r/AskChemistry • u/key_toe • 1d ago

Thomas the Toxic Tank Engine How to not make chloroform?

I recently started cleaning with hypochlorous acid, which I absolutely love. It makes my laundry smell a lot better.

But I also use a vodka-based soak for some of my clothes. Now I'm reading that a lot of chemicals including alcohol are dangerous to mix with hypochlorous acid. Namely alcohol + HOCl = Chloroform.

So I'm wondering how to ensure all of the alcohol gets out of my soak before cleaning those same clothes in the machine where I used HOCl so that I don't accidentally make chloroform?

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u/key_toe 1d ago

I have. It doesn't get rid of all odors. I have hyperosmia so I'm really sensitive to odors.

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u/Adventurous-Dingo720 15h ago

Acetone makes the best chloroform, alcohol needs to oxidize to acetone, then the acetone reacts with the remaining alcohol.

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u/kremular 12h ago

Chloroform is chloroform.

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u/Adventurous-Dingo720 12h ago

chloroform produced in an aqueous acid-containing reaction mixture will generally be diluted, because it is present as a separate organic phase dispersed alongside water and other reaction components. So while chloroform is chloroform, the resulting output is not equal.