For centuries, hydrogen peroxide has been exhibited in various applications by humans. Initially employed for lightening hats, the colorless solution, known for its bluish tinge, is now utilized in medication, personal care, and household chores. With its capabilities as a bleaching agent, antiseptic, and oxidizer, the solution renders itself effective in eliminating fungi, mold, yeast, bacteria, and viruses. Thus, acquiring a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide may assist in fulfilling any required task.
Keep Your Breath Fresh
To begin with, it is important to use a hydrogen peroxide that is safe for consumption when using it on or inside your body. After confirming this, swish hydrogen peroxide in your mouth to get rid of unpleasant breath.
Hydrogen peroxide’s ability to eradicate germs and bacteria can make it a more potent tool for oral hygiene compared to conventional mouthwash. Diluting the substance in water, gargling and then spitting it out is sufficient for the purpose.
Disinfect Counters and Surfaces
Hydrogen peroxide has the ability to eliminate bacteria, which makes it a useful cleaning agent for a wide range of items. You can create your own surface spray by using the 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and placing it in a spray bottle, without the need for any further dilution.
It’s easy to use, just apply the spray onto the surface, allow it to settle for a couple of minutes, and then clean it off. You can finally bid farewell to sticky surfaces and countertops covered in crumbs.
Clean Your Washing Machine
Cleaning a washing machine may appear odd since it is designed to clean. Nonetheless, it is essential to occasionally give your washing machine a thorough cleaning. It is common for loose hairs, lint, and items left in pockets to accumulate and clog up the washing machine.
If you want to make your washing machine smell better, use hydrogen peroxide. Pour it into the washer’s detergent compartment and select a hot wash cycle to run.
Disguise Your Roots
In addition to having fantastic cleaning abilities, hydrogen peroxide can also act as a hair lightener. However, it’s important to note that it’s not recommended to use it to dye all of your hair. Nonetheless, it can be used to touch up the roots.
As a hair coloring agent, hydrogen peroxide is oxidizing in nature, causing a chemical reaction to dye the hair. This method of coloring is more long-lasting, but it can be harsh on the hair.
Disinfect the Toilet Bowl
As we already advised about hydrogen peroxide being an effective cleaning agent for surfaces, it can be utilized to clean toilets as well. For cleaning a stained toilet, add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bowl and allow it to sit there for a period of 20 to 30 minutes.
Once the specified time has passed, clean and flush the toilet to see it shining like new. Additionally, this method is environmentally friendly as bleach contains multiple destructive and dangerous chemicals.
Kill Mold Spores
In the same vein, there is no necessity to resort to harsh substances like bleach to eliminate mold from your home. If you discover some of the persistent spores on household items such as clothing, appliances, walls, or fixtures, simply reach for your reliable hydrogen peroxide.
Similar to using the surface cleaner, employ 3% hydrogen peroxide to eradicate mold and move it into a spray container. Proceed to spray the substance over the mold you intend to eliminate till it is entirely covered in hydrogen peroxide.
Make a Dishwasher Bomb
Although dishwashers are meant for cleaning, they can still accumulate food residue, grease, and dirt. To tackle this issue, you can create a dishwasher bomb by utilizing hydrogen peroxide.
Create the mixture by combining one cup of baking soda and two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Mix the combination until damp sand-like consistency is achieved. Include 20 drops of essential oil and stir before scooping with a tablespoon. Allow the mixture to dry on parchment paper overnight. Subsequently, place one bomb in the cutlery caddy and run on a hot wash.
Refresh Reusable Totes
Many people are opting for reusable cloth bags when they do their grocery shopping as part of their eco-friendly efforts. But since these bags are used for carrying food and other things, it’s easy to forget to clean them regularly.
To prevent the hassle of carrying dirty and untidy bags, it is recommended to spray your reusable totes with hydrogen peroxide after every use. This will ensure that the bags are in a clean and hygienic condition for carrying your valuable produce.
Make Windows Shine
If hydrogen peroxide is effective in cleaning countertops and toilet bowls, just think of the wonders it could do on mirrors or windows. No need for purchasing a specific glass cleaning product as hydrogen peroxide works excellently in this regard.
To clean glass surfaces, mix ¾ cup of hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Add water until the bottle is full, and then shake well. Spray the mixture onto the windows and let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping it away.
Brighten Dirty Laundry
A lot of individuals opt for hydrogen peroxide over bleach and other cleaning agents due to its non-toxic nature. It appears like water, but possesses an additional oxygen molecule that increases its reactivity. As a result, it serves as an excellent substitute to bleach, primarily for laundry purposes.
To whiten your white clothes, you can use hydrogen peroxide by pouring a cup of it into the bleach compartment of your washing machine. Additionally, you can also add it to your baby’s diapers to both sanitize and remove unpleasant odors.
Heal Small Cuts
There is some debate regarding the use of hydrogen peroxide on cuts. According to Web MD, the product can impede the healing process and damage tissue. However, some other sources suggest that it can be utilized to sanitize minor cuts and scrapes, using the 3% solution in such situations.
If hydrogen peroxide is used on the skin, it creates bubbles on the surface of the wound, indicating that the solution is combating bacteria in the wound. However, there is a possibility that healthy cells may also be harmed.
Soften Hard Calluses
Corns and calluses are the result of various factors such as wearing shoes that are too tight or engaging in extensive physical activities. In some cases, medical conditions can also contribute to their formation or lack of use of socks. Although they typically do not cause severe pain, calluses are unappealing to the eyes and can be alleviated by using hydrogen peroxide.
To create a solution that can soften calluses on your feet, mix 3% hydrogen peroxide thoroughly with a small tub of water. Submerge your feet in the mixture and soak them for about 15 minutes. Afterward, rinse your feet with water and let them dry.
Keep Plants Healthy
Those who are enthusiastic about gardening are aware that plants are susceptible to fungal infections. To prevent these infections from spreading, you can use a hydrogen peroxide mixture to spray your plants. To make the mixture, you’ll need a reliable spray bottle and two cups of water mixed with four teaspoons of 3% concentrate hydrogen peroxide.
Regularly spraying your plants with the solution can help them stay healthy and content. Additionally, the extra oxygen molecule present in hydrogen peroxide promotes root growth, and it acts as a natural repellent for pests.
Give Seeds a Boost
It’s not surprising that hydrogen peroxide is also useful in promoting seed germination because of its proven effectiveness on plants. It is believed that the compound has the ability to break down the seed’s protective outer layer, which enables it to absorb more oxygen and improve its chances of sprouting.
In order to utilize the compound, immerse the seeds in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes. After that, rinse the seeds multiple times with water before planting. This approach also eliminates any harmful microorganisms that may exist on the seeds.
Disinfect Cutting Boards
After being used several times for cutting meat, mincing garlic, preparing vegetables, and filleting fish, cutting boards may become quite unsanitary. They undergo significant wear and tear compared to other kitchen utensils. As a result, it is probable that washing the cutting board with soap and water alone will not completely sterilize it.
Instead of any other method, pour hydrogen peroxide having 3% concentration on the board, spread it using a sponge, and allow it to sit for some minutes. Then, take a clean sponge and remove any additional liquid from the board.
Sort Out Your Pond
Having a beautiful garden pond in your home can be a great addition, but it can attract different types of algae that can cause the pond to look cloudy and green. To solve this problem, many people use hydrogen peroxide regularly, as it helps to eliminate bacteria and fungus, and is an effective solution for clearing algae overgrowth in their backyard ponds.
In addition to getting rid of algae, the chemical substance also oxygenates the pond. To experiment with this technique, add 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide to every 90 gallons of water in the pond.
Whiten Your Teeth
This advice pertains to using food-grade hydrogen peroxide, which should be a safe product for consumption. As we’ve previously observed, hydrogen peroxide is effective as a mouthwash, and it stands to reason that it could also whiten teeth. This is why many commercial whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide.
To make a solution for eliminating stains, mix one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide with baking soda until it forms a thick and smooth paste. Use a toothbrush to apply the mixture, leave it on for a few minutes, and then wash it off.
Clean the Litter Box
Even if you clean and wash your cat’s litter box regularly, it may still emit an unpleasant odor due to the combination of cat urine and litter. Additionally, the plastic base of the box can break down over time. To prolong the freshness of the box, you can clean it with soapy water and then spray it with hydrogen peroxide before adding litter.
An even more effective solution for eliminating the smell of cat urine in an area is to apply hydrogen peroxide to the affected spot and let it sit for five minutes.
Make Your Own Deodorant
Instead, you can spray a combination of water and hydrogen peroxide below your armpits and observe how you remain free of sweat and unpleasant smell throughout the day.
Speed Up Acne Healing
To try this, dampen a cotton ball with the liquid and apply it to infected areas. This method is best for young skin with whiteheads or a bacterial infection in an acne cyst. Use up to twice a day, for no longer than two consecutive days.
Work on Earwax
Most people know that shoving a Q-tip into your ear isn’t the most effective way of cleaning it. In fact, it even says on many Q-tip packets that the little cotton swabs shouldn’t be used inside the ear canal. Instead, reach for hydrogen peroxide to soften ear wax.
With your head tilted, add several drops of hydrogen peroxide into your ear and let it sit for around one minute. Note that using too much product can lead to skin irritation, so only use this method occasionally.
Make Your Tiles Sparkle
When it’s time to give your tiles some love, avoid harsh chemicals and instead opt for a hydrogen peroxide mixture. Use a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to scrub tiles, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them sit overnight. When you rinse it off, you’ll be shocked by how much the tiles sparkle.
Alternatively, make a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water, and spray it onto tiles. Leave for a few minutes and wipe off. You can also add essential oils to this mixture.
Disinfect the Toilet Brush
We’ve recommended using hydrogen peroxide for cleaning your toilet bowl, so why wouldn’t we also recommend it for disinfecting the toilet brush, too? There are various ways to do this, depending on which method suits you best.
To disinfect a grimy and bacteria-filled toilet brush, spray the bristles thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide and leave to drip dry. Alternatively, purchase a toilet brush with a bowl-shaped base and always leaving your brush sitting in a solution of hydrogen peroxide.
Gradually Go Blonder
We’ve said that hydrogen peroxide can be a useful touch up for roots in between hair appointments, but it also has other hair-based uses. While we used to squeeze lemon juice directly onto our hair in the ‘80s and ‘90s (yes, really), a slightly more refined method works best for lightening hair.
To lighten already blonde hair, combine 1/2 cup of water with 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Spray through hair and enjoy the results.
Clean Your Fingernails
Nobody wants to get caught with filthy fingernails or to have yellowing nail beds. To keep your nails nice and white, soak a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and dab it directly onto nails. As it does with teeth, fabric, and hair, it will brighten and whiten.
As another option, mix three to four tablespoons of the compound with half a cup of warm water and stir. Soak nails for around two minutes, and then rinse. The liquid also kills fungal nail infections.
Sort Out Your Toothache
Undeniably, one of the worst pains in the world is a bad toothache. It might start in your mouth, but soon it’s pressing on your jaw, radiating into your ear, and putting you completely out of action. With a toothache like this, it’s good to swirl liquids around the painful tooth — either salty water, liquid painkillers, or, you guessed it, hydrogen peroxide.
Swirl food-grade product around your mouth, hold for 30 seconds, then spit. This will reduce pain and inflammation.
Make a Relaxing Bath
Look, so far we’ve recommended hydrogen peroxide for growing plants, whitening teeth, disinfecting the toilet, cleaning appliances, and lightening hair. Did you really think that we wouldn’t tell you to just lie in a bath of the stuff?
Hydrogen peroxide makes a good bath once a month for detoxification and oxygenation purposes. Add a cup and 1/2 of 35% food-grade product and Epsom salts to hot water. Then, lie back and enjoy.
Treat Musty Towels
Nobody wants to grab a towel and find themselves stuck with a musty old rag. We want our towels to be soft and fluffy, and smelling sweet as a daisy. Well, luckily for us, our beloved hydrogen peroxide gives towels a lovely pick me up.
To make your towels fresh again, add 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of peroxide to your laundry, leave for 15 minutes, and then wash as normal. Alternatively, add a whole cup of hydrogen peroxide.
Make Your Own Toothpaste
We’ve already looked at several ways to use hydrogen peroxide inside the mouth, including as a mouthwash, a stain remover, and a toothache painkiller. Well, you can also just scrub it directly onto your teeth as you would a regular toothpaste. In fact, Colgate has released a hydrogen peroxide version of their toothpaste.
For a more natural toothpaste, make a hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste, and add coconut oil. The oil helps to remove oil soluble food debris and bacteria.
Boost the Dishwasher
We’ve looked at dishwasher bombs made from hydrogen peroxide, used to degrease and thoroughly clean the appliance. However, there are more ways to use the liquid compound in the dishwasher. For example, it makes an effective and chemical-free rinsing aid for dishes.
Take one cup of 3% product and mix with 10 to 15 drops of essential oils, such as cinnamon, lemon, or lavender. Pour this natural, homemade rinse aid into the dishwasher soap compartment, and enjoy the squeaky clean results.
Sterilize Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes pick up lots and lots of bacteria and germs, and we certainly don’t want to spread those all over our faces. For this reason, it’s important to keep makeup brushes clean by washing them regularly. Of course, you can buy special makeup brush shampoo and washing accessories, but hydrogen peroxide does the trick just fine.
Put one teaspoon of 3% product into a bowl of water, and soak the brushes in the mixture. Your skin will thank you.
Keep the Shower Fresh
We’ve suggested it for tiles, we’ve suggested it for toilets and now we’re suggesting it for showers too. It’s a no-brainer really, as hydrogen peroxide’s antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties make it tough on mold and mildew. As we’ve pointed out, it’s also much more environmentally friendly than chlorine bleach.
It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide or a hydrogen peroxide mixture in a spray bottle by the shower. That way, you can spritz it down each time.
Really Clean Your Sponges
Much like dishcloths, kitchen sponges absorb and carry all sorts of germs and bacteria. Even though they’re used for cleaning, the porous nature of a handy sponge means they’re often bursting with unpleasant things.
Though it can be tempting to just toss your kitchen sponge in the trash when it’s dirty, it’s more cost-effective and environmentally conscious to soak it in hydrogen peroxide. This way, you’ll make it last a little longer, and it’ll be nice and fresh.
Whiten Your Grout
We know that hydrogen peroxide makes a great surface cleaner, but it’s also good at getting stains and mold off tiling grout. Grout generally starts off as white, but it can end up a nasty brown or beige color after some time. To brighten it up, reach for your homemade hydrogen peroxide spray or paste.
To tackle grimy grout, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and one teaspoon of dish soap. Spoon onto the grout, wait for five to ten minutes, then scrub and rinse.
Scrub Off Food Debris
Baking and cookie sheets end up absolutely covered in cooked-on stains that can seem impossible to remove. How many of us just resign ourselves to using a stained baking sheet because we think they can’t be cleaned any more? Well, no more!
Take your baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste and spread it across a baking sheet. Leave the sheet for two to three hours, and wipe the mixture off with a paper towel and water. Either rinse or scrub, depending on the remaining stains.
Fight Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot can be a tough infection to deal with and causes lots of irritating itching. Because hydrogen peroxide is anti-fungal, it works to kill the fungus on the surface of feet. It also kills any bacteria that may be on the surface of the foot, thereby avoiding further infection.
To try this, put your feet into a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Note that this will sting if your feet have any cuts or scrapes.
Deal With Pit Stains
It makes a great, environmentally-conscious deodorant, but hydrogen peroxide also removes pit stains from the underarms of your clothing. Of course, with your homemade deodorant you’ll have no stains in sight, but reach for the hydrogen peroxide for stains caused by commercial products.
Mix two parts of the compound with one part dish soap, and spray the solution directly onto underarm stains. After 30 minutes of soaking, rinse and put through the washing machine.
Treat Yeast Infections
There are a number of ways to treat yeast infections, including a variety of home remedies. There are various different types of yeast infections that can occur on the body, but all are caused by yeast-like fungi named candida.
Before using hydrogen peroxide on a yeast infection, make sure you dilute it with water to avoid skin irritation. Taking a bath in a mixture of the liquid and water can prevent yeast growth.
Disinfect Kid’s Toys
Kids play with toys every single day, which means they’re bound to become coated in a sticky and grimy film, and covered with crumbs, glitter, and dirt. Rather than let your kid risk putting these nasties into their mouth, disinfect everything with a hydrogen peroxide solution.
Either spray the toys, wipe them directly with the liquid, or soak them in a solution of the stuff. Avoid using this method for painted toys as the compound may remove paint.
Clean the Refrigerator
Another household area that can end up full of grime is the refrigerator. As with sponges, dish rags, and dish towels, refrigerators play host to bits of food debris, various bacteria, and questionable smells. Because it’s usually full, we can’t always see how dirty the refrigerator is.
As with the shower, keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide solution in the kitchen so that you can spray and wipe it down between deep cleans.
Sanitize Your Toothbrush
Since it’s so great at keeping teeth white, breath fresh, and toothaches calm, why not sanitize your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide too? There are various methods for this, from soaking the toothbrush in the solution mixed with water, to rinsing it with the product after each wash.
This method is also a great option for sanitizing retainers. In both of these cases, make sure to use a food-grade product, rinse the items afterward, and don’t swallow anything.
Mop the Floors
If you don’t know what to do with hydrogen peroxide at this point, we don’t know what to tell you. Clearly, it’s amazing at cleaning all manner of things, and for that reason, it’s a wonderful addition to your mop bucket.
Mixing half a cup of the liquid compound with one gallon of hot water creates a liquid that will make floors shine. Using this rather than bleach means you won’t be inhaling harmful chemicals or leaving those chemicals on your floors for pets to lick.
Clear Out Lunch Box Grime
As with the refrigerator, kid’s lunch boxes are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. In order to keep them spick and span, spritz them with hydrogen peroxide, which will stop the spread of anything unpleasant.
As another option, you can fill a plastic lunch box with the liquid and let it soak before rinsing it with water. This stops any mold from forming and keeps Tupperwares safe to use. Again, doing this is a great alternative to using harsh chemicals.
Keep the Humidifier Clean
Lots of people use humidifiers to make the air they breathe moister. Because they produce steam, humidifiers can be prone to collecting mold and could end up pumping mold spores around a room.
To make sure that your humidifier is producing clean steam, deep clean the machine using a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Use one pint of the product per gallon of water used. To keep bacteria at bay in general, use one to three drops in the humidifier.
De-Gunge the Shower Curtain
Last, but certainly not least, is the gungy shower curtain that needs a facelift from some good old hydrogen peroxide. There are several ways to achieve this, starting with just throwing it in the washing machine along with 3% hydrogen peroxide in a rinse cycle.
If your curtain is just starting to show signs of mold and mildew then you can spray it directly with the liquid mixed with water, and leave to sit for five to ten minutes, and then rinse.
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