It Bubbles! It Fizzes! It Disinfects! Make Some Noise For That Crazy First-Aid Product…Hydrogen Peroxide!
Written: Dec 23 '03 (Updated Dec 23 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, works just as well as the name brands.
Cons: Needs to be replaced often [just like all hydrogen peroxide products].
The Bottom Line: Don't throw your money away paying for a "brand name" product!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Rite Aid Hydrogen Peroxide Solution |
You might wonder why I’m so enthusiastic about hydrogen peroxide. No, I haven’t finally cracked and gone off the deep end – I guess I’m happy to see some new products getting added to the database and lets face it, outside of liquid bandages and triple antibiotic ointment – things in the wound care department haven’t really changed all that much over the past twenty or so years. Hydrogen peroxide, the common 3% solution, is found in almost every medicine cabinet, first aid kit and urgent care clinic around the world. Used primarily to clean wounds and remove any debris, it also acts as a germ killer, bleach alternative, getting out wine stains, a mild carpet cleaner and more – so indulge me if you will – let’s pay some homage to one of the hardest working product in your bathroom … hydrogen peroxide … come on down!
Rite Aid Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is something that I consider a common product – sort of like cleanser, toothpicks, straws and batteries. They all work the same so why bother paying more for some fancy name on the package? In Southern California there are three major drugstore chains – Long’s, Rite Aid and Sav-On. All of them have their own line of in-house products that give the big name competitors a run for their money. When I needed to stock up on peroxide I almost fell over when I saw the “other” brands selling for $1.49 - $1.99 for a 16 ounce bottle. Sitting right there, next to the colorful fancy labels was the Rite Aid brand. There’s simply no difference between any of the brands so I grabbed the bottle, checked the expiration date and tossed it in my little blue basket.
The Rite Aid brand of hydrogen peroxide is the common 3% solution that can be used for everything from jewelry cleaning to gargling and for its intended use as a wound care cleanser. The bottle is brown, white screw off cap, instruction label .. the usual stuff. The most important thing to keep in mind when picking out hydrogen peroxide is the expiration date. You should look for one that has at least six months left and – if possible – shop at a store that you can “trust”. Hydrogen peroxide isn’t something that requires a lot of brains to use, but to get the most from it and have it be its most effective it needs to be stored properly both before and after its been opened. That’s the main reason it comes in that brown plastic bottle. It keeps the product safe from sunlight but you have to do your part by storing it in a cool place [and away from small children]. The average shelf life of a bottle is about a year but once you open it and use it, the potency decreases slightly. That’s not to say that it will be any less effective in cleaning out wounds or for gargling – but it does lose its potency over time so its important to check the expiration date and if possible replace a bottle sixty days after its been open so you’ll get the best results.
So how does this compare to other brands? From my experience, it works the same way, gives the same results and costs less. Even with that, some people are a little skeptical or hesitant to purchase a store brand product thinking that its inferior or “generic”. I can say from first hand experience that this works just as well as other brands and, not to beat a dead horse, costs less. When I use this on clothing to remove stains or ground in dirt it performs the same way as other brands and for wound care, you get the same amount of bubbles, fizzing and cleansing power.
Practical Uses
People have come up with some insane uses for hydrogen peroxide and when I started purchasing the Rite Aid brand I tried a few of them out. Often regarded as an old wives tale, I was really curious about using this in the bathroom to loosen caked on soap and hard water stains. It didn’t get rid of either completely but it did remove about 75% which meant that I had to use less elbow grease to get the last bit off as well as a reduced amount of tile cleaner. If you are really interested in learning about what hydrogen peroxide is, how it was discovered and all the different things it is used for, you can check out a review entitled My Friend And Yours, Hydrogen Peroxide that I penned about two years ago. While this is a general article about all hydrogen peroxide, it does give you the history of it and how it’s used in the cosmetic, agricultural and medical fields.
Things To Know
• Most stores sell the 3% solution so there’s no real chance of it exploding, rotting away your flesh or any of the other dangers that are commonly associated with the more concentrated forms of hydrogen peroxide. The sixteen ounce bottle of Rite Aid Hydrogen Peroxide is indeed the 3% version and can be used for a variety of applications.
• Read the warning label on the side of the bottle and jeep this out of reach of children. If ingested, it is strongly suggested that you call your local poison control center for further instruction. If you are caring for wound that shows signs of extreme redness, excessive oozing or weeping, doesn’t start to heal within 72 hours or is accompanied by a fever, you should consult your physician since you may be dealing with a strong infection.
• Do not attempt to reuse or refill the bottle with any liquid or with hydrogen peroxide from other bottles. Doing this may compromise the effectiveness of the product and expose it to dust and dirt. Discard the empty bottle or check to see if a rinsed bottle can be recycled.
The Bottom Line
When I wrote about hydrogen peroxide a few years ago in one of the generic sections I came across at the site, people were amazed at what it could be used for. As a substitute for bleach, for brushing teeth and disinfecting toothbrushes, as a surface cleaner in the kitchen, washing vegetables and even to clean glass. Even though I don’t use this product for all these suggested uses, I can say that it works great when poured into a small spray bottle and used to mist large cuts or scrapes. It’s a little messier than using a gauze pad or paper towel but it allows the hydrogen peroxide to get directly on the wound and reduces the chance of lint, dust or dirt coming in contact with it. So the bottom line is this – the Rite Aid brand is essentially the same exact thing you get in the more expensive bottles. I’ve used this on cuts, scrapes and a nasty encounter with a rose bush that clearly didn’t like me in the least – and this worked just as well as other brands to clean out the wound, wash away any dirt or thorns and started the healing process.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2003 Freak369
Other medicine cabinet essentials …
• N'Ice Cherry Lozenges • Aleve Pain Reliever •
• Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream With Oatmeal • Sta-Tite Gauze •
• Dimetapp Get Better Bear Sore Throat Pops •
• Aleve Pain Reliever • Tylenol Sore Throat •
Recommended:
Yes
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