Household Use

As both ammonia in water solution and common household chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite in water solution) are common household cleaners there is considerable danger that these may be used in combination in order to obtain a more active cleaning agent. This is extremely dangerous as the combination of the two solutions will release the toxic gas chloramine. The intentional combination and reaction of chlorine with ammonia is used in the industrial production of chloramine, a product useful as a disinfectant of water supplies to be distributed for household use. Unlike the use of gaseous chlorine for this purpose it does not combine with organic (carbon containing) materials to form halomethanes such as carbon tetrachloride, which is a long–term hazard to human health, even in minuscule concentrations, as it is considered to be carcinogenic.