Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning All Type of Household Stains

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H2O2, which you may know as hydrogen peroxide, might look similar to water, but it isn’t!

As its uses span over a myriad of industries, commercial and domestic, hydrogen peroxide is a popular compound. Whether we talk about cleaning produce before cooking or sanitizing your skin after getting cut, hydrogen peroxide is the common solution.

Its versatility comes from the extra oxygen present in it. This oxygen is unstable. Hence, it is quickly released from the compound, making hydrogen peroxide one of the most effective oxidizing agents out there!

But the question of the hour is, can you use hydrogen peroxide to clean household surfaces.

Yes! In fact, hydrogen peroxide is among the handful of compounds that are equally good on carpets and hardwood floors! On top of that, you can use it to clean a wide variety of general household items and tools.

So, without further ado, let’s get straight into it!

What Types of Stains Can You Clean Using Hydrogen Peroxide?

As some people already know, hydrogen peroxide is a proficient stain remover. It is an excellent alternative to bleach and a much safer option too.

Bleach contains toxic substances like chlorine that can be corrosive to touch. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide is used in first aid, making people more comfortable using it rather than bleach.

Hydrogen peroxide is a type of oxygen bleach. This means you can see from the uses mentioned. It has got a lot of cleaning benefits as well as laundry uses.

Due to its non-specific oxygen delivery and amazing bleaching action, hydrogen peroxide can be used to remove virtually any stain from a plethora of surfaces!

We have compiled a list of ways you can incorporate hydrogen peroxide into your everyday household cleaning and disinfectant. Let’s go over their procedure and action!

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Kitchen Stains

Kitchens are the place for the most stubborn of stains. It’s where most of the organic matter is present and dried up in the form of hideous stains.

However, by using a simple hydrogen peroxide procedure, you can easily remove them.

Scrubbing the Sink

Sinks are the common site for bacterial and fungal growth. We clean most of our utensils here, and ironically the sink is the dirtiest part of the kitchen.

To have a clean and bacteria-free sink, you can use hydrogen peroxide.

  • Make a paste having two parts baking soda and one part hydrogen peroxide
  • Take a cleaning toothbrush and give it a good stir
  • Apply that paste to the margins of the and the surrounding stained area
  • Leave it for a few minutes
  • Scrub it again nicely with the cleaning toothbrush
  • After thoroughly scrubbing, rinse your tiles properly as baking soda can leave a white trail
  • Rinse it all off using clean water

Hydrogen peroxide is far better to clean kitchen sinks than bleach. It is because bleach contains chlorine which is toxic to humans if ingested. On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide can be dissociated into harmless oxygen and water after it has completed its task.

Making the Countertops Shine

Kitchen counters are prone to a plethora of stains and waste. In addition, as they contain food granules lying around, bacterial growth is widespread on the counter. Therefore, if kitchen stains are not cleaned thoroughly, they can lead to various diseases.

It is crucial to have a cleaning routine that is short, easy-to-follow, and effective. Only hydrogen peroxide comes to mind, which checks all the points.

To clean a countertop using hydrogen peroxide, all you have to do is

  • Take the hydrogen peroxide bottle and pour it into a spraying bottle
  • Spray hydrogen peroxide directly over the stains
  • Using a cleaning towel, wipe it off
  • Rinse after the paint has been completely removed

You can keep your kitchen clean and disease-free so easily!

Removing Vegetable Stains from Cutting Boards

Just like we used hydrogen peroxide to clean the countertop, it can remove nasty vegetable stains from cutting boards.

Spray some hydrogen peroxide over the cutting board and wipe it off using a clean towel. After removing the stain, rinse the cutting board to get rid of any remaining hydrogen peroxide.

As aforementioned, only hydrogen peroxide can provide amazing cleansing action without emitting toxic byproducts.

It is essential to be careful about the hydrogen peroxide concentration used. As you are dealing with a surface that regularly comes into contact with edible food, the hydrogen peroxide concentration should not exceed 3%.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Pet Stains

Pets like cats and dogs are lovely to have in a home. However, without proper management, they can cause a lot of nuisance by urinating all over your home, especially the dogs.

Dog stains can be difficult to remove from surfaces like carpet. However, hydrogen peroxide can provide an easy solution.

Removing Pee Stains From Carpets

If you own a dog, chances are you have a dirty carpet. Carpets can be a soft and comfortable place for dogs to rest, but they waste no time leaving their presence there.

With hydrogen peroxide, you can efficiently remove all the urine stain your pet may have left.

  • Take some hydrogen peroxide into a spraying bottle
  • Spray the stain and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes
  • With a clean cloth, blot the stain away

You must remember to blot the stain instead of rubbing it. Hydrogen peroxide has strong bleaching properties that can discolor your carpet if it spreads.

Removing Pee Stains From Hardwood Floors

Just like carpets, hydrogen peroxide can give you pee-free floors.

The hardwood flooring is pleasant to look at. However, it is much more prone to catch marks and scraps than the standard flooring.

If you have a pet and a hardwood floor, a brown bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide is a necessity in your home.

The procedure to remove the urine stain from hardwood flooring is pretty much the same as you would with carpet. However, make sure to check before you pour down hydrogen peroxide on the floor for any discolorations or corrosions.

Hardwood is made from organic matter like wood. It is prone to damage if hydrogen peroxide stays there for a while. Therefore, be vigilant with your cleaning and rinse the floor with water as soon as you remove the stain.

Cleaning Pet Poop Stains Along With the Smell

We have gone over how effective hydrogen peroxide can be in vanishing the stains. However, it has supreme smell removing properties too!

The smell commonly associated with pet waste is the bacteria decomposing the matter and aldehydes released with the excreting.

Both of these notorious agents are treated exceptionally well by hydrogen peroxide. It can effectively kill bacteria and oxidize aldehydes into odorless products. Further working of hydrogen peroxide is explained in the subsequent sections.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Bathroom Stains

Hydrogen peroxide is effective in killing microbes as well as removing smells. These qualities make hydrogen peroxide a viable tool in cleaning the stains commonly associated with the bathroom.

They include stains on tiles, toilet seats, and even washbasin.

Cleaning Stains on the Tiles

There are a lot of questions on how you can thoroughly clean your tiles. Especially the grout, which is the shallow space between the two tiles.

If you have white tiles, they are the most affected by the clogged-up dirt in the grout regions. And as it turns out, most of the common washrooms are white or a lighter shade.

Hydrogen peroxide provides a speedy solution on how to clean your tiles.

All you have to do is:

  • Make a paste having two parts baking soda and one part hydrogen peroxide
  • Take a cleaning toothbrush and give it a good stir
  • Apply that paste to the effective grout line and the surrounding stained area
  • Leave it for a few minutes
  • Scrub it again nicely with the cleaning toothbrush
  • After thoroughly scrubbing, rinse your tiles properly as baking soda can leave a white trail
  • Finish it off by wiping it with a towel

After completing the whole procedure, your tiles will look amazing.

Bleaching the Toilet Seat

A lot of people use bleach or acid to clean their toilet bowls. However, acid has corrosive properties and even discolors your toilet bowl, and bleach can only do so much. As it is a disinfectant, bleach can kill the bacteria around your toilet bowl and even remove the smell. However, it can not whiten the toilet bowl.

Therefore, you can use hydrogen peroxide not only to kill the bacteria but also to remove the stains and whiten your toilet bowl.

All you have to do is

  • Take a hydrogen peroxide bottle and pour about a cup or half a liter directly into the toilet bowl
  • Leave it for a couple of hours
  • Take your toilet bowl brush and thoroughly clean the toilet bowl (make sure to reach the edges and undersides of the rim)
  • After brushing, flush all of it away.

By doing this, you will take care of any lingering bacteria and stains.

Scrubbing the Wash Basin

Cleaning the washbasin can be difficult because of the soap stains.

As you might have guessed, it can remove all stains. As a result, your basin can be clean and bacteria-free with just one scrub of hydrogen peroxide.

You have to follow the same procedure as you did with tiles. Make the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste and scrub it properly using a cleaning toothbrush. After a few minutes, rinse it all away, revealing an all-new basin.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Stains on Laundry

While most people consider using hydrogen peroxide solely for stubborn and dry household stains,  it can also be used for laundry stains.

Stains of grass, juice, and ketchup can be tough to remove just by detergent, regardless of what most companies advertise. However, hydrogen peroxide can provide an easy solution, saving you a couple of hours of scrubbing.

Brighten the Whites

White shirts and dresses are some of the most appealing clothes in your closet. However, their frequent use can give them a characteristic yellowish color. The worst part is, they can turn yellow just by staying in the closet for too long.

The yellow tint stays permanent no matter how many times you wash the cloth.

Hydrogen peroxide can whiten and brighten your clothes, as well as disinfect laundry and remove stains.

You can start cleaning your whites, too: pour one cup of hydrogen peroxide into the washing machine through the bleach compartment. If you do not have that available, pour it directly into the water after filling the machine.

Remove Grass, Juice, and Ketchup Stains From Clothes

Tough stains like ketchup, juice, grass, and coffee stick to your clothes. You can either try to remove them by the old-fashioned way of manual scrubbing or use hydrogen peroxide to save your time and energy.

All you have to do is:

  • Make a solution of two parts hydrogen peroxide and one part water
  • Mix the solution thoroughly
  • Dry your stains before applying the solution
  • Apply the solution to the stain
  • Let it dry for about 5-10 minutes
  • Launder it as usual

You will see the stain completely removed!

Take care of using hydrogen peroxide in darker colors. Always test a little hydrogen peroxide with the cloth to see if it is not harming the dye.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Other Household Stains

Like we used hydrogen peroxide to whiten and remove stains from laundry, the same methods and principles can be applied to remove common household stains like wine, coffee, or burn marks.

We will focus on the presence of these stains on carpet and flooring specifically. The hydrogen peroxide used is a 3% solution.

Red Wine Stains

On every Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, sitting in the lounge with family is a ritual. Exchange treats like nuts and wine just make the ambiance needed for a perfect family evening.

However, with a slight tumble of hands, the wine glass can spill all over your unique Irani carpet. A perfect family night was ruined.

Wine stains are notorious for being extremely difficult to remove, especially on a carpet that you cannot casually throw in a washing machine.

The bleaching properties of hydrogen peroxide can be your savior. The reactive oxygen liberated from peroxide can remove virtually any stain on almost any surface.

Instead of spending extravagantly to buy a new one or having it company washed, you can use hydrogen peroxide.

Coffee Stains

Similar to red wine stains, coffee stains can be removed from the carpet, shirts, and floor using hydrogen peroxide.

You can remove coffee stains easily by following this procedure

  • Dry out the coffee stain before cleaning
  • Make a solution having two parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dish soap
  • Mix it well
  • Using a toothbrush or a rough cloth, dabble the solution on the stain
  • You will start to notice bubbling from the stain
  • Let the cleaning action happen for 5-10
  • Swipe the targeted area using a clean towel and water

You will be amazed by how easily hydrogen peroxide can vanish the stains.

Try to avoid touching hydrogen peroxide directly while performing the procedure. Use gloves for safety measures.

Scuff Marks

Scuff marks are the hideous pencil lines on walls. They are relatively common in households with younger children.

And if you didn’t know, they are pretty unpleasant to remove. Using an eraser to remove pencil marks seems like a viable option on the surface. However, it is impractical. The eraser starts to remove the wall’s color instead of pencil marks.

Hydrogen peroxide can save you from the wrath of irksome children. All you have to do is take some on a clean cloth and start scrubbing the pencil marks away.

However, make sure to check if hydrogen peroxide is not damaging your wall paint before scrubbing. You can do that by applying a few drops on the edge (with a finger, wearing gloves).

Burn Marks

Burns marks are a very common instance while ironing clothes. Especially pure cotton shirts, which can catch burn marks easily if the person is not careful.

Cotton shirts are infamous for having caramel brown burn marks which unfortunately don’t go away by washing.

Through many experts’ advice, we now know hydrogen peroxide can even vanish those ugly burn marks on laundry.

What you have to do is:

  • Take a medium-size bowl and pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into it
  • Dip a clean cloth into the liquid
  • Place the fabric over the burn stain
  • Start ironing directly over the cloth
  • Regularly check if the burn stain is lightning. If yes, then keep ironing
  • If you feel like the fabric is drying out, pour more and iron
  • It should take about 10 minutes for the burn mark to disappear completely.

And that’s how hydrogen peroxide can treat your stain using the agent that caused it!

Why is Hydrogen Peroxide an Effective Cleaning Agent?

So what makes hydrogen peroxide so effective, and why does it work so well?

Glad you asked!

Excellent Oxidizing Properties are Hard on Stains

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best bleaching agents we have come across. Its success lies in its oxidative properties.

Hydrogen peroxide is highly oxidizing in nature, which means it liberates oxygen a few seconds after coming into contact with the air. Oxygen reacts with the microbial cell wall, changing its composition. This whole process results in the death of the pathogen species through altered cell walls.

Similarly, much of what stain is made up of is organic matter. Like in the ketchup and coffee stains, hydrogen peroxide reacts with the ingredient responsible for the color and smell, resulting in a complete cleansing action. As if the stain was reversed back into nothingness.

The same principles can be applied elsewhere too.

When we use hydrogen peroxide to remove pet stains and smell, the same action occurs. Hydrogen peroxide has been shown to eliminate the nastiest of odors, e.g., the skunk smell. The majority of smell is caused by the aldehyde present in the waste and gas. Moreover, bacterial decomposition elevates that smell.

Aldehydes are easily oxidized into odorless acids, while the bacteria are destroyed by a single swipe of hydrogen peroxide. We will discuss more bacteria and disinfecting properties of hydrogen peroxide in the subsequent section.

Powerful Disinfectant to Remove All Sorts of Microbes

We use hydrogen peroxide in many of our household appliances, like in the washroom and sanitizing pets.

Also, in medicine, some doctors rank hydrogen peroxide above antibiotics in some cases. This is because it lacks side effects and is mild. One example is Dr. Duane Keller, a highly experienced dentist.

Dr. Keller, in one interview, explains how it was only after they used it for a while that they began to find out that the hydrogen peroxide was a superior disinfecting agent than the antibiotics.

He then further explained how bacteria could adapt to antibiotics, while hydrogen peroxide, on the other hand, is far better in this regard because of its non-specificity. Finally, Dr. Keller nicely puts the proficiency of hydrogen peroxide over other antibiotics by relating it with how hydrogen peroxide impacts the bacterial cell wall.

The oxygen that hydrogen peroxide liberates is an excellent medicinal agent. Not only can it kill microbes and bacteria non-specifically, but it is harmless to humans.

The great thing about hydrogen peroxide is that it decomposes into water and oxygen after it has done its task, virtually harmless to us.

Eco-Friendly and Safe Use

When hydrogen peroxide is enclosed in a dark bottle, it remains unreactive. However, on exposure to light, it becomes unstable and starts reacting with the surrounding air. So make sure to always keep it locked up until you need it!

Light is not the only thing that breaks the hydrogen peroxide down, though; time also does. After a bottle is opened, it typically lasts between 9 months to one year.

You can test if your hydrogen peroxide is active in a  simple test—Splash small amounts of hydrogen peroxide down your sink drain. There is enough organic material around the sink that can trigger the characteristic bubbling if your peroxide is active. If it doesn’t, it is an indicator to get a new bottle.

Oxygen bleaches such as hydrogen peroxide are much safer than chlorine bleaches. These products are much gentler and less toxic, making them safe for most fabrics and dyes.

Remember not to let hydrogen peroxide touch your skin for longer than 20 minutes. It can start reacting with the underlying tissue, which makes your skin red and itchy.

What Concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide is Best for Cleaning Stains?

Hydrogen peroxide concentration directly correlates with the task at hand.

It is available in loads of different concentrations, ranging from a low low of 0.5 percent to a high high of 90 percent!

But what concentration is best for cleaning household surfaces?

3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution is by far the most used when it comes to wiping stains off surfaces. In addition to using the solution, you can make a more effective cleaning mixture by mixing two parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dish soap.

We have explained the hydrogen peroxide use with its required concentration in the above headings. You should always check the hydrogen peroxide concentration before purchasing.

Ensure to avoid hydrogen peroxide’s contact on the skin! If it does fall on your hands, wash your skin thoroughly after hydrogen peroxide contact.

The goal is to eliminate bacteria and dirt while preserving your skin and yourself. You can use gloves while performing the tasks.

Hydrogen Peroxide – The Stain Cleaning Maestro!

Hydrogen peroxide is a salvation for those looking for a mint clean and disinfection without causing harm to themselves and objects.

It is a far better pick than bleach which lodges harmful byproducts like chlorine into the area applied. Therefore, to have a bleach-like disinfecting action without toxic byproducts, as in a kitchen setting, hydrogen peroxide is the best pick.

Moreover, hydrogen peroxide is so commonly available and easy to use that it’s too good to be true. So grab your hydrogen peroxide bottles now, folks!

Faizan Khan
Faizan Khan
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