On Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:09:54 PM UTC-4, Frank wrote:
His knowledge of chemistry is below grade school level.



Chloramine generated by using ammonia, even is small quantities where

toxicity and explosion hazards are minimal is still a strong oxidizing

agent which would be harmful to dyed fibers.


Let me try some elementary logic here.

Chlorine is used to treat drinking water because it is toxic. It kills stuff, the nasty stuff that would make us sick. I'm using nontechnical terms, some of you are homeschooled.

Chloramine is used to replace chlorine in drinking water. It is not as good. It is nowhere near as toxic, so only a weak disinfectant. It still kills stuff, though not as thoroughly. It is used because it has less environmental impact, not because it's the most effective choice.

You can make either out of bleach.

You could convert most of the hypochlorite.....oops.........well, you could convert most of the bleachey chemical that contains the chlorine to gas by mixing it with the right household cleaner AND reducing the pH. If you were using a strong bleach concentration, that would be a risky thing to do. Chlorine gas is not only a health hazard but has been known to cause death in precisely this scenario.

Or, you could mix the bleach with ammonia. Then (depending on temperature, pH, and relative concentrations) you will convert SOME of the bleachey chemical that contains chlorine to chloramine. You will have less quantity of a less toxic gas. It is strongly irritating, has caused some hospitalizations in confined spaces, and is not known to have actually caused death.

So which would you prefer?

It isn't an urban legend that mixing chlorine and bleach is a bad idea. But it is an urban legend that it makes mustard gas, hydrazine, explosives, lethal levels of chloramine, etc. And the focus on ammonia hides the fact that there are LOTS worse things to mix bleach with.