When to use Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide?!

[mad0maxx]

When to use Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide?! They both say they treat the same thing so which would you use and why?

 

[silverpig]

Hydrogen peroxide for bodily use, the reason being it doesn't sting nearly as badly.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

What ^^ said

Next time you cut the inside of your mouth, try using isopropyl alcohol instead of h2o2. You'll barf. Forget what they add to it, but one of the most bitter tastes known to man.

 

[GasX]

use peroxide on open wounds

 

[Kelvrick]

I use Hydrogen for scrapes/cuts and for emergency mouthwash.

I use the alcohal to clean stickers/tags/glue off of things.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

they're both disinfectants and can clean wounds.

it's a matter of your degree of tolerance to the sting/pain that comes with using IPA (alcohol).

 

[spidey07]

Nothing beats the power of a good alcohol wipe followed by a iodine scrub. Clean that puppy out real good.

Peroxide is for when jimmy skins his knee. Not disinfecting. 😉

 

[PhoenixOrion]

although there was an article on a study that showed that 3% peroxide is more effective than 70% isopropyl at reducing or killing bacteria by as much as 5 logs in a given amount of time.

 

[mad0maxx]

So in reality one does not clean better than the other?

 

[Kirby64]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
I use Hydrogen for scrapes/cuts and for emergency mouthwash.

I use the alcohal to clean stickers/tags/glue off of things.

Rubbing alcohol fails at stickers/tags/glue unless it's Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 🙁
If it's Isopropyl, it's useful for all kinds of things 🙂 I use it mainly for cleaning thermal paste off CPUs

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Kirby64

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
I use Hydrogen for scrapes/cuts and for emergency mouthwash.

I use the alcohal to clean stickers/tags/glue off of things.

Rubbing alcohol fails at stickers/tags/glue unless it's Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 🙁
If it's Isopropyl, it's useful for all kinds of things 🙂 I use it mainly for cleaning thermal paste off CPUs

I don't know where you live, but normally "rubbing alcohol" is just a name for 70% or higher isopropyl/water mixture.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Use Rubbing Alcohol to prevent infection.

Use Hydrogen Peroxide to treat infection.

🙂

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
although there was an article on a study that showed that 3% peroxide is more effective than 70% isopropyl at reducing or killing bacteria by as much as 5 logs in a given amount of time.

Thats true....H202 kills everything, both the good and the bad. Rubbing alcohol is best to use on the wounds since it doesnt kill the good bacteria; but it stings like a b|tch!!!

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Nothing beats the power of a good alcohol wipe followed by a iodine scrub. Clean that puppy out real good.

Peroxide is for when jimmy skins his knee. Not disinfecting. 😉

:thumbsup: Real men use 75% IPA.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner

Originally posted by: Kirby64

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
I use Hydrogen for scrapes/cuts and for emergency mouthwash.

I use the alcohal to clean stickers/tags/glue off of things.

Rubbing alcohol fails at stickers/tags/glue unless it's Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 🙁
If it's Isopropyl, it's useful for all kinds of things 🙂 I use it mainly for cleaning thermal paste off CPUs

I don't know where you live, but normally "rubbing alcohol" is just a name for 70% or higher isopropyl/water mixture.

😀 Yep, if it wasnt isopropyl, I wouldn't be using it for the glue/stickers and stuff, would I?

Although sometimes for the trickier stuff I break into my thinner that I use for my model kits or the kerosene I use to clean my bike's chain.

 

[eits]

don't use hydrogen peroxide. it's bad for you. it delays the healing processes. it entroduces toxins into the area (toxins meaning free radicals).

 

[mdbound]

Whoa, people all over the place here.....

Hydrogen peroxide is not typically used because it is not as effective an antiseptic.

From Wikipedia:

Hydrogen Peroxide:

Used as a 6% (20Vols) solution to clean and deodorise wounds and ulcers. More common 1% or 2% solutions of hydrogen peroxide have been used in household first aid for scrapes, etc. However, even this less potent form is no longer recommended for typical wound care as the strong oxidization causes scar formation and increases healing time. Gentle washing with mild soap and water or rinsing a scrape with sterile saline is a better practice.

(basically what eits said above).

Also, remember that most organisms are catalase positive, meaning they can break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This reaction is what causes the characteristic bubbling when you pour it on a wound. It doesn't mean its working; rather that it's being broken down!

Current recommendations are to irrigate a wound with lots of water (sterile if possible) and avoid either alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

MD.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra

Originally posted by: spidey07
Nothing beats the power of a good alcohol wipe followed by a iodine scrub. Clean that puppy out real good.

Peroxide is for when jimmy skins his knee. Not disinfecting. 😉

:thumbsup: Real men use 75% IPA.

I have a bottle of 90% sitting right here.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra

Originally posted by: spidey07
Nothing beats the power of a good alcohol wipe followed by a iodine scrub. Clean that puppy out real good.

Peroxide is for when jimmy skins his knee. Not disinfecting. 😉

:thumbsup: Real men use 75% IPA.

I have a bottle of 90% sitting right here.

You can get 99% from the pharmacy quite easily.

I've got 99.9999% research grade stuff here at work, in addition to non-denatured ethanol 😉

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra

Originally posted by: spidey07
Nothing beats the power of a good alcohol wipe followed by a iodine scrub. Clean that puppy out real good.

Peroxide is for when jimmy skins his knee. Not disinfecting. 😉

:thumbsup: Real men use 75% IPA.

I have a bottle of 90% sitting right here.

You can get 99% from the pharmacy quite easily.

I've got 99.9999% research grade stuff here at work, in addition to non-denatured ethanol 😉

I tried looking for 99 but they only had 75 and 90 and since I'm going to be using it to clean computer parts and whatnot I got the higher one.

 

[49erinnc]

I remember that as a kid, I was told that the bubbling is the hydrogen peroxide eating away all the bad bacteria so I was taught that it was a great thing. :roll:

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc
I remember that as a kid, I was told that the bubbling is the hydrogen peroxide eating away all the bad bacteria so I was taught that it was a great thing. :roll:

I thought that too... because after you pour it on once or twice, it doesnt bubble anymore (or not nearly as much)

Hydrogen peroxide really helps about once year when I get an ingrown toenail.

 

[d3n]

Isoproply is a nice solvent for cleaning other things, like LCDs 🙂

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: d3n
Isoproply is a nice solvent for cleaning other things, like LCDs 🙂

No, no it's not.

 

[40sTheme]

I only use alcohol for a very dangerous wound (ie: one that has a high chance of being infected). Everything else is soap and water; hydrogen peroxide feels unnecessary to me.