stainless finishes. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
- Wear eye protection
- Wear gloves
- Keep away from children and pets
In detail
Ammonia in household products is an aqueous solution, used as an alkaline cleaner and valued in glass cleaning because it evaporates without leaving a residue. It is a respiratory irritant in its own right, with a sharp odour that gives some warning of exposure, and it requires ventilation in use. What makes it dangerous is not its cleaning performance but its reactivity. Ammonia reacts with sodium hypochlorite to produce chloramine gases, and this is one of the most frequently reported serious domestic chemical exposures. The practical difficulty is that a reader often does not know they are handling ammonia: it appears in some glass cleaners and multi-surface products under an ingredient name rather than on the front of the bottle, and it is present in urine, which is how the reaction occurs when bleach is used on a pet accident or a toilet. That is why the rule against mixing is stated as a rule about products rather than about named chemicals.
Properties
- Chemical name
- Ammonia
- pH
- Alkaline
What works
Ammonia is effective against Mould Supported
Named by the stone trade for biological staining, with an emphatic warning never to combine it with bleach.
Ammonia is safe on, in specific conditions, Stainless steel
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- Dilute — the sheet specifies a 1% solution in warm clean water
- Applied with a clean sponge, soft cloth or soft-fibre brush
- Rinsed in clean water and dried afterwards
- Routine light soiling; a stronger solution is not what is cleared
Also named as a pre-soak for burnt-on food and carbon deposits, and as the neutraliser after a phosphoric acid descale. The clearance is for bare stainless steel and carries nothing about coated or fingerprint-resistant finishes.
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Care and Maintenance of Stainless Steel
British Stainless Steel Association, Stainless Steel Advisory Service, 2001 · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That routine cleaning of light soiling takes soap, detergent or a dilute 1% ammonia solution in warm clean water, applied with a clean sponge, soft cloth or soft-fibre brush then rinsed and dried, and is satisfactory on most surfaces. (states this directly)
Ammonia is safe on, in specific conditions, Drip pan
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- The pans removed from the appliance and enclosed in a covered container or plastic bag
- A quarter cup of ammonia, to loosen soil, followed by scrubbing, rinsing and polishing
- Never on the range's metal parts, which the same document prohibits
- Never where any bleach or chlorine-based product has been used, before or after
A household trick that appears verbatim in the manufacturer's manual — for this component only. The same document lists ammonia among the things not to use on the range's metal parts, so the permission and the prohibition sit pages apart in one source.
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Wear gloves
- Wear eye protection
- Rinse thoroughly afterwards
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Use and Care & Installation Guide: Self-Cleaning Electric Range
GE Appliances · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That drip pans are best cleaned by hand in a covered container or plastic bag with a quarter cup of ammonia to loosen the soil, and that ammonia must not be used on the range's metal parts. (states this directly)
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Ammonia
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That ammonia is corrosive and reacts violently with halogens including chlorine and with calcium hypochlorite. (states this directly)
Ammonia is safe on, in specific conditions, Glass
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- One part NON-DETERGENT household ammonia to ten parts denatured alcohol and eight parts distilled or deionised water
- Never with any chlorine product
- Stable, uncracked, undecorated surfaces only
The source's own caution is chemical rather than procedural: ammonia can react with unstable glazed and glass surfaces, and where stability is in doubt the instruction is to ask rather than to try.
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Conserve O Gram 8/1: Removing Dust From Ceramic And Glass Objects
National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 1993 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That the damp-wipe solution contains one part non-detergent household ammonia, and that ammonia can react chemically with unstable glazed and glass surfaces. (states this directly)
Why
- Ammonia is explained by pH in cleaning
- Ammonia is explained by Alkali attack on light metals
- Ammonia is explained by Evaporative deposition
Hacks and claims involving this
- You will smell it if the fumes are dangerous Does not work
- The ammonia bag trick for baked-on grease Supported
Sources for this page
Sources
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC · Poison or chemical-safety authority
Relied on for: That ammonia is a recognised respiratory irritant with established occupational exposure limits.