Using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are natural, non-toxic ways to clean many surfaces in your home. The two products can be safely combined or used separately to whiten laundry, remove odors, disinfect surfaces, and much more.
Mixing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda causes a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide and certain other chemicals which can cut through soap scum and hard water stains.
Don't mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together in the same mixture. This can create peracetic acid, which may be toxic and can irritate your throat and lungs, eyes and skin. You can, however, alternate spraying hydrogen peroxide and vinegar on a surface.
The other thing to be careful of with baking soda is combining it with something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. As the chemicals combine with that satisfying fizz, they form a gas. If you combine them in a sealed container, like a soda bottle, it could potentially explode and harm you.
Baking soda is abrasive and helps remove stains from the surface of your teeth which makes them appear whiter. However, baking soda does not help remove the old stains. Therefore mixing it with hydrogen peroxide helps whiten your teeth. The mixture forms a paste which stays on your teeth while brushing them.
Brush with this paste and thoroughly rinse! Use this paste in moderation; no more than 2-3 times a week. Too much baking soda can break down enamel, which may lead to sensitivity. Remember that this paste does not have any added fluoride benefit.
If you're using the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide method, keep the paste on your teeth for one minute before rinsing. Be careful not to swallow the paste and check with your dental care professional to make sure this DIY treatment is suitable for you.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar
While these two chemicals can be used in succession as a cleaning duo, do not mix them together. “Combining these two creates peracetic acid or corrosive acid, an irritant that, in high concentrations, can harm the skin, eyes, throat, nose, and lungs,” says Bock.
Hydrogen peroxide is a reactive oxygen species and the simplest peroxide, a compound having an oxygen–oxygen single bond. It decomposes slowly into water and elemental oxygen when exposed to light, and rapidly in the presence of organic or reactive compounds.
Solutions containing over 30% hydrogen peroxide can detonate when mixed with organic solvents (such as acetone, ethanol, glycerol); the violence of the explosion increases with increasing concentration of the hydrogen peroxide.
The Negative Effects of Using Hydrogen Peroxide as a Rinse
Rinsing with undiluted hydrogen peroxide can burn your organs and cause internal bleeding.
Mix baking soda, peroxide, and lemon juice in a bowl to barely a paste. Massage all over a fresh, clean face. The paste acts as a microdermabrasion! Also brightens skin and kills bacteria!
First, it's an amazing stain pre-treater. Mix together two tablespoons hydrogen peroxide, a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of dish soap. Spread the mixture over any stain; let it sit for a bit and then launder as directed. This pre-treater is quick and inexpensive.
The mixture of sugar and hydrogen peroxide produces a renewable liquid fuel that can be stored for long periods - weeks, months, years - and used when needed to power automobiles or to heat homes, factories and office buildings, or to power steam turbines for producing electricity during peak-time demand.
While you can totally use it undiluted, I recommend using a mix of (1:2) 1 cup peroxide, 2 cups of bottled or distilled water and 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (nothing proves you have cleaned recently better than the scent lemon, am I right?).
Is Hydrogen Peroxide Safe for Your Teeth? Hydrogen peroxide can be damaging to your gums, your tongue, and your tooth enamel, leading to painful decay that could be costly to repair. Like many chemicals, hydrogen peroxide is only safe in small doses.
The process of using baking soda to whiten teeth is rather simple. You simply make a paste out of a teaspoon of baking soda and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, and then gently brush your teeth as you would with traditional toothpaste. When you are done, rinse your mouth with water.
Hydrogen peroxide also increases oxygenation of the blood by absorption through the skin. Add 1 CUP BAKING SODA - Baking soda baths are naturally alkalizing and are beneficial for boosting liver function, supporting digestive issues and for combating a sore throat (including strep throat).
If you do this more than once a day or week, then there is a chance that your enamel can become eroded. A thin enamel is at risk of developing cavities because of the bacteria and acid solution in the mouth. It's important to note that it is a bleaching agent and can cause tooth sensitivity if used too frequently.
Hydrogen Peroxide Whitens Teeth Not Baking Soda
Many whitening products use hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to whiten teeth. Baking soda may help reduce the formation of tooth stains, but it can't actually whiten teeth (the same goes for whitening toothpastes).
“If it's not diluted properly, you can create tooth sensitivity and blanche your gums, although the negative effects typically don't last very long. As for the rumor that rinsing with hydrogen peroxide can cause cancer, that's a myth as it's not a known carcinogen.”