Quaternary ammonium compounds
A class of cleaning-product active that a regulator lists among the ammonia compounds which release chlorine gas on contact with bleach. That reaction is the fact that matters.
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
Chlorine and other toxic gases are released. Chlorine is an immediately dangerous respiratory irritant: low levels irritate the eyes, nose and throat and cause coughing and breathing problems, and high levels cause severe breathing difficulty and lung damage. Leave the area for 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, because fluid on the lungs can be delayed.
Quaternary ammonium compounds must never be mixed with Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach)
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
- Keep away from children and pets
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Sodium Hypochlorite
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That sodium hypochlorite may react violently or explosively with ammonia compounds, quaternary ammonium salts named among them, to release chlorine and other toxic gases. (states this directly)
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Chlorine
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: The character of chlorine exposure and the delayed onset of pulmonary edema, which is what makes the released gas dangerous. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Never mix with other cleaning products
- Ventilate the area
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
In detail
Quaternary ammonium compounds — quats — are a family of disinfectant actives. One thing about them is firmly established by a regulator, and it is a safety fact rather than a performance one. The regulator's fact sheet for sodium hypochlorite lists what bleach reacts with, and its ammonia-compound bullet names quaternary ammonium salts alongside ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride, with the stated outcome that the reaction releases chlorine and other toxic gases. That puts a category of disinfectant on the same footing as the ammonia-containing glass cleaner behind the better-known accident. WHY THAT MATTERS MORE THAN THE CHEMISTRY SUGGESTS. People who know not to mix bleach with ammonia apply the rule to things that smell of ammonia. A quat-based spray or wipe does not, and is not sold as an ammonia product, so the learned rule never fires. The name is in the ingredients, not on the front of the bottle. WHAT THE EVIDENCE DOES NOT COVER. No authoritative source establishes how well quats disinfect, at what strength, or for how long they must stay wet. And the warning does not extend to washing-up liquid or any other surfactant the sheet does not name.
Properties
- Chemical name
- Quaternary ammonium salts
Sources for this page
Sources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Sodium Hypochlorite
New Jersey Department of Health · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That quaternary ammonium salts are named among the ammonia compounds sodium hypochlorite may react violently or explosively with, to release chlorine and other toxic gases. (states this directly)