rico567 said:
(NB: never, ever mix vinegar directly into bleach, or you will have the same experience as the British Army that morning in 1915 when the Germans used chlorine gas on them at Ypres....)
Never heard of that before, and quickly figuring out the actual chemical reaction, it seems more myth than reality.
Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and acetic acid (vinegar) SHOULD react to form hypochlorous acid and sodium acetate, the former probably being responsible for the enhanced disinfectant powers.
NaClO + CH3COOH → HClO + CH3COONa
[sodium hypochlorite + acetic acid → hypochlorous acid + sodium acetate]
In fact, almost any acid would seem to simply produce its sodium salt + hypocholorous acid.
Speaking of sodium "salt" though, it often brings to mind table salt, NaCl (sodium chloride) which interestingly, despite sounding perhaps the most harmless also happens to be the main exception and why I said ALMOST any. Since it requires the chloride ion, it obviously can be produced with simple HCl, hydrochloric acid (aka muriatic acid):
NaClO + 2HCl → NaCl + H2O + Cl2
[sodium hypochlorite + hydrochloric acid → sodium chloride + water + chlorine (gas)]
So... keep the pool acidifiers and water softener regenerators away from the bleach
And for the last part of today's science class, just for the hell of it, might as well tackle another misconception: Bleach + ammonia (NH3), often said to also produce chlorine gas.
NaOCl + NH3 → NH2Cl + NaOH
Clearly, no chlorine gas. But in English...
[sodium hypochlorite + ammonia → chloramine + sodium hydroxide (lye aka caustic soda)]
But just because there's no chlorine gas doesn't make it safe. Lye is a pretty caustic substance, and in heavy enough concentrations can be pretty dangerous.
And chloramine, while a liquid at room temperature, will produce fumes if in an adequately concentrated solution which will have very similar toxic effects to chlorine gas. In the continued presence of bleach (almost a given), it will continue to react to produce a few other, similarly-acting chemicals. So, while it technically may not produce chlorine gas, it's still a very stupid thing to do.