Why it is no longer possible to buy 35% hydrogen peroxide (and how to replace it in cleaning)

From 1 February 2021 it is no longer possible to purchase hydrogen peroxide at concentrations higher than 12%. Here's how to replace it for cleaning

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If you are used to using 35% hydrogen peroxide for your home cleaning, know that as of February 1, 2021 it is no longer possible to buy it at these concentrations. However, there are other valid alternatives to sanitize at home.

Hydrogen peroxide, more commonly known as hydrogen peroxide, is a substance that does not pollute and is completely biodegradable. A product that can be useful in various areas, especially for personal care and house cleaning.

However, there are some news regarding this commonly used product. According to Regulation (EU) 2019/1148, from 2021 February 35 it is no longer possible to purchase hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 130% (XNUMX volumes), solutions that are particularly appreciated as remedies to replace bleach, remove mold from walls or clean some types of surfaces.

How do you read:

"This Regulation establishes harmonized rules concerning the making available, introduction, possession and use of substances or mixtures which could be improperly used for the illicit manufacture of explosives, with the aim of limiting the availability of such substances or mixtures for private individuals and in order to ensure adequate reporting of suspicious transactions along the entire supply chain ".

As for hydrogen peroxide, only "professional users" in possession of specific licenses will be able to purchase and use hydrogen peroxide with a concentration higher than 12%.

However, within the same Regulation it is stated that:

"The possession, introduction and use by private individuals of precursors of restricted explosives legally purchased before February 1, 2021 are authorized until February 2, 2022."

There are also new specifications in the regulation regarding another substance that we use often. This is the‘acetone, one of the most common enamel levers, referred to as a "substance subject to reporting".

This concretely means that, in the case of unusual purchases or thefts, in order to prevent and identify the illicit manufacture of explosives, economic operators, online sellers but also ordinary citizens must report suspicious situations.

Obviously, there is talk of notifications for considerable quantities that must be made to special bodies appointed by each EU member state.

How can we replace 35% hydrogen peroxide in cleaning?

Even if we can no longer use hydrogen peroxide in high concentrations, for cleaning we can continue to prefer hydrogen peroxide, creating solutions with different doses than those we used previously.

Second Fabrizio Zago, chemist, founder of Biodictionary and EcoBioControl, it is possible to replace the hydrogen peroxide in our recipes with what we can find on the market.

Mild (or gentle) bleach recipe

The recipe for delicate or gentle bleach which involved the use of 100 g of hydrogen peroxide at 130 volumes, 400 g of distilled water and 1 teaspoon of anhydrous citric acid can now be replaced on the recommendation of Zago himself in this way:

450 ml of 12% hydrogen peroxide
525 ml of distilled water
20 grams of normal dish soap (better ecological)
2 teaspoons of citric acid to stabilize

Be careful to mix everything with a wooden spoon, as metals can create problems.

All that remains now is to use the solution thus created in all the ways in which you would use the traditional gentle bleach.

Other alternatives to 35% hydrogen peroxide for cleaning can be:

Il steam: able to sanitize surfaces and destroy up to 99% of bacteria avoiding the use of detergents
Il sodium percarbonate: especially useful for the washing machine but it is important to know that to release oxygen and sanitize the washing program must exceed 40 °. It can also be used directly on stains as a pre-treatment, making a porridge with the help of water and rubbing it on the areas of the clothes affected by the stains (to be avoided on delicate clothes).

Source: REGULATION (EU) 2019/1148 / Fabrizio Zago EcoBioControl