What not to clean with hydrogen peroxide?

Author: Susana Ritchie  |  Last update: Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful disinfectant used to clean various surfaces, including countertops, cutting boards, door handles, and light switches. It's important to remember that hydrogen peroxide should not be used on porous surfaces, such as wood or carpet.

What shouldn't you clean with hydrogen peroxide?

Things that you shouldn't do with hydrogen peroxide
  • Don't use hydrogen peroxide to clean cuts. ...
  • Don't use hydrogen peroxide without wearing gloves. ...
  • Don't drink hydrogen peroxide. ...
  • Don't mix hydrogen peroxide with vinegar.

What surfaces does hydrogen peroxide damage?

Peroxide can damage any material damaged by oxygen. If you look around, that is almost anything that is not an oxide. Many rocks, to a first approximation, are metals that have been oxidized.

What to not mix with hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen Peroxide reacts violently with FINELY DIVIDIED METALS; REDUCING AGENTS; COMBUSTIBLES; STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); ORGANICS; ALCOHOLS; ETHERS; KETONES; ...

Why do doctors say not to use hydrogen peroxide?

Depending on the concentration, breathing hydrogen peroxide vapor can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and breathing difficulty. Serious eye or skin burns and bleaching of the hair may result from contact with hydrogen peroxide solutions.

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What happens if you put hydrogen peroxide on a fungal infection?

Hydrogen peroxide can easily kill fungus on the surface level but is not intended for internal use. You can pour hydrogen peroxide over the infected area, but be aware it may sting and should bubble, especially if you have any open wounds.

Is hydrogen peroxide or vinegar better for cleaning?

Straight vinegar can be used for most stains, including food, sweat, and set-in stains. Just spray the stain thoroughly right before washing. Or use hydrogen peroxide and water in a 1:1 ratio to soak out stains, including grass and food.

Why you shouldn't rinse with hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide is used widely in professionally and self-administered products. Hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive substance which can damage oral soft tissues and hard tissues when present in high concentrations and with exposures of prolonged duration.

What else does hydrogen peroxide react with?

Hydrogen peroxide can be derivatised to form compounds capable of acting as a source of active oxygen by reacting with many compounds such as borates, pyrophosphates, carbonates, sulphates, silicates and organic compounds such as carboxylates and amides.

What are 3 hazards associated with hydrogen peroxide?

Exposure to hydrogen peroxide can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, respiratory airway, and skin. Drinking concentrated liquid can cause mild to severe gastrointestinal effects.

Do I need to dilute hydrogen peroxide for cleaning?

To clean with Hydrogen Peroxide, we recommend putting it into a spray bottle to spray onto the surfaces you are trying to either disinfect or bleach. You do not need to dilute it.

Can you clean a shower with hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide works well for cleaning accumulated soap scum or mold growth in your shower. And the good news? It's cheaper than store-bought shower cleaners, so you save some bucks, plus it's more environmentally safe.

What do you mix with hydrogen peroxide to clean?

While hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean many things, it's best to mix it only with water. Combining the solution with ammonia, chlorine bleach, or vinegar in a closed container can cause unsafe gasses to form.

Can hydrogen peroxide damage surfaces?

You can use hydrogen peroxide on many household surfaces. it can disinfect a wooden cutting board, though you should rinse the board afterward. Hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect. You can use it, for instance, to improve the appearance of tile grout.

How to get rid of mold with hydrogen peroxide?

Pour 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. Spray the moldy surface completely to saturate the area with hydrogen peroxide. Leave the surface to sit for 10 minutes. Scrub the area to make sure to remove all the mold and mold stains.

What should you not use hydrogen peroxide?

The release of oxygen causes foaming, which helps to remove dead skin and clean the area. This product should not be used to treat deep wounds, animal bites, or serious burns.

What are the disadvantages of hydrogen peroxide in cleaning?

Hydrogen peroxide:
  • It is a very potent oxidant and can interact with a wide range of substances.
  • It irritates the eyes when it comes into touch with them.
  • Water and oxygen are produced as hydrogen peroxide slowly breaks down.

Should I rinse with hydrogen peroxide before or after brushing?

Rinse your mouth with two teaspoons of the hydrogen peroxide rinse for one minute, and then spit it out. You may use it up to four times daily following brushing. Just like using peroxide for a scrape on your skin, this hydrogen peroxide mouth rinse helps the inside of your mouth heal.

What surfaces should not be cleaned with vinegar?

Never Clean These With Vinegar
  1. Stone Countertops. Surfaces that often get ruined by vinegar are stone countertops, like marble and travertine. ...
  2. Dishwashers/Washing Machines. You might have come across the tip of running a dishwasher or washing machine with vinegar to tackle hard-water film and odors. ...
  3. Clothes Iron.

What is better for mold, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide?

If you don't have hydrogen peroxide, use distilled white or cleaning vinegar. Distilled white vinegar's acidity slowly breaks down and kills mold but does so much slower than cleaning vinegar.

What disinfects better bleach or hydrogen peroxide?

Although liquid bleach contains diluted sodium hypochlorite that can effectively kill bacteria, hydrogen peroxide reacts better in killing mold on solid surfaces. This is because hydrogen peroxide can partially penetrate semi-porous surfaces to reach the deeper layers of mold, unlike chemical bleach.

What do hospitals use to clean?

Common low- and intermediate-level disinfectants that can be used for environmental surfaces in healthcare settings include:
  • Quaternary ammonium compounds.
  • Alcohol (ethyl or isopropyl).
  • Chlorine releasing agents (e.g., bleach).
  • Improved hydrogen peroxide.

What happens when you mix hydrogen peroxide and dish soap?

Mixing dish soap with Hydrogen Peroxide and Potassium Iodide leads to a chemical reaction commonly known as 'Elephant's Toothpaste'. The hydrogen peroxide decomposes rapidly into water and oxygen gas, which is captured by the soap, creating a tower of foam.

What is the best natural disinfectant cleaner?

Hydrogen peroxide can be used as an effective natural disinfectant in every room in the house, and its uses extend to personal care, gardening, food preparation, stain removal and more. To help keep your homes clean and healthy, use our new antibacterial floor cleaner.

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