This is Day 16 of the 31 Days to Green Clean series.
You may have noticed in the Basic Cleaning Ingredients list that Hydrogen Peroxide is listed, but we haven’t talked about it at all yet. Well, the thing about cleaning with hydrogen peroxide is that it is great all by itself! Oh, and I should also mention that it is super cheap! I can get a 32 oz. bottle at the grocery store for $0.99!
Hydrogen Peroxide is a natural disinfectant, stain remover, and safe alternative to bleach. All you have to do is get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and add a spray nozzle to the top. Or, if you’re lucky, you can find a bottle with a spray nozzle already attached and then just buy the large bottles and keep refilling your spray bottle.
Here are several different ways you can use hydrogen peroxide for green cleaning around your home.
Natural Disinfectant
I’ve found that hydrogen peroxide is not really a good cleaner on it’s own. But it’s a great natural disinfectant, so I’ll use it to spray down my counters, especially after cooking raw meat, to disinfect my bathroom, really important during the cold and flu season, and to safely clean and disinfect my kids’ toys, especially after they’ve been sick or with baby toys that go in their mouth a lot.
Clothing Stain Remover
Besides my laundry stain spray that I talked about yesterday, I also use hydrogen peroxide for removing certain types of stains. It works really, really well on blood stains, dark food stains like those from berries or ketchup, and for lightening and brightening whites. It’s a great alternative to bleach, in fact, I have a bottle of Clorox Green Works natural bleach and the first two ingredients are water and hydrogen peroxide! But I’ve also used it without problem on lots of different items of colored clothing.
I’ve also used this homemade oxygen cleaner recipe with success for removing stubborn stains.
Removing Household Stains
You can also combine hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to make a cleaning paste that is great for removing stains around the house, like on counter tops or in the bathroom.
The one important thing to remember about Hydrogen Peroxide is that it breaks down when exposed to light. So you either need to transfer it to an opaque spray bottle, or keep it in the brown bottle that it comes in.
Do you have any other cleaning uses for hydrogen peroxide? Please share!
Go here to read all the posts in the 31 Days to Green Clean series.
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Great posts by the way with the “31 Days to Green Clean”. I have looked forward to each post! I’ve been using healthier options for cleaning for a few years (Seventh Generation)but after your suggestions to make homemade cleaners I have been making my own! I also have given up on paper towels which is a HUGE step for me, I was slightly addicted to paper towels!! Cloth napkins are next! So my question is….when using Hydrogen Peroxide as a brightener to your whites. How much do you suggest using per load of clothes??
Thanks Gina, I am so glad you are enjoying the series! I’m having a great time writing it, and my family is happy that the house is cleaner too! 🙂 Great job on giving up the paper towels! It can be a hard transition at first, but I think you’ll be really happy you made the switch!
If I’m adding Hydrogen Peroxide to a load, I just fill up my bleach dispenser in my front load washer. I think it’s about 1/3 cup, maybe 1/2 cup. I’m not sure. I would start with a smaller amount and see if that works, and if you still think they need to be whiter you could add more the next time. I don’t think too much would hurt anything, and hydrogen peroxide is cheap, but you’d just hate to use more than you have to to get the job done.
~Emily
When using hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant, do you just let it dry on the counters, toys and doorknobs, or do you wipe it off? Thanks for this great series. I have put it to use more than any other site I visit!
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series! I spray the hydrogen peroxide on, let it sit for a minute or two, and then wipe it off with a damp cloth. Sometimes it bubbles up a little, so wait til it’s done bubbling before wiping it away.
so in any given recipe where vineger is use I can exchange hydrogen peroxide? which one is more effective?
Hi Melissa,
No, you can’t substitute hydrogen peroxide for vinegar. I just use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning/disinfecting on it’s own. You need to keep it in the brown bottle that it comes in because it will break down when it’s exposed to light. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks! Makes sense.
It works on removing blood from cloths.It’s my dad’s dental trick. dab bit on there and rub gently until it has all come out.
I’ve read a lot of articles online about using Hydrogen Peroxide on laundry stains with mixed reviews on safe or not for colors. Do you think its safe to spay on full strength as a pre-treater for spot/stains on colors? Also can I add H.P. or a combo of H.P. & baking soda (homemade oxiclean) to my HE machine & be safe on colors without bleaching them?
Thank you
Love your blog/posts!! I spent all afternoon reading them, and now have a handy to-do list written for turning my cleaning products to all-green. VERY EXCITED!! One question: since hydrogen peroxide can act as a bleaching agent, can using it on counters, etc. risk ruining the color of the item you are disinfecting?? I live in a rental and cannot afford to damage the counters! I really appreciate any response you might have, personal experience, etc. Thank you!!
Tori
Hi Tori,
Thank you so much! So glad you stopped by! In my experience, I have never had hydrogen peroxide bleach anything – either a piece of clothing or something like a counter or floor, etc. To be safe, I would probably test a small, out-of-site spot first before you use it on the whole counter. I bet you’ll be fine, but that way you’ll know for sure. Hope that helps!
~Emily