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Is it OK to use low-concentration/over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide as a household cleaning agent alternative, to diluted chlorine bleach?
I have had chlorine bleach (when not diluted enough) cause some undesired discoloration of various items such as clothing, etc., so I thought it might be a possible good idea to use hydrogen peroxide instead, since it has the same cleaning properties, but without the possible discoloration side effect. As far as I am aware, color-safe, non-chorine bleach is not a viable possibility, because it does not have the disinfecting properties of chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide. However, I had also read somewhere that hydrogen peroxide can also have a corrosive effect, on various materials -- hopefully the low-concentration solutions are not harmful though, to surfaces such as stainless steel sinks, granite kitchen countertops, wooden furniture, and similar materials?
Or: would it be preferable to use isopropyl (i.e., non-consumable, pharmacy-variety) alcohol, over both hydrogen peroxide and chlorine bleach?
Ummm, no. Hydrogen peroxide is an alternative water sanitizing system for those of us off municipal water. However, hydrogen peroxide is also a bleach like chlorine.
Sanitizing is rarely needed, and people go nuts over it without thinking it through. Unless someone is severely immune deficient, the occasional buggie is good at keeping the immune system sane. Original Lysol and other biocides are otherwise very potent. IIRC, the CDC uses a lysol generic on its hazardous critter labs.
Ummm, no. Hydrogen peroxide is an alternative water sanitizing system for those of us off municipal water.
The OP is discussing low-concentration peroxide. For lack of a better source of real info, see the Wikipedia entry here that also discusses what it is used for in the situation mentioned in the quoted part of this post Drinking Water Treatment and note under the Therapeutic Use part that, again, the discussion is about high concentration peroxide.
The off-the-shelf stuff at 3-6% concentration is great for cleaning your wounds (where "cleaning your wounds" literally means taking away dirt and guck and maybe even some healthy flesh (fun foaming action!), but the bacteria will simply rub under their arms at the free bath).
[BTW, as noted in a post close above, perhaps it's not important to worry too much about "surface bacteria" or even bacteria in general (not specific like on a cutting board just used for chopping raw chicken). We all are MUCH healthier when we let those little bacteria boogers into our body and have our bodies' excellent self-defenses say "Out, damned spot!" by themselves, training themselves for the NEXT invasion that might be more important to repel]
Is it OK to use low-concentration/over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide as a household cleaning agent alternative, to diluted chlorine bleach?
I have had chlorine bleach (when not diluted enough) cause some undesired discoloration of various items such as clothing, etc., so I thought it might be a possible good idea to use hydrogen peroxide instead, since it has the same cleaning properties, but without the possible discoloration side effect. As far as I am aware, color-safe, non-chorine bleach is not a viable possibility, because it does not have the disinfecting properties of chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide. However, I had also read somewhere that hydrogen peroxide can also have a corrosive effect, on various materials -- hopefully the low-concentration solutions are not harmful though, to surfaces such as stainless steel sinks, granite kitchen countertops, wooden furniture, and similar materials?
Or: would it be preferable to use isopropyl (i.e., non-consumable, pharmacy-variety) alcohol, over both hydrogen peroxide and chlorine bleach?
I'm picturing Pat Batemen cleaning his Jean Paul Gaultier laundry bag...
Semi-aside - hydrogen peroxide will thoroughly clean your bacteria but not kill them.
3% H2O2 kills bacteria quite well, though not as well as hypochlorite in much lower concentrations.
Neither H2O2 nor hypochlorite is what you need to use on sinks and countertops. You want a product with a surfactant (pretty much any ordinary cleaning product); the most important thing is to get the dirt off the surface. If you do get the dirt off the surface, the remaining bacteria are not likely to be an issue. If you don't, you'll get a biofilm that your disinfectant likely won't be able to kill anyway.
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