Dallas Morning News – August 20, 2020

Hydrogen Peroxide Uses

Hydrogen peroxide is a common household product useful for a variety of things. The 3% product sold at grocery and drug stores is poured on cuts and scrapes, used to clean out ear wax and used to clean and disinfect skin, household surfaces and other items. It’s what I use around the house instead of bleach products – and I use it successfully for many more projects. Here’s a guide for you on the various uses, concentrations and formulas.

Uses for 3% H₂0₂ (the common grocery store and drugstore product)

Drinking water: to kill algae in rain barrels and animal drinking troughs – 8 oz. (1/2 pint) per 50 gallons of water.

3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) is available at grocery, hardware, and drug stores

Fishponds and decorative water features: ½ gallon per 1000 gallons or 1 pint per 100 gallons for control of string algae and other algae.

Fish aquariums – 16 gallon tank – 0.1 oz. or 3 ml; 60 gallon tank – 1/2 oz. or 13 ml.

Cleaning hard surfaces – full strength.

Washing machine and dishwashers – 2 oz. per load.

Hydrogen Peroxide can help control plant diseases – shown here being applied with the trombone sprayer

Plant diseases – replace 16 oz. of water in the Garrett Juice formula with 16 oz. of hydrogen peroxide.

Soil improvement – to start soil flocculation (fluffiness), mix 50/50 with water and apply 1 gallon of mix to approximately 1000 sq. ft.

Hydrogen Peroxide has many uses

Uses for 35% H₂0₂. Caution: the concentrated hydrogen peroxide products can burn skin and eyes.

Swimming pools: for mustard algae, etc., use 1 gallon per 5000 gallons of pool water.

Koi and other fish ponds: use 1 cup per 1000 gallons of water.

Weed killing: spray weeds with 10% H₂0₂. See formulas below.

Disease control – spray infected plants with a mix of 1 oz. per gallon of water or Garrett Juice.

Soil softening – spray soil with a mix of 2 oz. per gallon of water. Apply 1 gallon of mix to 500 – 1000 sq. ft. The 3% product can be used mixed 50/50 with water.

Treatment of damaged tree trunks and other woody tissue – mix 1 oz. into 1 gallon of water. 3% product can be used mixed 50/50 with water.

It takes approximately 11 times as much water added to 35% hydrogen peroxide to produce 3% hydrogen peroxide. Use 1 oz. of 35% product per 11 oz. of water to make 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Other ways to look at it:

Convert 35% to 3% H₂0₂ – 1 part 35% H₂0₂ + 11 parts of water = 3% H₂0₂

1 and ¼ cups of 35% H₂0₂ + 14 and ¾ cups of water = 1 gallon (16 cups) of 3% H₂0₂. 1:11 ratio of H₂0₂ to water = 3% H₂0₂

To convert 35% to 10% H₂0₂ – 92 oz. of water + 37 oz. of 35% H₂0₂ = 128 oz. (1gal.) of 10% H₂0₂

NOTES: Follow label direction on all hydrogen peroxide products but especially the concentrated products. They can burn skin and injure eyes so handle with great care. The concentrated products range from 22- 35% so adjust your rates as necessary.