A St. Petersburg man got firemen to clean his bathroom Thursday morning after he mixed cleaners that unintentionally produced a deadly gas.

Michael Newton, 44, wanted a spic and span bathroom so he poured together bleach and an ammonia-based cleaner. What he got was chlorine gas, whose fumes have been used as a weapon to kill large groups of people since World War I.

Newton was able to get to his front yard, where he called 911. When firemen and hazardous material crews arrived, they ventilated the house and scrubbed down the walls of the bathroom for 30 minutes to get rid of the smell.

Newton was taken to a hospital where he was treated for shortness of breath and irritation to his eyes and lungs. He was reported to be in stable condition.