By constantly seeing the same household products mentioned, we start to believe that ecological products are limited to white vinegar and baking soda! However, although each is very effective, they often need to be combined with other natural cleaning products to work best: soda crystals, liquid black soap, Marseille soap, household alcohol, etc. Also called solid hydrogen peroxide, Sodium percarbonate is also very effective, but unfortunately still too little known. Its stain removing, disinfecting and whitening properties mean that it can completely revolutionize your daily household routine! But how to clean your interior with it and use it for house maintenance? Here are 7 household uses to know about this amazing and environmentally friendly powder that is percarbonate!
Good to know: You can buy it at any drugstore and some supermarkets.
1) Disinfect and unclog your toilet in one go
To descale, disinfect and whiten toilets, no bleach is needed! Boil a liter of water and dilute two tablespoons of percarbonate in it. Pour the mixture into your toilet and leave to act for around fifteen minutes before scrubbing and flushing. The advantage of this cleaning is that your toilets will be cleaner and the pipes will be less clogged. In maintenance every week, you can sprinkle 120 g of this powder in the toilet then flush.
2) Percarbonate as a cleaner for difficult areas
It can clean and remove household appliances, doormats, bathroom walls, cutting boards, fireplaces and even worktops. Just dilute it a tablespoon of powder in 500 ml of water hot and mix and let cool for a few hours before using in a spray bottle. You can leave it on for a few moments on stubborn stains. You can even stain and deodorize your rugs and carpets by letting the product work on the stains before rinsing with water and vacuuming up the powder once it’s dry. Finally, for a stained plastic box, place it between 30 and 60 g of percabonate depending on the extent of the damage and top up with a little water. After a quarter of an hour, the box will be as good as new.
3) Percarbonate, excellent for whitening laundry
Grandma assures you: we don’t do no better way to restore shine to white linen than this household cleaner. For a bright white and to say goodbye to sweat stains and grayness on clothes, you can pour a tablespoon into the washing machine and start a cycle at 40 or 60°. You can also soak the laundry overnight in 60° water with added percarbonate (ten doses of water and one of powder). Finish with a wash in the washing machine. You can also make a homemade detergent with active oxygen for whitening clothes. It’s more practical!
4) On white plastic outdoor furniture
After long months in a corner of the garage, it’s hard to guess that your plastic furniture was white. Rub it with a solution composed of 50 g of percabonate and 3 liters of hot water and leave on for a good quarter of an hour before rinsing. The plastic will be even more pristine than when purchased!
5) For a cleaner floor
Prepare a bucket of hot water with a little percarbonate to get a good product for the floor. Allow approximately one dose of percarbonate for ten doses of water. Use this product for cleaning and finish by rinsing the floor well.
6) To effectively deodorize cat litter
Mix one part percarbonate with two parts sodium bicarbonate and form a soft paste by adding hot water. Apply this preparation to the litter and leave to act for two hours. You can then brush off any remaining powder residue.
7) And finally, the percarbonate on the moldy shower curtain
Percarbonate is very strong against mold! You can therefore immerse your shower curtain overnight in a basin filled with a solution made from one liter of hot water and two tablespoons of powder. You can also soak textiles soaked in the foul odor of cold tobacco or food in this solution! 30 to 60 minutes are enough to find laundry free of odors.
Tips and precautions for using percarbonate:
- It is not obligatory, but we advise you to wear gloves when using it.
- Store the powder in a cool, dry place in an airtight container to preserve the quality of this versatile product. Once mixed with very hot water (around 50°), it will not keep for more than a few hours.
- On fabrics, test on a small area before applying everywhere. It should be used mainly on white textiles!
- Avoid mixing it with an acidic product.
- Do not apply it to oiled, painted or aluminum surfaces.