Poisoning from cleaning liquid kills woman who scrubbed her kitchen for 2 hours

Taking cleanliness seriously is a good thing, but going overboard with it can have grave consequences. While chemicals present in products we use everyday may not seem like a big deal, they may even pose a threat to our lives.

A 30-year-old woman in Madrid called emergency services as she felt intoxicated after cleaning her kitchen for two hours. The liquid she was using contained ammonia and by the time firefighters reached her house, they found her on the floor suffering cardiac arrest.

Paramedics tried CPR for 30 minutes to save the woman but eventually declared her dead. Inhaling ammonia led to her intoxication and subsequent death.

The chemical is found in cleaning liquids and exposure to high concentrations can cause lung failure, heart failure and brain damage. But death from exposure to house cleaners is rare.