Carbon tetrachloride, teht ruh KLAWR eyed, is a clear, colorless liquid that does not burn. Industries use it to dissolve oils and rubber, to manufacture refrigerants, and to produce propellants that make liquids spray from containers. The liquid was once widely used as a cleaning fluid. But inhaling its fumes can cause severe illness or death. Carbon tetrachloride will not mix with water, but it changes into poisonous gases when heated. In 1970, the United States government banned the use of carbon tetrachloride inhousehold products.