Hey Doe, I want to encourage you to try muriatic again. I was soooooo hesitant, despite all I had read here. First time I tied I got a whiff of it and thought I was a goner! But since that 1st time, here is what I do:
I wear goggles and elbow high rubber gloves, put the bottle on the ground, (never concrete) Crack the seal while holding my breath, step back and let it vent, re-cover. Make sure I have my brush handy to mix it in because I don't pour slow, since I'm holding my breath while I do it.
Take the held breath, lower the bottle till all but the spout is floating and pour my guess of whatever pool math directs.( I don't like to handle it more than once and a guesstimate has always been good enough) Cap it, rinse the bottle a bit and then brush it in well. I have not had any problems that way.
At my home depot they keep muriatic acid in the pool chemical section, not right next to chlorine, but close enough you can see them both.