What Household Items Contain Hydrochloric Acid?

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Some toilet bowl cleaners contain hydrochloric acid, such as Lysol Brand Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Sno Drops Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Lime-A-Way Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner contains 9.5 percent hydrochloric acid, Sno Drops Toilet Bowl Cleaner contains 15 percent hydrochloric acid and Lime-A-Way Toilet Bowl Cleaner contains 14.5 percent hydrochloric acid.

Hydrochloric acid is found in some personal care products, such as Herbal Essences Hello Hydration 2-In-1 Moisturizing Shampoo Plus Conditioner, which contains less than 0.5 percent. It is also found in pet products, such as Tetra Pond Fish Treatment, which contains less than 2.5 percent.

Hydrochloric acid is diluted with water to create a household cleaner that removes grout from tile and manganese stains from toilet bowls. It is also used in its pure form to remove stains from concrete, melt concrete off surfaces and clean algae growth from the bottom of boats.

Some commercial uses for hydrochloric acid are leather processing, the purification of salt, building construction, gelatin production and as an additive in some foods. The stomach also secretes hydrochloric acid in response to food to aid in digestion. During this process, the hydrochloric acid works with proteases to break down the proteins in food.