How do we protect ourselves from Coronavirus? The Government advises us to wash our hands thoroughly and regularly with soap. Disinfecting surfaces is also recommended, wherever the virus may lurk. Hand sanitisers are of variable efficacy and are running out of stock. What products can we trust? There is a WHO list of reliable products (see the link* below).
Disinfectant Spray
I searched for something effective against pathogens, but benign to us and our animals. Hydrogen Peroxide can reportedly destroy the virus and soap incapacitates the virus (by breaking up the membrane on which the virus sits). Hydrogen Peroxide is used for cleaning stains, bleaching and cleaning wounds. Solution of 3% strength is sprayed to disinfect kitchen surfaces and left to air-dry. At 1.5% it’s used as a mouthwash (which sounds benign). At 1% or less it is used for hair lightening. Importantly, according to Dr Van Dyken*, 0.5% strength is sufficient to kill SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes COVID-19), if left on a surface for at least a minute.
Do you have Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) hiding in the bathroom cabinet (to clean wounds, bleach hair or to gargle)? Many horse owners have Hydrogen Peroxide to treat hooves/frogs.
Now I spray 1.5% Hydrogen Peroxide solution with a little soap on everything before it comes into the house (the virus reportedly survives on cardboard for an hour or more and on plastics for a day or longer). The stronger the Hydrogen Peroxide solution, the more it will bleach and the less benign it would be. I prefer not to spray something stronger than a mouthwash-friendly solution of 1.5%.
Natural Degradation of H2O2
Hydrogen Peroxide solution degrades, depending on storage conditions, releasing oxygen until it becomes just water. Protect your solution in coloured glass and keep it in a dark place. If you are concerned that your product has degraded, try testing it. The quick way of testing your solution is to splash some into your kitchen sink … if it fizzes it’s still active.
You will not be certain (unless you have a newly manufactured & unopened bottle) how strong is your solution. Does your Hydrogen Peroxide fizz when splashed into the kitchen sink? When mixed with yeast does it have an exothermic (fizzy) reaction**?
Mine Fizzed!
Luckily mine fizzed … so there is some punch left in my ingredients. I just LOVE the mug that Primrose gave me for Christmas 2017 (can you read the caption? “Horses are Like Chocolates … You can’t have just one”!!!)
Resources
* This seems like a well-informed video on how to protect ourselves and includes links to WHO and other guidance, for example a link to a hand-sanitiser recipe.
** Yeast and Hydrogen Peroxide experiments for kids!
Warning
BEWARE … when mixing products at home, some are hazardous! Check before you mix!!
Caveat
I am just a passionate amateur with loads of interests. My motivation is simply to help others find peace in a turbulent world. In my opinion, the better we each feel and the more we support each other, the stronger and more successful we all become. I volunteer my help to support your emotional wellbeing. I receive no financial benefit from any of the links.
Strength of Hydrogen Peroxide – Mixing Guide
If you have 6% Hydrogen Peroxide, a simplified version of what that means is that there are 6ml of Hydrogen Peroxide in 100ml solution (6ml H2O2 + 94ml water H2O) . Starting with a 6ml solution, mixing a 1:1 dilution (1 part 6% H2O2 plus 1 part water) would result in 3% solution (ie. 6ml H2O2 within 200ml of solution). If you mix one part of 6% Hydrogen Peroxide with eleven parts of water, you get a 0.5% solution.