Of all the hazardous household products, cleaning products are some of the most toxic to homeowners and their families (including pets). This makes sense: after all, what is hard on grease, grime, limescale, and other difficult-to-remove stains isn’t going to be kind to the skin. One of these products – known as muriatic acid – is one of the most heavy-duty cleaning products, and with good reason: it’s primarily made of corrosive hydrochloric acid. Learning how to use, handle, store, and dispose of muriatic acid is vital if you’re going to keep it in your home. For information on other hazardous cleaning chemicals, see the fact sheet below:
Hazards
- Muriatic acid is a diluted form of hydrochloric acid (HCI), with commercial grades reaching 30% or more HCI and other household variants ranging to half that amount or less.
- Usually, muriatic acid includes iron impurities, giving it a yellow color instead of HCI’s colorlessness. Learn more about the differences in our blog on muriatic acid.
- Muriatic or hydrochloric acid causes severe irritation or burns to the skin and eyes.
- Vapors may irritate the respiratory tract.
Handling
- Wear clothing that covers exposed skin areas. Use gauntlet-style acid-resistant gloves and eye protection when working with acid.
- Use only in well-ventilated areas.
- Always add acid to water – never add water to acid.
- Do not mix muriatic acid with any other chemicals.
Management Options
- Do not dispose of it down the drain or in storm drains.
- Do not dispose of it in a septic system.
- Do not dispose of it in the trash: liquid wastes can leak into a trash truck and react with other chemicals.
- Wastewater treatment facilities routinely use muriatic acid. Call your local facility to see if they will accept it.
- Neutralization may be an option but do not attempt it if you are not familiar with handling acids and the appropriate safety precautions.
- Take to a Household Hazardous Products Collection Center.
This information was brought to you by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and NEDT. For more information, including links to their guides, visit our Fact Sheets & Links page, and make sure to check out our NEDT Blog and Household Hazardous Products Resources for more in-depth information.
