Hydrogen Peroxide: The Best Natural Disinfectant
At Bona, we’re all about great cleaning products that are environmentally friendly. We understand that, if given the choice, many people would prefer to use cleaning solutions that don’t have any harmful chemicals and are family and pet friendly. When it comes to looking for effective ways to disinfect your home, natural disinfectants are extremely popular. However, not all natural disinfectants are created equal, so be sure to the best natural disinfectant cleaner for your home.
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting
When it comes to eliminating germs, remember the differences between these terms:
- Cleaning = removes dirt and grime (can physically move germs, but doesn’t kill them)
- Sanitizing = reduces the number of germs to safer levels (by either cleaning or disinfecting)
- Disinfecting = kills germs using chemicals (not guaranteed to clean)
Common Natural Disinfectants Found at Home
While all items on this list have disinfecting properties, these items work better as cleaners. While they contain active ingredients that can disinfect, the strength of these active ingredients is low.
- White Vinegar
- Lemon
- Essential oils
Best Natural Disinfectants
These natural disinfectants are effective at killing germs. Use caution when disinfecting with steam since the steam needs to have a temperature over 200°F to kill germs and heat with excessive water could ultimately damage hardwood floors. Rubbing alcohol evaporates too quickly to effectively disinfect at high concentrations, so choose alcohol that has 70% isopropyl alcohol.
- Steam
- Rubbing alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
What Is Hydrogen Peroxide?
While it may sound like a toxic chemical, hydrogen peroxide is a naturally occurring substance. While its scientific name may sound complicated, hydrogen peroxide is simply water with an extra oxygen molecule. Plants and animals can produce hydrogen peroxide (it is even produced in the human body), as well as the simple reaction of sunlight acting on water.
Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide
Because of its properties as an oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide attacks organic stains, odor-causing molecules and bacteria. Its effectiveness at killing germs is recognized by the CDC and the EPA. It is like bleach but without bleach’s fumes or abrasiveness. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant and its foaming action aids in cleaning. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as an effective natural disinfectant in every room in the house, and its uses extend to personal care, gardening, food preparation, stain removal and more.
To help keep your homes clean and healthy, use our new antibacterial floor cleaner. Bona PowerPlus Antibacterial Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner uses the power of hydrogen peroxide to effectively clean and disinfect floors. When used as directed, it can clean up to 99.9% of household germs.
