On the bottle of toilet bowl cleaner, it specifically says I shouldn’t mix the two. But what happens if I do?
Hydrogen chlorate is an acid (HClO3) while bleach is a base (NaOCl). Generally not a good idea to go mixing acids and bases unless you know what you’re doing. Especially since this one gives off chlorine gas.
I am not a chemist, however, I do know that when they combine they release chlorine gas which, depending on ppm can kill you with a few deep breaths. It was widely used during WW1 and responsible for many deaths.
I think you mean hydrogen chloride rather than hydrogen chlorate. I’m not aware of any toilet bowl cleaners that contain perchloric acid, it’s nasty stuff, but there are plenty which contain hydrochloric acid.
Bleach reacts with HCl to form water plus chlorine gas. Chlorine gas can make your eyes, throat and lungs very unhappy.
Perchloric acid is HClO4, hydrogen chlorate is, as I said earlier, HClO3. That said, I’m not sure either one would ever be used to clean stuff.
I double checked and it is Hydrogen Chloride.
I’m not sure why but it is called “The Works” 
I knew that, I just didn’t write it. :smack:
Perchloric acid you can buy in a bottle from Aldrich. Chloric acid isn’t even stable at room temperature. Both are hellacious oxidants; not the sort of thing you’ll find in consumer prducts.
Yeah, someone managed to keep me out of a hood for several days with a note on it “LiClO4 reaction in progress. Do not open.” Sure, that’s perchlorate anion, but still, it kept me well away.
I’m no chemist but I’ve seen what mixing ammonia and bleach will do to a person.
Several years ago my (former) step-son thought he’d help out by mopping the kitchen. He mixed the two chemicals and voila’ he mopped the floor will inhaling the noxious gas for over half an hour.
I got home and found him pacing around the house, eyes watering profusely, a rash on his face, and wheezing heavily.
Three hours in the ER getting his eyes flushed, breathing treatments, and a burn cream applied to his rash seemed to do the trick.
FWIW, he had chronic respiratory infections ever since then.
Nasty $hit.
I’ve mixed Hcl and clOH once, by accident, many years ago.
After I was released from the emergency room, it still took days before just breathing didn’t hurt like hell. And I just got a tiny whiff…
We mixed pool “bleach” and HCl when we were in grade school; fortunately we did it in the middle of a field. I recall being disappointed that it didn’t explode.
I also stupidly mixed Sodium Ferrocyanide and hydrochloric acid in my basement.
I caught the tiniest whiff and high-tailed it out of there. Later, I did a bit of hyperventillation before I returned to the scene of the “stupidity” to open the basement windows.
And now my 6 year-old is expressing interest in a chemistry set. My blood is chilled.
Fortunately for you BwanaBob those cyanide ligands are pretty tightly bound and you likely didn’t generate a significant amount of hydrogen cyanide. More likely you simply made ferrocyanic acid.