The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning with Hydrogen Peroxide

Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide instead of harsher chemicals like chlorine bleach has been one of my favorite product switches on my green cleaning journey! As I had mentioned in my book Easy Green Cleaning that it was learning about hydrogen peroxide and all its wonderful uses that got me started on my path of green cleaning.

Hydrogen peroxide is a much safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine bleach and an easy swap for anything you have been using bleach for. What makes hydrogen peroxide so safe is it breaks down into water and oxygen leaving no chemical residue behind vs chlorine which does not break down and easily combines with other compounds to form dioxins and chlorinated organic compounds. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dioxins are, “highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones.” If you would like to learn more about the dangers of chlorine bleach check out this post by Sustainable Baby Steps.

Now that I have the bashing of chlorine bleach out of the way it is time to get excited about Hydrogen Peroxide and its many uses. With all of these cleaning uses, I am talking about using 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and will discuss different dilutions and grades of hydrogen peroxide further in this post. Also, make sure you check out Hydrogen Peroxide cautions at the end of this post before you make it part of your regular cleaning routine.

Hydrogen Peroxide Uses and Cleaning Recipes

• Disinfect – Hydrogen peroxide can be used same as chlorine bleach to disinfect surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide works as a disinfectant by destroying the cell walls of bacteria and viruses so they can no longer survive. Because it is recommended to work with a diluted 3% version of hydrogen peroxide it is important to let sit for 10 or more minutes to fully disinfect (this is true with most disinfectants you need to give them time to fully disinfect). For a very strong disinfectant follow the hydrogen peroxide solution with a vinegar and water solution and let sit but never combine these 2 ingredients in the same bottle.
• All-Purpose Cleaner – 3% hydrogen peroxide is safe for most surfaces and can be used to clean everything from counter-tops, glass, stainless steel, tile, grout and even most hard surface flooring. Just use like you would use any spray all-purpose cleaner.
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner – My favorite method for keeping toilets sparkling clean and disinfected is to spray the inside of the toilet bowl with hydrogen peroxide and sprinkle in baking soda. Let sit for 10 or so minutes then pour in some vinegar and why its foaming scrub the inside of the toilet bowl with a toilet brush. The toilet seat and outside of the toilet can also be wiped down with hydrogen peroxide.
• Laundry – Replace your chlorine bleach with hydrogen peroxide to keep whites white and to get rid of any musty orders on your clothing. For extra whitening power add a little lemon juice to the load as well.
• Stain Remover – Hydrogen peroxide mixed with equal parts castile soap or a simple dish soap makes for an excellent stain remover that can be used to pretreat stains on laundry.
• Soft Scrub – Nothing beats the cleaning powder of a homemade soft scrub which can be made with just hydrogen peroxide and baking soda but I sometimes like to add castile or simple dish soap to the mix for extra grime busting, This solution does not even need to be premixed just spray (hydrogen peroxide), sprinkle (baking soda) and squirt (liquid soap) onto the area you are cleaning. This soft scrub recipe is great for areas with built up grime like counters, kitchen sinks, stove tops and bathtubs.
• Whiten Grout – The homemade soft scrub recipe can also be used with a toothbrush to whiten or remove stains from grout.
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• Combat Mold and Mildew – Same as bleach you can use hydrogen peroxide to combat mold and mildew here is a more in-depth article from Greenopedia to show you how.
• Clean Carpets – You can use hydrogen peroxide to spot treat stains on carpet as well as the stain remover recipe already mentioned just add some water to dilute. Blot stains vs rubbing. A DIY steam cleaning solution can be created using 4 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide mixed with one and a half quarts hot water. Make sure if using this to spot test and read manufactures instructions.
• Rust Remover – Combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and let it sit 10 or more minutes on rust stain. Then scrub off using a scrub brush or scouring pad. This method works fantastic on any rust stains on the bottom of a dishwasher.
• Clean Humidifier – Sanitize your humidifier regularly so it doesn’t spread germs by adding 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to your humidifier and allow to sit for 30 or more minutes before rinsing clean.
• Clean Produce –For every cleaning tip already mentioned drug store hydrogen peroxide is fine but for cleaning produce and the tips below I recommend using 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide (more info on the different hydrogen peroxides below). I already did a full post on properly cleaning produce so check it out.
• Clean Dishes – Dishes are best cleaned using soap and water but food grade hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning dishes and utensils away from soap and water. It can also be used to disinfect items that touch food like cutting boards by just spraying and letting sit to fully disinfect.
• Clean Children’s Toys– Young kids tend to put toys in their mouths which is why I cringe when I hear chlorine bleach recommended as a way to clean kids toys. A much better alternative is to spray with food grade hydrogen peroxide let sit for 10 or more minutes and rinse clean.
• Clean Plants– Spray your plant buddies occasionally with food grade hydrogen peroxide it will help keep fungus and mold away from your plants. For more info on the benefits of hydrogen for your plants check out Backyard Boss’s post on Why Hydrogen Peroxide for Plants is a Must.
• Sanitize Toothbrushes – Spray or soak your toothbrush in food grade hydrogen peroxide between uses to kill germs and other bacteria that love to reside there.

Different Grades and Concentrations of Hydrogen Peroxide

There are 2 things to be aware of when working with hydrogen peroxide. The grade (quality) and concentration (percentage of hydrogen peroxide in the bottle).

The grade of hydrogen peroxide most people are familiar with is drug store (pharmaceutical) grade which is in the brown bottle you can find in most stores and usually sold at 3% concentration. This grade of hydrogen peroxide is not in its purest form because it contains other chemical stabilizers to help the hydrogen peroxide remain stable when being stored on store shelves. 

Another grade of hydrogen peroxide is food grade which contains no stabilizers and is just pure hydrogen peroxide diluted with water. This form of hydrogen peroxide is a little harder to purchase in stores due to not being as shelf stable. It will break down slowly over time and should be stored in a cool dark place to keep its potency longer. Because of the purity of this hydrogen peroxide, it can be used in food applications and is the one recommended for different health remedies.

There are several other grades of hydrogen peroxide but for the purpose of cleaning only food and drug store grade should be used.

Concentration (percentage) refers to how much hydrogen peroxide is in the bottle vs. water. For the purposes of this article and safe cleaning I never recommend working with anything higher than 3% as hydrogen peroxide is a very strong product. When purchasing food grade hydrogen peroxide though it is more cost effective to purchase a higher percentage and dilute it down to 3%.

How to purchase Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning

You can easily pick up a brown bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide at your local drug, big box or even a grocery store. Hydrogen peroxide is usually in the first aid section. Just add a spray nozzle (can usually find clean empty spray bottles at those same stores) and you are ready to start cleaning with it.

Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide which is necessary for certain applications and what I personally choose to use as it is the purest form of hydrogen peroxide is a little harder to come across. Some health food stores sell small bottles but usually, it is easier to find and purchase online.

Food grade hydrogen peroxide tends to be more expensive if you purchase it already diluted to 3%. Some health food stores carry it and can also be purchased through online retailers like Amazon but it is more costly through Amazon and they don’t carry the best-sized bottles at the time of writing this post.  When picking a bottle you want it to be opaque, fit a spray nozzle, fit in your hand and be a larger size like 32 oz. so you don’t have to refill it that often, although 16 oz. will work as well. The 3% bottle of food grade hydrogen peroxide I like to purchase is this one from Sunfoods. The reason I like it is that it comes in a 32 oz. opaque bottle (important when working with hydrogen peroxide that bottle is opaque) that easily fits a spray nozzle. It is a little more costly but I then reuse the bottle when I dilute stronger concentrations so I only needed to purchase the bottle once.

35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide can be hard to come across since it is so potent this is where I recommend it purchasing from keeping in mind 1 quart will make you approximately 15 32oz bottles of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide cleaner. If you purchase the 2 quarts option which is the one I recommend it will be less than $1.60 per 32 oz bottle for the hydrogen peroxide portion. You can get the cost down even more with the 4 quarts option. It is easier to find 12% food grade hydrogen peroxide then 35% so you can purchase that as an option as well. It won’t be as cost effective as the 35% but will still be more cost effective than purchasing pre-diluted 3% food grade.

Food grade which is my personal preference for all my cleaning applications is only absolutely necessary when using in applications that touch food or go in your mouth. Drug store hydrogen peroxide is fine for all other applications so if buying food grade intimidates you do not let that keep you from using drug store hydrogen peroxide in your cleaning routine.

How to Dilute Hydrogen Peroxide

You do want to be very careful when working with 35% hydrogen peroxide as it is caustic, I always recommend using gloves and protective eye wear. But don’t let that intimidate you making and using it, it is a very simple process and is such an effective and safer alternative to chlorine bleach and other conventional cleaners.

1. Measure out ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide.
2. Pour into 32 oz. opaque spray bottle using a funnel
3. Then measure out 3 ½ cups + 3 tablespoons distilled water. (You want to use distilled water to avoid contaminating the solution).
4. Once everything is combined secure the nozzle back on tightly and shake well.

You can ½ this recipe if making a 16 oz. bottle of the solution.

**If you are diluting a 12% food grade hydrogen peroxide down to a 3% do by doing 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water. So to fill a 32oz bottle you will want one cup 12% hydrogen peroxide and 3 cups water.

Hydrogen Peroxide Cautions

Here are some things to be careful of when cleaning with hydrogen peroxide.

• It is never recommended to premix and store in the same bottle as hydrogen peroxide other than water. Hydrogen peroxide should only be stored in an opaque bottle.
• I only recommend working with the 3% dilution of hydrogen peroxide in all cleaning applications. You are only going to use the 35% hydrogen peroxide to dilute to the 3%.
• Be very careful when working with 35% hydrogen peroxide not to get it directly on your skin or in your eyes.
• Store 35% hydrogen peroxide in a cool dark area (not the fridge) away from small children and pets.
• Once hydrogen peroxide is diluted to 3% it will start to lose its potency after 6 months.
• Be careful when using hydrogen peroxide on porous surfaces especially darker fabrics. Always spot test first.
• If using hydrogen peroxide when cleaning a small enclosed space like a bathroom it is a good idea to use some ventilation like opening a window or turning on an exhaust fan.
• Do not use hydrogen peroxide on silver or copper as it will cause them to oxidize.

There are so many great uses for Hydrogen Peroxide that extend above and if you want the complete guide on how to clean your home without the use of toxic chemicals check out my book Easy Green Cleaning which covers absolutely everything you need to know for a green and clean home.

– Elizabeth Hemmings, author of Easy Green Cleaning

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