Generally found in bathroom cabinets to kitchen cabinets, hydrogen peroxide is among the most common household products today. The uses of hydrogen peroxide are a plenty, but it must be used with caution. That’s because it can be harmful for your health. Due to hydrogen peroxide’s ubiquity, we are going to look at the important facts surrounding it, so you know when to use the compound and when you should put it away for good.
What Is H2O2?
Hydrogen peroxide is classed as a compound by chemists, meaning it has 2 atomic elements. When you store it at normal temperature, it becomes a clear liquid and has a blue tinge. The chemical formula it has is H2O2, meaning it is closely related to water. The air surrounding you also contain traces of hydrogen peroxide in gaseous form.
The extra oxygen atom in hydrogen peroxide means that it has very different properties from water. It acts as an oxidant, meaning it can change the properties of a substance on a molecular level by taking electrons from other substances. Its decomposition into water and oxygen does not establish that a product or process is environmentally harmless.
What Does Oxidation Tell You About a Product?
Oxidizing properties help explain peroxide’s role in some formulated products, but they do not establish that any peroxide solution will disinfect a surface. Select a product labeled for the exact task and material. Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization are different outcomes, and a general description of the ingredient does not establish a product’s performance.
The Other Types of H2O2
Hydrogen peroxide products differ in concentration, formulation and labeled use. A 3% solution is not automatically suitable for every household or personal-care purpose. Finished cosmetic or cleaning products have their own formulations and instructions; bulk peroxide is not interchangeable with them.
A “food grade” designation is not a universal concentration or permission to consume peroxide. Check the exact product specification and SDS rather than inferring a use from a grade name or percentage. Do not ingest hydrogen peroxide.
Is it dangerous?
Do not use bulk hydrogen peroxide on wounds or as a medical, dental or veterinary treatment. Use an appropriate finished product according to its label and seek professional advice for a health concern.
Poison control centers in the U.S. get reports of children that have accidentally drunk hydrogen peroxide in their homes. If you have stored hydrogen peroxide in your home, make sure that you keep it locked in a cabinet away from your children or on a high shelf.
