Ammonia (Ammonium Hydroxide)

What is ammonia and what is it used for?

Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen that is a gas at room temperature. Cleaning products use it dissolved in water, as ammonium hydroxide. Its alkaline nature allows it to dissolve grease, fingerprints and films of dirt; because it evaporates quickly, it leaves no streaks on glass and mirrors.

It also occurs in nature: our bodies produce ammonia when breaking down protein, and the sharp smell of urine comes largely from it. This does not mean it is harmless because it is “natural”; concentration is what counts.

Which products contain it?

• Glass, mirror and shiny-surface cleaners
• Some multi-purpose surface and oven cleaners
• Ammonia solution sold in pharmacies or hardware shops (household ammonia)
• Some hair dyes (cosmetic use is outside the scope of this page)

On the label it is written as “ammonia” or “ammonium hydroxide”. Many glass cleaners also contain solvents such as butoxyethanol together with ammonia.

Is it harmful? The scientific assessment

Under the EU CLP classification, concentrated ammonia solutions cause severe skin burns and eye damage (H314), may cause respiratory irritation (H335) and are very toxic to aquatic life (H400). Because the level in household glass cleaners is low, the risk is much more limited; even so, the fumes can make the eyes water and sting the throat.

People with asthma or chronic respiratory disease are more sensitive to ammonia fumes. Using it as a spray for long periods in small, enclosed spaces (a bathroom or shower cubicle) increases irritation. Ammonia does not build up in the body and is not classified as a carcinogen; the main concerns are acute irritation and the danger of mixing.

The most important warning: don't mix it with bleach

When ammonia or a product containing ammonia mixes with bleach, chloramine gases are formed. These gases cause coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, burning eyes and nausea; heavy exposure can leave lasting damage in the lungs.

The mixture can also form without you realising: for example, cleaning the toilet first with bleach and then with an ammonia spray, or pouring a lot of bleach onto a surface with urine residue. Bleach mixing with acids (hydrochloric acid, descalers) also releases chlorine gas.

• Use one product at a time; rinse the surface thoroughly with water when switching products.
• Open a window or switch on the extractor fan; wear gloves.
• Don't decant products into empty bottles; keep them in their original containers.

What to do in case of exposure

If you have inhaled gas or heavy fumes, get to fresh air immediately. If it gets into the eyes, rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes; if spilled on the skin, rinse it off. If swallowed, do not try to induce vomiting. In all cases, call your local poison control centre (in Türkiye: UZEM, 114); for severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, call 112.

What to do when you see it on a label

Using an ammonia glass cleaner in a well-ventilated room and spraying it onto a cloth rather than towards your face reduces exposure. For people with asthma or homes with children, diluted vinegar, or a microfibre cloth and water, often give good enough results for cleaning glass. But vinegar is also an acid, so it must not be mixed with bleach either.