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That goes for lots of other bacteria as well, and it’s why hydrogen peroxide, a strong oxidizing agent, is so effective against infection. Ever hear “as long as the wound bleeds, you don’t need to worry about tetanus”? That’s because tetanus bacteria do not grow well in the presence of oxygen. Wounds need oxygen to heal, as well as to prevent the harboring of infection. But do you know why it is such a great option for wound care? I can remember my grandmother grabbing a bottle anytime I scraped my knee at her house as a child. We all know that hydrogen peroxide is the go-to cleanser for everything from cuts and scrapes to surgery incisions. Hydrogen peroxide could be unsafe to use if the child’s eardrum is perforated in any way. Ask a doctor before trying though, especially on children. You can do this a few times per day to resolve an infection. After about five minutes, turn the head over onto an old towel and let the excess run back out. Just put 6-8 drops in the ear, then rest the opposite side of the head downward. (It is super important to use 3% hydrogen peroxide for this and even to dilute more with water.) Just a few drops of very diluted hydrogen peroxide in the ear can clear up an ear infection quickly, as the liquid makes its way through the gunk to kill the infection. We keep H2O2 in our medicine cabinet and use it as a remedy in several ways: Solve Ear Infections FastĬheck with your doctor first, but I have used hydrogen peroxide to clear up ear infections!Įar infections develop when mucus builds up in the ear canal and begins to harbor bacteria. There are many, many uses for hydrogen peroxide, but these are our go-to uses for this inexpensive household staple. Now that you know the types, let’s get down to some hydrogen peroxide uses. Unless otherwise stated, the common 3% hydrogen peroxide you can get at the pharmacy or grocery store is just fine for most of these uses. They may be used as industrial bleaching agents, and even for rocket fuel. Other grades and higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are considered industrialized and are not available for the average person to purchase. I typically don’t use this type and would never do so without proper safety precautions and the guidance of a trained professional.
Uses for hydrogen peroxide skin#
It should never come in contact directly with skin or any other part of the body and it can be dangerous if spilled. This concentrated hydrogen peroxide should be handled extremely carefully and never be used without diluting. (You can also find food-grade in lower concentrations, typically around 3%.) The biggest difference is that food-grade hydrogen peroxide can be taken internally, but we’ll discuss that in a moment. Obviously, it’s much less diluted, and, therefore, more powerful than 3%. This higher grade H2O2 isn’t commonly found in drugstores like its less powerful counterpart, so you’ll probably have to search it out online. This low-grade H2O2 should not be taken internally.
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Keep in mind, however, that it can still act as a bleaching agent.
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There’s no need to further dilute this formula and it’s safe for all sorts of household uses. Only 3% of the formula is actual hydrogen peroxide, while the remaining 97% is water. The type of hydrogen peroxide you can find at the grocery store, typically in a brown bottle, is usually a 3% concentration, meaning it is extremely diluted. Hydrogen peroxide has many unusual uses you’ve never heard of (and a few you have). Before we dive into those, let’s first identify the different types so you’ll know which one to grab for each use. However, there are different grades and concentrations available, which lend to many different uses. It’s a simple hydrogen compound, which, at low concentrations (3-5%), is often used as a bleaching agent, as well as an infection preventative in wounds. We avoid using harsh chemicals in our home for everything from our cleaning supplies, personal care products, and our food, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 for you chemistry buffs) fits the bill. It’s most commonly used to clean wounds and you can also find it in my homemade Ox圜lean recipe, but did you know its uses expand way beyond those things and there are even different types of hydrogen peroxide? Whether you consider yourself to be super crunchy, semi-crunchy … or just kind of soggy, hydrogen peroxide is one of those items that most of us keep around in our home.
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