What happens when you mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda?
By reacting together, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda produce carbon dioxide and chemicals which are excellent in removing bleaches. And thus, they make a fantastic couple together!
When it comes to bleaching, hydrogen peroxide is the king of bleaching agents. With the help of its free oxygen, it can oxidize almost all kinds of organic stains. Moreover, this oxygen is also responsible for killing a myriad of bacteria and germs that are otherwise harmful.
On the other hand, baking soda is another excellent bleaching agent that shows bacteriostatic properties as well. So what happens when you combine the two? Does it make a potent mixture that can eliminate the toughest stains, or do they render each other useless?
To answer that, you might have to explore some chemistry. By reacting together, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda produce carbon dioxide and chemicals which are excellent in removing bleaches. And thus, they make a fantastic couple together!
So how can you make the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste at home? Moreover, what are some of the most intriguing ways you can use this paste? We have answered all of these questions and much more. So without further ado, let’s begin!
Top 8 Cleaning Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda
The mechanism shows that the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mixture is a potent bleacher and cleanser. Therefore, highly stubborn stains can be removed by using this mixture.
Removing Stains From Clothes
If you own a piece of white clothing, you know how difficult it is to manage the shiny glow. Not only do you have to be constantly wary of stains from food and dirt, but also to wash it regularly. White clothes, especially cotton clothes, are prone to develop a yellowish tint over time. And this tint is not washable by any detergent. But not anymore!
Hydrogen peroxide and bleach can ease your worries by giving you a promising clean. Gone are the days of you being hesitant to wear those white trousers to a party. The excellent bleaching properties of hydrogen peroxide mixed with the cleansing action of baking soda can remove all types of stains, even the dull yellow tint from your white clothes.
All you have to do is apply a paste of 3% hydrogen peroxide and baking soda over the stain and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. And then launder the cloth as usual. You will see drastic differences in the before and after wash! Moreover, you can directly pour some hydrogen peroxide into the laundry while washing white clothes to remove the yellow tint. One thing you should keep in mind while removing the stain is the hydrogen peroxide’s bleaching properties against darker and black clothes. Before using hydrogen peroxide to remove stains from black clothes, check it by applying a small amount over the slide of the sleeve.
Making the Old Baking Trays Shine
Baking products like bread, cake, or brownies is a hobby for many. But, if you love to bake, you know how difficult it can get to remove the baking stains from the trays and sheets used to bake the batter. The sugar and chocolate are infamous for leaving stubborn stains on baking trays, accentuated by the heat from the oven, and you have got yourself an hour of scrubbing and rinsing.
However, you can have your pretty hands from the arduous process of removing stains using 3% hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. They can save you a lot of time and energy, which can be utilized in doing what you love: baking! And the best part about it is, the use of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is straightforward and time-efficient.
Take your old baking trays and sprinkle them thoroughly with baking soda. And splash some good old hydrogen peroxide over the baking soda. Leave these two partners together overnight and watch the magic unfold! By the morning, you will see nodules of gunk precipitated over the tray. Wash it all off, and you have got yourself a baking tray as good as new!
Cleaning Tiles and Bathtubs
Bathroom tiles and bathtubs are some of the most neglected appliances in our homes. While the main drawing room furniture is regularly washed and cleaned, the tiles and bathtubs of the bathroom are left unattended for weeks or even months. Moreover, as with many modern bathrooms, the tiles and bathtubs are usually white or lighter, making it more challenging to clean and shine.
In addition to catching stubborn stains and the dull yellow tint, bathroom tiles and bathtubs are a place for millions of pathogens and bacteria. They constantly contact various types of dirt and germs, and if not cleaned properly, they can cause deadly diseases. Here, corrosive acids render them useless because they might show some whitening properties, but they can’t kill bacteria.
Therefore, hydrogen peroxide for bathroom tiles becomes more critical because of its bleaching and disinfecting properties. Mix it with baking soda, and you have got yourself a potent whitener of the bathroom which has excellent disinfecting properties as well. The hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste cuts through bacteria and stains on tubs and tiles easily! Take two-thirds baking soda and one-third hydrogen peroxide to make the paste and apply them over the affected areas. Let the paste sit for an hour before you rinse it with water. And voila! Your tiles and bathtubs will look as good as new ones.
Cleansing Dirty Faucets
Similar to the bathroom tiles and bathtubs, faucets are the recipient of a ton of microbes and pathogens from our hands. While cleaning our hands, often we forget to clean its agent too. Faucets can develop hard stains and many fungal and bacterial growths if left unattended for a long time. Moreover, it is constantly coming into contact with soap froth which, as you may know, leave very tough stains.
Fungal and bacterial growth is also seen in many household sinks and faucets. Which can affect the water you wash your hands with and, in turn, your health. The fungal growth especially is very stubborn and is not easily removed utilizing common bleaches and disinfectants. However, hydrogen peroxide, with its generalized killing action, eliminates all!
The disinfectant properties of hydrogen peroxide will first remove all the fungal or bacteria growth that you may be developing in your sink or faucet. Moreover, mixing it with baking soda will make a potent whitener that easily removes tough stains of hard water and soap froths. And the best part is the ease with which you can do it! Make the same two-to-one paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and apply it over the stains. Let the paste sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it all away using a rag. Then, as a final touch, rub the faucet with a wet rag to leave a polished look. You can also pour some good old 3% hydrogen peroxide down the drain to unclog your pipes and remove any suspected microbial growth.
Removing Residues From Countertops
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Kitchen counters are the residing place of most organic material waste. As the kitchen is the place we cook, frequently chunks of food are left on kitchen counters. These food chunks over time can lead to adverse consequences. For once, they attract hundreds of bacteria that decompose it. Because of the decomposing action by the bacteria, food granules release a pungent smell that could make your kitchen very unhealthy. And as you might have guessed, these bacteria are not so human-friendly either. They are known to cause many dangerous diseases like diphtheria, food poisoning, and diarrhea.
Secondly, the decomposed food releases certain colored chemicals which stubbornly attach with the counter surface and leave stains. These stains are never entirely removed, regardless of the amount of vigorous rubbing. However, there is an exception for it too.
Hydrogen peroxide can remove all kinds of stains, especially the ones caused by organic matter because of its oxidizing agent. Hydrogen peroxide changes the composition of the chemicals of stains and causes them to be easily wiped away. This cleansing action of hydrogen peroxide is further enhanced by baking soda. A simple hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste will do the trick. Mix two-thirds of baking soda and one-third of hydrogen peroxide and apply this paste to places with tough stains. Wash it off after a few minutes of applying and see how the toughest stains disappear! Moreover, you can clean the countertop by pouring half a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and cleaning with a cloth. Hydrogen peroxide will not only remove the stains but also kill all the germs or bacteria present.
Whitening Grout
Grout are the shallow grooves present between tiles. These are the sites of the most amount of dirt and tar accumulation. While cleaning tiles, we often miss these grouts either by mistake or purposely as they can be so hard to clean. The worst part is, even if you pack up the courage to clean the grouts, you may spend hours and hours without doing anything fruitful because not even the best of the bleach can remove the dirt present in the grouts without causing harm to your skin or damaging your tiles. Here is where our magic paste comes in!
Hydrogen peroxide can be used with baking soda to clean the tough grottos present between tiles. Moreover, the hydrogen peroxide-baking soda combo can save you hours of scrubbing by providing an easier and more efficient alternative. First, you have to pour down some 3% hydrogen peroxide in the grout and let it sit for a few minutes. Then sprinkle some baking soda over the reacting wetness, and the actual cleaning action will begin! After 5 minutes or so, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda would have done almost all of the task. Finally, for a final nail in the coffin of dirty grouts, take a toothbrush and scrub away the gunk. After cleaning with the toothbrush and rinsing with water, you will be amazed at how new your tiles will start to look.
Removing Carpet Stains
Stained carpets are a nightmare of many, and rightly so! While carpets are one of the best accessories to decorate your drawing room with, they can be prone to a lot of stains. Some of the most common (and horrific) ones are coffee and wine stains, which are very common after a house-warming party. In addition, the carpets do not wash off easily, and if you try to do it with water, it may spread even further. And if you spend a ton of bucks getting it commercially washed, it may never be the same again. So what can you do in such cases?
The answer is, of course, hydrogen peroxide. As mentioned before, hydrogen peroxide is one of the best bleaching agents known to man, and carpet stains are no exception. However, one thing to keep in mind before you go on about pouring down a bottle of hydrogen peroxide over your carpet may lead to discoloration—bleaching of black or dimly-colored carpets, that is. So, always check with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide for any side effects before starting the procedure.
Hydrogen peroxide is potent in removing stains in itself. However, if the stain is caused by an exceptionally stubborn agent (such as red wine stains), you may supplement it with baking soda. However, be mindful of the material your carpet is made up of, as baking soda reacts badly with some materials. For the procedure, you have to apply the same two-one baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste over the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Then use a dry cloth to wipe the paste away and see the results. Make sure the cloth you use is clean and dry because a wet cloth may result in discoloration.
Restoring the Glow of Metal Objects
Metals are sturdy materials, and the stains they suffer are just as sturdy. The most common types of stains metals face at homes are hard water stains and soap froth stains. Moreover, if they are used in cooking, they may face burn stains or food stains. All of these stains can be removed using our magic hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste.
To wash stains, apply the paste and let it sit for approximately 30 minutes to an hour. Then wash it off using clean water. Hydrogen peroxide is incredibly proficient in removing water and soap stains!
For the cooking stains, a similar procedure is followed. However, make sure to avoid applying the paste directly onto the cooking surface as the residue may be harmful to health. Burn stains are easy enough to clean as they are present on the outer side of the pan where no food contact happens. However, for food stains, we recommend using just hydrogen peroxide. Pour down some hydrogen peroxide over the pan and let it sit for an hour. Then thoroughly wash the hydrogen peroxide off the pan. Again, make sure to get all the nooks and crannies as ingesting hydrogen peroxide can be harmful.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda to Get Rid of Germs!
Throughout the article, we have emphasized the use of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to clean kitchen and bathroom appliances. It is because hydrogen peroxide has excellent disinfectant properties, killing many types of bacteria and fungi. However, does the research say the same? We have compiled sources from different popular and mainstream journals about using hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste as an antimicrobial agent, and here is what they have to say!
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According to the Journal of Dental Hygiene, a study was conducted to determine the potency of hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) mixture against streptococcus species. Streptococcus is a subclass of gram-positive bacteria which are known to cause deadly respiratory and GIT diseases. And the results showed that hydrogen peroxide and baking soda slowed down the growth of these bacterial agents! Therefore, results encourage us to use this mixture against streptococcus species.
Another similar study tested the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mixture against another class of bacteria, the gram-negative bacteria. And as expected, results showed hydrogen peroxide and baking soda as potent bacteriostatic agents in various dental treatments!
Another article published in Food Microbiology focused on finding the results of treating beef carcasses infected with different bacterias by a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and acetic acid. The experimenters used 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1% acetic acid, and 1% sodium bicarbonate. The results showed that the mixture significantly reduced the number of infecting bacterias present in the beef carcass. Most affected were the E. coli species, followed by Salmonella species and Listerian species. All of these bacteria are known to cause severe types of food poisoning and diarrhea.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda to Whiten Teeth!
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda have been used to whiten tiles and clothes throughout many different procedures mentioned above. However, can the same principles be applied to human teeth? Teeth are far more sensitive and require a lot more care than everyday household objects. So what does an expert have to say on this?
Studies and articles show hydrogen peroxide as a great agent to kill off bacteria and germs present in the teeth. However, can it be used for whitening teeth too? And the answer is a resounding yes! According to an article published in the British Dental Journal, hydrogen peroxide’s bleaching properties are fantastic for bleaching teeth. However, what about using hydrogen peroxide with baking soda?
There are mixed opinions about using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste for whitening teeth. While some experts agree on the bleaching properties of these agents, others are hesitant to recommend them to their patients because of their side effects. However, it should be known that the side effects of using hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste are mainly due to ignoring basic precautions and misusing it.
To whiten your teeth, you have first to make the paste. Instead of the regular two-one ratio, you should aim for two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and one tablespoon of baking soda to make the paste. And, of course, you should be using only 3% hydrogen peroxide for this procedure. Make sure the paste is not too gritty! To smoothen the texture, use more hydrogen peroxide. You can also add a few drops of essential oil for a better smell and taste.
Take this paste and brush your teeth away! But, make sure to be sure it is in moderation. You should not use hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste to clean your teeth more than 2-3 times per week. Too much baking soda can break down the enamel, leading to exposure of underlying nerves and, in turn, sensitivity.
Is Mixing Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Safe?
Now that we know various ways hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste can clean different household appliances. We can ask the real question, is the paste itself safe? Or are there certain precautions that need to be followed before you can use the mixture?
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda yield a chemical called sodium peroxobicarbonate at room temperature. This chemical has fantastic bleaching properties and is harmless for regular use. However, you should avoid direct contact with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste to your skin. This can cause allergies and rashes in people with sensitive skin. Especially if the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide used in the mixture is above 3%, use gloves while applying the paste to tiles, faucets, etc.
Another vital thing to keep in mind is that you should NEVER store the paste. As hydrogen peroxide and baking soda react to produce carbon dioxide, over time, storage of this mixture can cause a high accumulation of the gas. Carbon dioxide buildup can explode the bottle or cause leakage during use. Therefore, making the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mixture in small amounts and freshly for instant use is best.
The Takeaway
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda make a fantastic combination together. They both have excellent bleaching properties by themselves. However, they become one strong force when mixed that can remove all types of stains, be it from teeth or grouts!
Moreover, the mixture is so cheap and easy to make that it is hard not to use it in your daily life. Hence, order your set of hydrogen peroxide bottles today!
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