Ammonia
Ammonium hydroxide · NH3
What it is
A pungent nitrogen compound dissolved in water, used to cut grease and leave glass streak-free. Its sharp smell is an early-warning system, you notice it well before levels get dangerous.
In this product: Grease-cutting solvent and pH adjuster in glass and window cleaners.
Dose & route, what actually matters
Used with a window open, the airborne level stays low and the worst you get is a sharp nose. The dangerous scenario is combining an ammonia glass cleaner with bleach in a closed bathroom, which releases chloramine gas that can cause coughing, chest pain, and in serious cases pulmonary edema, sometimes hours later.
EUROPEAN UNION
Regulated as an irritant; no carcinogen classification.
UNITED STATES
OSHA workplace limit 50 ppm; not classified as a carcinogen by IARC.
The evidence
Mixing bleach with ammonia-based cleaners creates chloramine vapors (mono-, di-, trichloramine) that vaporize quickly and cause coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and potentially pulmonary edema, with onset sometimes delayed 24 to 48 hours.
regulatory · 2024 · source
Ammonia is a common ingredient in glass cleaners; combining it with a hypochlorite (bleach) makes chloramine gas, a documented household-poisoning hazard.
review · 2024 · source
California Prop 65: Not listed.
How to avoid it
Never mix an ammonia glass cleaner with bleach, and never clean a litter box or toilet (ammonia from urine) right after using bleach. Ventilate while using it. Diluted vinegar is an ammonia-free alternative for glass.
Where it hides
Editorial analysis of publicly available regulatory and peer-reviewed sources. Not medical advice. We name our evidence and link it, including when an ingredient is fine.