With temperatures ranging from the high 70s to over 100 degrees F in most of the country, a lot of folks are becoming air-conditioner shut-ins. Even though you might have the summer version of cabin fever, it's not a good time to attempt a big cleaning project. Better to wait until you can throw the windows open and get better ventilation because some of the most common cleaning products can irritate your lungs, skin and eyes or worse.

Poison control centers are all too familiar with mishaps from cleaning products, especially from folks who decide to mix, say, chlorine and ammonia in a misguided effort to boost cleaning power. This is all you need to know: Chlorine gas was used for chemical warfare during World War I. To avoid an untimely trip to the ER, read labels carefully. If you see an ingredient with a name you don’t recognize, search it on the Internet. Here are five cleaners to handle with care.

• Undiluted ammonia can burn skin on contact. Do not mix with products that contain chlorine bleach—it makes a poisonous gas.
  
• Undiluted chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is very irritating to eyes and lungs.
  
• Drain, metal, and oven cleaners with sodium hydroxide (lye) can burn eyes, nose, and throat tissue on contact.
  
• Toilet bowl cleaners with hydrochloric acid can cause serious eye damage and skin burns.
  
• Furniture and floor polishes, and glass cleaners with naptha can cause headaches and nausea.

--Adapted from ShopSmart magazine