Peroxide vs. Bleach

[Bald Eagle]

This wasn't so much an effort to knock H2O2, so much as it was an effort to take pop-medicine and over-recycled folklore wives tales and Hints from Heloise and ask people to look critically at what's being presented.
There's a lot of information out there, some of it is misleading, some of it is fraudulent, and some of it is just plain wrong - either by error or omission of contradicting facts.

Just because doctors or nurses do or don't do something isn't any more significant to me than if Bono or Tiger Woods does it.
Their choices may be guided by indoctrination, liability, pharm company inducements, sales rep lobbying, lack of profitability, or . . . ignorance.

I use hydrogen peroxide on wounds simply BECAUSE the effervescent effect helps lift out contaminated particulate matter from the wound that would be difficult or impossible to remove by normal washing.  That's IF I feel like treating the wound at all.  Challenging the body's defenses on a regular basis helps keep the immune system on its toes.

If non-chlorine bleaches are the one that are color-safe, then there ya go - looks like a good laundry agent.


I just refilled my sanitizing agent container yesterday, and health regs require at least 50 ppm available chlorine for a sanitizing rinse.
6% NaOCl is 5.7% available chlorine, or 57000 ppm.  So, diluting that by 1000, I only need to add 0.64 OZ of bleach to 5 gal (640 OZ) of water to give me an effective sanitizer.  At 99 cents per gallon, that gives me 1001 gallons of sanitizer - purty darn good.

One of the biggest problems with H2O2 is that there are a lot of things out there that catalyze its breakdown to O2 and H2O.  Same principle is applied with those contact lens cleaners.  Transition metals, peroxidases, catalase, heat, and pH can dramatically shorten the lifespan of that bottle of H2O2.  So don't get any dirt or blood in the cap or bottle - because it will slowly effervesce and then "go flat" as quickly as an open bottle of soda.  I'm not aware that bleach has any such disadvantage.

Also note that most hydrogen peroxide sold for disinfection is the 3% variety - using the 10% hair-bleaching variety for cleaning inanimate objects might very well be concentrated enough to kill organisms resistant to the 3% stuff.  pH also has a dramatic effect on the oxidizing action of H2O2.  Try making the solution alkaline or acidic and see what happens.

The whole point is, don't take my word for it, don't take something you read on the internet for granted, Hell, don't even take what some doctor, nurse, or PhD researcher says at face value - find out for yourself, and question everything.
If there's anything of value that I found out after 15 years of "higher education" - it's that there's more politics in science than there is in politics, there are just as many stupid and ignorant people in places of academic authority as anywhere else, they are fallible, can reason themselves backwards and around in circles, can be dead wrong but convince themselves they're right, and will flat out LIE to get their work published, and convince grant-issuing agencies that they're right and are deserving of more funding.

So be careful out there.

[coffeeseven]

YIKES!!!

[John Edward Mercier]

psychosomatic?

[coffeeseven]

Probably not. There is something to ear candling after all.

[John Edward Mercier]

Why?

[coffeeseven]

Why?

[/quote

Why what?]

[John Edward Mercier]

I don't understand what 'ear candling' would do from a health perspective.

[Giggan]

I don't understand ear candling or the dude's peroxide in the ear curing illness thing...but I remember when I was a kid and water'd clog my ears from swimming, I used to put a few drops of water in my ear and let it sit a minute. Upon dumping it, the water'd drain out.

EDIT: Woops, yeah, that should say I put isopropyl alcohol in my ear to get water out, not water to get water out.

[coffeeseven]

Ear candling pulls a lot (can't say all) of the built up wax and toxins out. The same reason you blow your nose you'd ear candle. Cleansing the ears helps to cleanse the entire eye, ear, nose and throat system. Does that help?

[John Edward Mercier]

Ear wax moves naturally to the exterior, and is the natural protection for the ear...
I blow my nose because its running... also clean the exterior of my ears with a swap.

[coffeeseven]

Ear wax moves naturally to the exterior, and is the natural protection for the ear...
I blow my nose because its running... also clean the exterior of my ears with a swap.

And it is advised not to use ear candles too often just as needed. Just as you blow your nose when needed. I'm not selling it. My family uses them and we think they work. Good enough?

[mackler]

Peroxide is great, and I agree with most of the original post.  However, lately I have started to wonder whether rinsing my mouth with it caused calcium to oxidize on my teeth.  Last time I went to the dentist I had a lot of calcium deposits.  It may have had something to do with my use of peroxide or not.  Anyway, I switched to using goldenseal extract to sanitize my mouth, instead of peroxide

I also recommend getting food-grade hydrogen peroxide and putting a little in your bath.  Dissolves the scum right off your body and invigorates your skin with oxygen.  Feels great.

Someday when I'm rich, my pool and hottub will be maintained with oxygen rather than chlorine for sure!

[Raineyrocks]

Peroxide is great, and I agree with most of the original post.  However, lately I have started to wonder whether rinsing my mouth with it caused calcium to oxidize on my teeth.  Last time I went to the dentist I had a lot of calcium deposits.  It may have had something to do with my use of peroxide or not.  Anyway, I switched to using goldenseal extract to sanitize my mouth, instead of peroxide

I also recommend getting food-grade hydrogen peroxide and putting a little in your bath.  Dissolves the scum right off your body and invigorates your skin with oxygen.  Feels great.

Someday when I'm rich, my pool and hottub will be maintained with oxygen rather than chlorine for sure!

I just read that rinsing with warm salt water would toughen the gums and keep teeth healthy, I don't know but I'm trying it for now. 

[Giggan]

I had to do warm salt water after I had my wisdom's out.

Also after I broke my face, salt water prescribed every night for a month or so, but I only did it for a week.

[Raineyrocks]

I had to do warm salt water after I had my wisdom's out.

Also after I broke my face, salt water prescribed every night for a month or so, but I only did it for a week.

Ouch!   You broke your face!  I don't remember reading about it, how did it happen?