26 Amazing Benefits and Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the only germicidal agent composed only of water and oxygen. Like ozone, it kills disease organisms by oxidation! For this reason, Hydrogen peroxide is considered the world’s safest all natural effective sanitizer.

Hydrogen peroxide kills microorganisms by oxidizing them, which can be best described as a controlled burning process. When Hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic material it breaks down into oxygen and water, meaning it is non-toxic for general use.

1. Cuts and infections

Soak any infections or cuts in 3% for five to ten minutes several times a day. Even gangrene that would not heal with any medicine has been healed by soaking in Hydrogen peroxide. Put half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus or other skin infections.

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2. Rejuvenating Detoxifying Bath

Use about 2 quarts 3% Hydrogen peroxide to a tub of warm water. Soak at least 1/2 hour, adding hot water as needed to maintain a comfortable water temperature.

3. Foot Fungus

To cure a foot fungus, simply spray a 50/50 mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

4. Bird Mites Infections

Patients infected by tiny mites report that hydrogen peroxide effectively kills the mites on their skins. They spray it on their skin a couple of times (with a few minutes in between the applications) with amazing results.

5. Sinus Infections

A tablespoon of 3% Hydrogen peroxide added to 1 cup of non-chlorinated water can be used as a nasal spray. Depending on the degree of sinus involvement, one will have to adjust the amount of peroxide used.

6. Wound Care

3% H2O2 is used medically for cleaning wounds, removing dead tissue, and as an oral debriding agent. Peroxide stops slow (small vessel) wound bleeding/oozing, as well.

Some sources recommend soaking wounds for five to ten minutes several times a day. However, washing and rinsing action is sufficient. You shouldn’t leave the solution on open tissue for extended periods of time as, like many oxidative antiseptics, Hydrogen peroxide causes mild damage to tissue in open wounds. Therefore it is important to use with caution.

Personal Care

7. Mouthwash

Many people don’t realize that hydrogen peroxide makes a very effective and inexpensive mouthwash. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. You will not have canker sores and your teeth will be whiter. Use 3% H2O2 – add a dash of liquid chlorophyll for flavoring if desired.

8. Toothpaste

Use baking soda and add enough 3% H202 to make a paste.

9. Toothbrush

Or, just dip your brush in 3% H202 and brush. Soak your toothbrush in Hydrogen peroxide to keep them free of germs.

10. Tooth Ache

Hydrogen peroxide is not a pain killer; however, as an anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal agent, it is effective at treating the pathogen that is causing the infection. The following is from my own personal experience: My dentist wanted to give me a root canal some time ago as one tooth was inflamed and, in her opinion, would die. I felt some discomfort but told her that I would give it chance to heal. I rinsed with hydrogen peroxide (several times a day) as well ascoconut oil (once a day). The discomfort went away and I have had no further problems with the tooth.

If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% Hydrogen peroxide into your mouth and hold it for 10 minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

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11. Tooth Whitening

Having used 3% Hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash for sometime ago, I am thrilled to note that my teeth have been beautifully and effortlessly whitened. I used to pay so much for professional whitening, those silly strips and uncomfortable trays. Live and learn.

12. Douche

Add 2 capfuls of 3% Hydrogen peroxide in warm distilled water once to twice a week to remove even chronic yeast infections.

13. Colonic or Enema

For a colonic, add 1 cup (8 ozs.) 3% H202 to 5 gallons warm water. (Do not exceed this amount) For an enema, add 1 tablespoon of 3% H202 to a quart of warm distilled water.

14. Hair Lightening

Peroxide is a bleaching agent and is used for lightened hair. Dilute 3% Hydrogen peroxide with water (50 / 50) and spray the solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.

15. Contact Lenses

Hydrogen peroxide is used as a disinfectant in CIBA Vision’s Clear Care no rub contact lens cleaning solution, due to its ability to break down the proteins that build up on the lense from the eye’s immune response, resulting in increased comfort for those with sensitive eyes.

Sanitizing / Disinfectant / Cleaning

16. In the Dishwasher

To disinfect your dishwasher, add 2 oz. of 3% Hydrogen peroxide to your regular washing formula.

17. Kitchen/Household surfaces

Clean your counters and table tops with hydrogen peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of 3% Hydrogen peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour or spray hydrogen peroxide (and then vinegar) on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

Keep a spray bottle of 3% (straight) to disinfect the interior of the refrigerator and kids’ school lunch boxes. You can also use hydrogen peroxide to clean glass and mirrors with no smearing. Use it in the bathroom to sanitize the counters, toilets, floors, etc.

Directions: It is best to use two spray bottles rather than mixing the solutions together. Put straight vinegar in one and straight Hydrogen peroxide in the other spray bottle. When you want to sanitize a surface (cutting board, counters, sink, cages, toys, toilets, floors, etc.) spray one mixture on the surface, then the other. When they mix, for a brief time the chemical action of the two make a very powerful sanitizer. You can rinse off the surface afterwards. This applies for kitchen surfaces as well as vegetable and food decontamination.

18. Humidifiers/Steamers

To clear the air, use 1 pint 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water in a humidifier or steamer.

19. Washing/Laundry

You can also add a cup of hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Peroxide is a perfect alternate solution to keep those clothes white. Also, when chlorinating clothes, they tend to wear out faster – peroxide won’t do that.

20. Laundry / Stain Removing

3% Hydrogen peroxide is an effective stain remove if it is used fairly soon after a spill – although blood stains as old as 2 days have been successfully lifted with Hydrogen Peroxide. If a little peroxide is poured onto the stain it will bubble up in the area of the blood, due to a reaction with catalase. After a few minutes the excess liquid can be wiped up with a cloth or paper towel and the stain will be gone.

3% H2O2 must be applied to clothing before blood stains can be accidentally “set” with heated water. Cold water and soap are then used to remove the peroxide treated blood.

Please note: Hydrogen peroxide will bleach or discolor many fabrics.

Food Preparation

21. Food preparation/decontamination

Combination of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide make a cheap, effective and non-toxic disinfectant agent and is said to be more effective at killing pathogens than bleach. As it is non-toxic, you can use it to cleanse cooking and food preparation areas (as well as fruits and vegetables – see #24). In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide mists, kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces.

22. Vegetable Soak

Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria and neutralize chemicals. Add 1/4 cup 3% H2O2 to a full sink of cold water. Soak light skinned (light lettuce) 20 minutes, thicker skinned (like cucumbers) 30 minutes. Drain, dry and refrigerate. Prolongs freshness.

If time is a problem, spray vegetables (and fruits) with a solution of 3%. Let stand for a few minutes, rinse and dry.

23. Meat Sanitizing

You can also use it to rinse off your meat before cooking.

24. Leftover tossed salad

To help keep leftover salads, spray with a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 Tbsp. 5%. Drain, cover and refrigerate.

25. Marinade

Place meat, fish or poultry in a casserole (avoid using aluminium pans). Cover with a dilute solution of equal parts of water and 3% H202. Place loosely covered in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Rinse and cook.

26. Sprouting Seeds

Add 1 ounce 3% Hydrogen peroxide to 1 pint of water and soak the seeds overnight. Add the same amount of hydrogen peroxide each time you rinse the seeds.

Grades of Hydrogen Peroxide

A) 3.5% Pharmaceutical Grade: This is the grade sold at your local drugstore or supermarket. This product is not recommended for internal use. It contains an assortment of stabilizers which shouldn’t be ingested. Various stabilizers include: acetanilide, phenol, sodium stanate and tertrasodium phosphate.

B) 6% Beautician Grade: This is used in beauty shops to color hair and is not recommended for internal use.

C) 30% Reagent Grade: This is used for various scientific experimentation and also contains stabilizers. It is also not for internal use.

D) 30% to 32% Electronic Grade: This is used to clean electronic parts and not for internal use.

E) 35% Technical Grade: This is a more concentrated product than the Reagent Grade and differs slightly in that phosphorus is added to help neutralize any chlorine from the water used to dilute it.

F) 35% Food Grade: This is used in the production of foods like cheese, eggs, and whey-containing products. It is also sprayed on the foil lining of aseptic packages containing fruit juices and milk products. THIS IS THE ONLY GRADE RECOMMENDED FOR INTERNAL USE.

G) 90%: This is used as an oxygen source for rocket fuel.

The Question of Internal Use

Your body naturally makes Hydrogen peroxide to fight infection which must be present for our immune system to function correctly. White blood cells are known as Leukocytes. A sub-class of Leukocytes called Neutrophils produce hydrogen peroxide as the first line of defense against toxins, parasites, bacteria, viruses and yeast.

For this reason, the internal use of Hydrogen peroxide is administered by some medical professionals (known as ‘Oxygen Therapy’) although there is currently no consensus in the medical community on the benefits and risks. Medical literature that supports its use typically recommends that if Hydrogen peroxide is taken internally, a low concentration of around 3% – 5% is used. However only 35% Food Grade hydrogen peroxide (Grade F) is recommended for internal use, therefore it MUST BE DILUTED before it is consumed.

At a concentration of 35%, hydrogen peroxide is a very strong oxidizer and if not diluted, it can be extremely dangerous or even fatal. Any concentrations over 10% can potentially cause neurological reactions and damage to the upper gastrointestinal tract.

There have been two known fatalities in children who ingested 27% and 40% concentrations of H2O2. Another reports tells of a 26 month old female who swallowed one mouthful of 35% H2O2. She immediately began vomiting, followed by fainting and respiratory arrest. Fortunately, she was under emergency room care and although she experienced erosion and bleeding of the stomach and esophagus, she survived the incident. When she was re-examined 12 days later, the areas involved had healed (J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 90;28(1):95-100).

Personal note: As with ANY food, drug or supplement, using the product according to instructions is key to safety. If someone uses too much, then of course ramifications may be felt. I’ve never heard of harmful side effects resulting from the correct usage of Food Grade hydrogen peroxide.

35% Food Grade H2O2 must be….

1. Handled carefully (direct contact will burn the skin- immediate flushing with water is recommended).

2. Diluted properly before use. Don’t use chlorinated tap water to dilute the peroxide!

3. Stored safely and properly (after making a dilution the remainder should be stored tightly sealed in the freezer).

One of the most convenient methods of dispensing 35% H2O2 is from a small glass eye dropper bottle. These can be purchased at your local drugstore. Fill this with the 35% H202 and store the larger container in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator until more is needed. Store the eye dropper bottle in the refrigerator. The drops are mixed with either 6 to 8 ounces of distilled water, juice, aloe vera juice or gel.

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