The use of hydrogen peroxide has been so common as a way to disinfect and treat wounds that it’s somewhat taken for granted that it works. You can find bottles of it in any drugstore or retailer that sells medication, all ready for home use as an antiseptic, as a gargle, to use on clothes and even in hair bleaching.
The hydrogen peroxide routinely used to disinfect small wounds is a compound formulated for home use diluted to of three percent to 10 percent, according to the AOCS, a professional trade organization dedicated to the science and technology of oils, fats, surfactants and related materials.
The AOCS says annual hydrogen peroxide consumption in the United States is in the range of 2.2 million tons.
Other Uses for Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide also finds application as an antiseptic gargle, a clothes and hair bleach, and an ear wax removal aid. There are so many uses for this solution that many people believe it to help just about any condition. But that would be a wrong assumption, particularly in delicate areas of the body.