Introduction
Hydrogen peroxide is commonly found in the laundry room or in a first-aid box and used to remove stains, odors, marks, spills, and more due to its relatively safe nature compared to other harsh cleaning chemicals. It also helps to brighten colors and whiten whites and disinfect everything from bathroom and kitchen counters to kid’s toys due to its anti-fungal and antibacterial nature. For removing the toughest of stains and a complete makeover, you have to hire cleaning professionals by searching “cleaning services near me” online.
Aside from that, you can use hydrogen peroxide to remove a wide variety of stains with a little caution and by following the appropriate procedure. For instance, you must never mix hydrogen peroxide solution with vinegar, chlorine bleach, and household ammonia in a closed container since it can result in dangerous fumes and gases.
The Steps
Here are the steps you can follow to remove stains using hydrogen peroxide:
- Wear gloves – Hydrogen peroxide sold at most drug stores is rated at 3% which is a relatively safer solution and more environmentally friendly compared to other cleaning solutions such as chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite).
And, although the solution is antibacterial, you should still consider wearing gloves when handling it since it can cause skin irritation if you are sensitive to the contents of the solution.
- Test it – Hydrogen peroxide works great for treating fruit and vegetable stains, blood stains, mildew, and dye stains. However, it is still wise to test the solution on the fabric by applying it in a small quantity in an inconspicuous spot. This would prevent any complications in case the fabric is not suitable with the hydrogen peroxide solution.
All you have to do is use dip a cotton ball, pad, or dab and rub inside the seam or the hem and notice whether the color of the fabric transfers to the cotton swab. If it does, you have to stop using it and apply some water over the area to prevent the action of the cleaning agent from continuing further.
- Cleaning – Once you confirm that the solution is suitable for the fabric that needs to be cleaned, you dab the hydrogen peroxide solution over the stained area and let the solution work on the stain for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour or spray a small amount of the solution and let it sit for a few minutes.
We recommend you dab the stain gently instead of pouring and rubbing it since it dabbing ensures the stain isn’t spread further. Keep dabbing the solution into the stain using fresh cotton balls or pads as needed until you notice the stain gets lighter.
- Flush it – The final phases are to flush the stained area with water once the fabric is properly treated with the hydrogen peroxide solution. Thereafter, you have to put the fabric through a cold wash cycle to remove it completely.
Other uses of hydrogen peroxide
Given below are a few other ways you can use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning and removing stains:
- Use it to clean and disinfect clothes – If you live in a high-humidity region and use a high-efficiency front-load washing machine, there is a high chance that it often exudes a nasty odor. This happens due to the residue left inside the rubber door seals and washer drum due to overdosing which enables the growth of mildew and mold.
Fortunately, you can easily get rid of such a smell by adding 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide to the empty washer drum and running a hot water wash cycle. Usually, cleaning your washer every month is enough to prevent the occurrence of nasty odor.
- Use it to whiten clothes – Over time, clothes can get dull and yellowed due to the exposure of residue from excess laundry detergent, fabric softeners, body oil, and dry transfer from other clothes and fabric.
It is possible to restore your clothes to the same whiteness as before by adding a cup of hydrogen peroxide to the automatic bleach dispenser of the washer. Alternatively, you can add it to the washer drum prior to adding your clothes and water.
It is a better value for money to use hydrogen peroxide instead of commercial oxygen-based bleaches since the ingredients in such products break down into hydrogen peroxide and a few brightening additives.
- Remove bad odor from smelly clothes and fabric – To remove the stink from smelly fabric such as old towels or tennis shoes, simply add the clothes to the washer along with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and enough water to submerge the whole load. Allow the items to soak for up to an hour before adding detergent and starting a hot wash cycle. It should be enough to get rid of the nasty smell.
- Use it to brighten color clothes – Hydrogen peroxide can be used to restore dull-colored clothes to the same vibrancy as before. The mild bleaching action of 3% hydrogen peroxide is enough to undo the negative effects of detergent residue trapped in the fibers.
Just make sure you don’t pour it directly over the clothes before testing them for colorfastness. To be safe, you can pour a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bleach dispenser and allow it to mix with the colored fabrics during the wash cycle where it would be diluted with water.
If your machine lacks a bleach dispenser, you can dilute 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide solution with 2 cups of water and pour it inside the empty washer drum before loading your clothes and washing as you normally do.
Conclusion
Hydrogen peroxide can come in handy when you need to remove fresh stains from fabrics, disinfect your clothes, or remove nasty odor from your clothes and towels. However, sometimes, you may want more thorough cleaning and for that, you need to call in professional help. To book a cleaning professional near your locality, simply google “cleaning services near me” to get the contact details of all the cleaning service agencies and providers near your area.
