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The Biggest Mistakes You're Making When Cleaning With Pine-Sol
By LESLIE ANDERSON
Mixing Bleach
Ethoxylated alcohol is one of the components in Pine-Sol, and when it mixes with bleach, it produces chlorine gas. Exposure to these fumes can cause eye irritation, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. It also doesn’t increase the power of either cleaner, so avoid mixing the two altogether.
Mixing Solvents
Not only is mixing solvents with Pine-Sol dangerous, but you're not improving the product by mixing it since Pine-Sol already kills 99.9% of germs. The propylene glycol and benzoic acid in Pine-Sol interact with other solvents like vinegar and ammonia by emitting fumes, so avoid combining them when cleaning.
Poor Measuring
When measuring out Pine-Sol, you need at least 1/4 of a cup of the solution to 1 gallon of water in order to keep the solution’s potency, but too much cleaner in the mix can damage surfaces. Measurement accuracy is most important when cleaning countertops, stovetops, laminate flooring, wood flooring, and sinks.
Wrong Surfaces
Pine-Sol is not compatible with many surfaces, including marble tile or countertops, and surfaces that are covered with acrylic, enamel, or oil paint. Undiluted Pine-Sol should not be used on metal surfaces, such as copper or aluminum, and it will corrode the materials on cars and dishes.
Wrong Flooring
Pine-Sol is not recommended for use with linoleum and vinyl floors, as it will strip away their protective coating. When in doubt, you can refer to the label on the Pine-Sol container to see which surfaces it recommends you avoid.