Will Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach Carpet?

I am so happy when I find an inexpensive and effective solution, like hydrogen peroxide. It removes stubborn stains from the carpet. But I hesitated whether to use it as I heard, it will bleach the carpet dyer and lead to its discoloration. That’s why I decided to explore this topic. I tried to discover if hydrogen peroxide can destroy carpet colors.

As a general rule, hydrogen peroxide will bleach a carpet. But it is a solid and inexpensive solution. It can remove organic stains, like blood. Most commercial cleaning products contain peroxide. But it will not bleach the carpet if its grade is not more than 3%. Hydrogen peroxide won’t bleach carpets made of polypropylene. If you want to know, how to remove carpet stains with peroxide, read further.

Is Hydrogen Peroxide Safe for Carpet Cleaning?

I will always be a lover of carpeting. A warm fluffy carpet creates coziness in the room. On cool autumn evenings, it is pleasant to sit on the soft long carpet pile, reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee.

But it becomes upsetting when this cup of coffee spills and an ugly stain appears on the pile of the carpet. It is especially annoying if the carpet is light.

To remove the effect of “coffee drinking” use the substance, which is always on hand – hydrogen peroxide.

The homemade solution is very effective, but many readers write to me that they avoid using it. As they suppose hydrogen peroxide is not safe for their carpets. “The hydrogen peroxide will bleach the carpet pile, won’t it?” – one of my readers asked me. To answer this question, let’s recall hydrogen peroxide properties.

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical substance. They use Hydrogen peroxide as an antiseptic, oxidizer, and bleacher. Some people use it to whiten their teeth.

As you see, hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent. It can bleach the carpet, too. So, my reader is right, it can be harmful to the carpet dyers. In some cases, hydrogen peroxide will lead to carpet discoloration.

But it happens only case if hydrogen peroxide solution has a high concentration. In fact, in the domestic environment, they don’t use hydrogen peroxide in its pure form. The bottle you’ve got in the nearest chemist’s is the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. If the weight of hydrogen peroxide in this mixture is 3%, you can use it for carpet cleaning. But if the solution has 6-9% and more hydrogen peroxide, then never apply it to the carpet pile. It can ruin the bright colors and patterns of your piece.

Why Should I Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Carpet Cleaning?

I understand my readers who don’t want to give hydrogen peroxide the slightest chance. It seems that this is not necessary. There are many products on the market that help to clean carpets from various types of dirt and stains. They can clean cookie crumbs, traces of dirty shoes, berries rubbed on the carpet pile, etc.

I don’t recommend cutting hydrogen peroxide off the effective carpet cleaners list. And there are 5 reasons for that.

1.  Hydrogen peroxide is a great hard stain remover

Carpet owners decide to use hydrogen peroxide for removing stains when all other solutions have already been used but turned out to be not effective.

The natural oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide deals well with organic kinds of stains, like pet urine, blood, wine, etc. Used on the carpet pile, hydrogen peroxide chemically reacts with it and produces the foam, which removes the stubborn stain.

2. Hydrogen peroxide is inexpensive

This super-effective stain remover is a great idea for those, who are on a budget. It costs about $6 per 32 oz bottle in Walmart. In comparison, the famous commercial product “Vanish”, which is known as a great stain remover, costs $17.99 per pack.

3. Hydrogen peroxide is a great antiseptic

Probably, you remember your mother, who poured hydrogen peroxide from the light brown bottle on the wounds and scratches on your knees and elbows. Hydrogen peroxide is a great antiseptic. It destroys harmful microorganisms, which can cause an infestation process on your wounded skin.

If you clean the carpet stain with hydrogen peroxide, you’ll not just remove it but also disinfect it. It’s especially useful if you have a stain, left by some organic liquid, like blood or urine.

4. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a bleacher 

Hydrogen peroxide really can bleach colors from porous textures, like carpet piles. But in some cases, that’s just what the carpet owner is looking for. Light carpet paints become yellowish with age. To make them white or beige again, they use hydrogen peroxide.

5. Hydrogen peroxide is a part of many stain-removing products, which are on the market now

I just smile, when I read the letters from my readers, who tell me that they don’t use hydrogen peroxide for removing stains from their carpets. Most of the stains-removing products, which you can see on the market now, contain hydrogen peroxide. If the cleaning solution contains the word “oxy” in its name, for sure, it contains hydrogen peroxide. Also, commercial cleaning products may contain sodium percarbonate, which is a powered version of hydrogen peroxide.  So, you use that very substance for removing stains, but party 2-3 times more for it.

So, now you know, why I recommend hydrogen peroxide to my readers. But it will be safe and effective only in case if you use it right.

How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Carpet Cleaning Correctly

Like you, I’ve read lots of negative opinions on using hydrogen peroxide for carpet cleaning. The carpet owners are afraid to destroy the colors of their carpets with this solution. They also feel skeptical about hydrogen peroxide’s ability to remove stubborn stains.

Be sure, you’ll like this little inexpensive helper. But using it, follow these rules.

Use hydrogen peroxide with light carpets only

This chemical liquid is a bleaching agent. So, even if you use it shortly and its grade will be not more than 3%, there’s a possibility it will slightly remove the carpet dyers. That’s why it is not recommended to use hydrogen peroxide with dark carpets.

Never use hydrogen peroxide of higher strength than 3% on your carpet surface

This solution can destroy the carpet colors if its concentration is too high. That’s why I advise you to clean the stains on your carpets with the hydrogen peroxide you’ve bought at the nearest chemist’s. As usual, its concentration is 3%. If the concentration is 6% or more, you may add some water to it before applying it to the carpet fabric.

Be especially cautious to use this solution with natural carpets like woolen or silk 

This chemical compound is more dangerous for carpets, made of natural materials. Hydrogen peroxide removes the colors faster on such carpet fabrics as wool and silk. But it will not harm carpets, designed from polypropylene.

Test the hydrogen peroxide beforehand on the small area of the carpet fabric

To be sure, that this solution won’t do any harm to your carpet, test it on the small area of the carpet, which is hidden under the wardrobe or a sofa. Apply the hydrogen peroxide with a sponge or a spray bottle and leave for a while. If the colors remained bright, you may use them on visible carpet parts.

Use heat to make the hydrogen peroxide effect stronger

Hydrogen peroxide becomes stronger and removes the stains faster under the influence of the high temperature. That’s why I recommend you dilute the peroxide with hot water if its concentration is higher than 3%. Besides, you may spray some peroxide on the stain, then cover it with a white towel and treat it with steam (from the steam cleaner or iron).

How Long Do You Leave Hydrogen Peroxide on Carpet?

Keep in mind, that peroxide is a bleacher, so if you leave it on the carpet fabric for too much time, it will lead to the discoloration of your item. If the carpet pile is light and there’s not much dyer to remove from its pile, you can leave the peroxide for up to 24 hours.

 Of course, you should leave the hydrogen peroxide for a long-only in case the stain is too hard and can’t be removed fast. If you’ve managed to remove the stain quickly, just rinse the carpet pile thoroughly to get rid of peroxide remnants and dry it out.

Watch the video to know in detail, how to remove carpet stains with hydrogen peroxide safely.

Conclusion

To wrap up, hydrogen peroxide is a bleacher agent. So used in higher concentration on the carpet fabric it will for sure lead to its discoloration. But hydrogen peroxide is a great stain remover, which works especially great under heat. It removes easily the organic kinds of stains, like blood or pet urine. That’s why carpet owners often use it to clean their items. So, don’t hesitate and give this great stain remover and antiseptic a chance!