# Are peroxide bubbles bacterias' dying breath?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537 "2007-05-10T13:46:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537/21 "2007-05-11T16:37:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Ruken]  
If you can get a hold of a largish quantity of fresh blood (I saw this done with pig blood,) mixing the blood and H2O2 will produce a rather spectacular foamy result.  
[/QUOTE]

I once did a postmortem exam on a giant breed dog. The dog had died of a ruptured spleen, and the abdomen contained most of the dog’s blood volume.

The kid whose job it was to clean up the mess I had made, thought that pouring H2O2 into the pool of blood in the tub would simplify cleanup. He was _massively_ incorrect. Imagine turning on a hot tub filled with blood/bubble bath mix. :eek:

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537/22 "2007-05-13T06:20:09Z")

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[QUOTE=PBear42]  
Further to **Scubaqueen** at Post #10. Just what does hydrogen peroxide do which makes it a disinfectant? IOW, why does the bugs hates it [sic]?  
[/QUOTE]

hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant. It can react react with many of your bodies vital chemicals, destroying them, and killing the cell.

Hydrogen peroxide will break down to give oxygen with many chemicals apart from enxymes. Metals compounds are good catalysts - the black stuff inside batteries (manganese dioxide) is very efficient.

Concentrated hydrogen peroxide will sting unbroken skin as it behaves a bit like water - it can penetrate the skin until it gets down to the living tissue, causing damage.

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**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537/23 "2007-05-13T06:30:31Z")

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Concentrated compared to household concentrations. Household peroxide solutions are usually 2-3%. 20-30% hydrogen peroxide is concentrated enough to be a burn hazard to exposed skin, but not the hazard for explosion that higher concentrations can be.

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**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-peroxide-bubbles-bacterias-dying-breath/403537/24 "2007-05-14T19:20:13Z")

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In my recent first aid training class, we were told not to use peroxide to clean wounds as it will kill off your good white cells that are trying to protect your body as well as any germs. Just clean gently with mild soap and water. You can use Neosporin ™ or something like that and cover it, if it looks infected call a Dr.

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