How to Purify Water With Hydrogen Peroxide

How to Purify Water With Hydrogen Peroxide
Published: Jul 28, 2011
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
1 minute read
Plastic water container
dourleak/iStock/Getty Images

Hydrogen peroxide has been used for years as a chemical treatment in municipal water systems. It has several benefits, including iron and hydrogen sulfide removal and the neutralization of tastes and odors. If you are camping, hiking or do not have a potable water source, it is important to purify the water to kill living organisms that may infect you and cause illness. This is a simple process, and occurs quickly because hydrogen peroxide is a fast-acting chemical agent.

Treat 1 gallon of water with 50 mL dry chlorine. Chlorine and hydrogen peroxide work well together because they offer different types of purification, and hydrogen peroxide ultimately neutralizes the flavor of chlorine. Let the chlorine sit in the water overnight.

Fill an eye dropped with 2 mL hydrogen peroxide for every gallon of water you are purifying.

Empty the eye dropped of hydrogen peroxide into the water.

Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes before drinking -- this gives the hydrogen peroxide time to oxidize the water and neutralize the chlorine.

Photo Credits

dourleak/iStock/Getty Images

Jonathan Croswell

Jonathan Croswell has spent more than five years writing and editing for a number of newspapers and online publications, including the "Omaha World-Herald" and "New York Newsday." Croswell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from…

Sponsored
Our Everyday Life Logo

Explore our everyday life, the best source for food and drink tips, health and general wellness, healthy relationships and much more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.