Wednesday, April 1, 2020

6 Ways Hydrogen Peroxide Kills Nasty Bugs...and, yes, that includes Coronavirus

Hydrogen peroxide is extremely useful.  I can't believe I didn't keep a bottle of this amazing disinfectant on hand at all times until a few years ago.  Now I use it every day!

With the coronavirus craziness going on I'm sure you are looking for good ways to disinfect.  But coronavirus isn't the only thing you should be thinking about. Below you can find a list of 6 nasty bugs you can safely kill with hydrogen peroxide.




Stomach Bug/aka Norovirus
I found out a few years ago after my daughter seemed to pick up every stomach bug that not everything will kill the norovirus, the virus that causes many vomiting illnesses.  I found out that two common things will kill it, though.  What a relief!  One of those two things is hydrogen peroxide.  The other is bleach, but we'll save that for another day.  And important to note here is that alcohol and alcohol based hand sanitizers will NOT disable the norovirus.  Neither will Lysol!  And nope, not those precious Clorox wipes (most Clorox wipes don't contain bleach).   

* Fun fact: Noro can live on surfaces for weeks!  Weeks! *

Hydrogen peroxide can be sprayed on surfaces after they have been cleaned from debris and left to dry for about 5 minutes.  If there is a bubbly residue after that simply wipe it away.

As for me, I spray down everything.  I even spray couches.  I'm not sure I'd recommend that for everyone, but my couches are old and used, so a little fading goes unnoticed.  

MRSA
There have been studies that show a vaporized mist of hydrogen peroxide over fabric and hard surfaces in hospitals all but eradicates medically resistant staph (MRSA).  Other studies like this one also show what a wonder peroxide can be!

MRSA is a very nasty bug and, as the name suggests, resistant to antibiotics.  Some high touch surfaces such as patient divider curtains and chairs are not able to be washed every single time they are used, so MRSA sits there, waiting for its next victim.  Hospitals who used a mist of peroxide found that almost no germs remained.  Major breakthrough I'd say.  

Mouthwash 
Hydrogen peroxide has been used as a mouthwash by many for years.  If you read the bottle, you'll see it's referred to as an oral debriding agent.  What the heck does that mean?  Well, basically, it helps to heal wounds such as canker sores by disinfecting your mouth.  Be sure to dilute it before you swish.  Mix one part 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 part water, swish for 30 seconds and spit.  Easy.  

Fungus and Bacteria in the Shower
If you suffer with athlete's foot or just want to keep the mildew at bay, spritz your shower with a spray of household hydrogen peroxide.  It's such a simple way to keep your shower clean and hygienic.  I do it every day.  I also spray down the shower mats.  

Toothbrush bacteria
To keep your toothbrushes clean all you have to do is give them a little spray of hydrogen peroxide after you brush.  So easy.  And you barely use any at all.  

Coronavirus
Ah, yes, the topic you've been looking for.  Here's the abstract of a study showing hydrogen peroxide's ability to inactivate coronaviruses.  Yes, boring old hydrogen peroxide will disarm that nasty coronavirus.  The CDC agrees.  I have even seen it in stores when all of the isopropyl alcohol has gone missing.  If you see it, pick up a bottle.

If you are going to use this as a disinfectant, first wipe down any dirt or debris off the surface you want to spray.  Then spritz it with your spray bottle and let dry.  It could take up to 8 minutes for everything to be disabled so be patient.  On your sinks, counters or toilets, let it sit 15 minutes.  All those germs should be disabled in no time!

Click here to see an article on disinfection that includes hydrogen peroxide tips.  Here's another one you might like!

Warning!
The only real drawback of peroxide is that it can burn your skin slightly.  At the 3% concentration, the injury is quite minor, but keep this in mind if you spray it on a surface that you plan to touch right away.  I've had some white irritated spots on my fingers from cleaning, but they go away soon and once I wash my hands I don't feel a thing.

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