Surprising Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can be found in most drug stores across the United States. This stuff is commonly used to disinfect minor cuts and abrasions, but we're here to tell you that this stuff isn't a chemical compound with just one use. H202, or hydrogen peroxide, can act as a bleaching agent, antibacterial, and antiseptic.
You probably have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your bathroom right now. Keep reading to learn how you can use it for everything from zits to gardening!
Hydrogen Peroxide Kills Mold Fast And Easy
Mold is a serious health hazard and sometimes you have to resort to harmful chemicals to get rid of it. If you have a minor mold problem, you can tackle those nasty spores using 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.
Just spray the hydrogen peroxide onto any walls that have been infected with mold and leave it there for ten minutes. After ten minutes have passed, scrub the walls with water to get rid of any mold stains.
Make Your Nails Less Yellow
Fungi can transform your nails into yellowed, cracked fragments of what they used to be. Hydrogen peroxide can kill this fungus quickly and efficiently. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of hot water with one teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. For extra strength, include one teaspoon of baking soda.
Soak your nails in this solution for about ten minutes. If you don't want your skin to soften, you can soak a cotton ball in the mixture and press it to your nails. If you need to, scrub stains off with a clean, unused toothbrush or a nail brush.
Whiten Your Teeth With Hydrogen Peroxide
Many commercial toothpastes actually contain hydrogen peroxide to help whiten teeth. According to a 2004 study in the Journal of Dentistry, hydrogen peroxide is an effective chemical for bleaching teeth that have been stained by foods such as wine and coffee.
If you're looking to whiten your teeth, just mix together one part water with one part hydrogen peroxide. Use the solution as a mouthwash and swish it around your teeth for at least 30 seconds.
Get Rid Of Pimples
Hydrogen peroxide works as a spot treatment for acne. When the peroxide touches your skin, it loses an extra oxygen atom. That oxidization process kills off the bacteria, which allows your skin to heal faster. Don't use it for acne scars, as overuse can damage your skin further.
To spot-treat your acne, saturate a cotton ball with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Dab the cotton ball over the infected areas, leave for five minutes, and then rinse your face with cold water. Limit your use to three times a week, and make sure to wash your face before applying hydrogen peroxide.
Help Soothe A Painful Canker Sore
Canker sores are super annoying. They make it difficult to eat, talk, laugh, smile, and basically move your mouth in any way whatsoever. Hydrogen peroxide isn't a magical cure, but it can help take away some of that canker sore pain.
Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide with water--no more than half and half. Apply the mixture directly onto your canker sore, or swish it around in your mouth. It may sting a little bit at first, but after a few seconds, the pain should subside.
Get Rid Of Carpet Stains
If you still have carpet in your home, you know how hard it can be to avoid carpet stains. It seems like every other day somebody spills coffee or drags in dirt or squeezes ketchup onto your fluffy flooring.
There is something you can do about all of those carpet stains, though. Lots of household cleaners contain hydrogen peroxide, but you can make your own stain-fighting carpet cleaner by mixing together one part 3% hydrogen peroxide with five parts water.
Get Rid Of Burn Marks On The Bottoms Of Pots
Burn residue can take ages to scrub off. Since burned debris cakes onto the surface of pots and pans, just scrubbing won't do much. You need a substance that dissolves and lifts the residue. Use hydrogen peroxide to remove the grime without having to scrub.
Pour a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide (3% is fine) to cover all the burned areas. Then stir in a pile of baking soda. Leave it for at least a couple of hours; aim for six hours. The debris should lift right off! Wipe off any sticky remains until your pot or pan looks like new.
Give Yourself An At-Home Pedicure
Why spend your money on spa foot treatments when you have so many other things to pay for? If you have cracked, rough callouses on the edges of your feet, hydrogen peroxide can soften that skin by breaking down the tissue around it.
Dilute two cups of hydrogen peroxide into two cups of hot water. Soak feet for 30 minutes. After you dry them off, scrub off all the dead skin. Then lather your feet with lotion, pop on some warm fuzzy socks, and hit the hay. Your feet will feel super soft in the morning.
Get Toxins Out Of Your Dog's System
There are many foods that are totally fine for humans to eat but are toxic for dogs. If a dog eats a lot of chocolate or grapes, they could become very sick and they could even die. If your dog accidentally eats something he shouldn't. you can safely induce vomiting by feeding your dog a small amount of hydrogen peroxide.
Make sure you're only using 3% hydrogen peroxide, because higher concentrations can be toxic.
Get Ink Out Of You White Clothes
Too many of us have experienced the dread and fear associated with a pen totally exploding in our backpacks... or worse, in our pockets. It can be nearly impossible to get dark ink out of white clothing, but hydrogen peroxide can usually do the trick.
Just soak a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and then dab the soaked cotton ball on the ink stain. After that, just wash your stained clothes as you always do.
This Stuff Works As A Natural Deodorant
When bacteria breaks down sweat, it creates body odor. Because our armpits sweat more than any other area, they're the main culprit of body odor. Some people use 3% hydrogen peroxide to kill these germs, and hence halt the B.O.
Hydrogen peroxide is not an antiperspirant, so it won't inhibit your sweating. But neither do deodorants. Swipe or spray some hydrogen peroxide wherever you're sweating for odor relief. And it's certainly cheaper than paying for a deodorant that could contain harmful substances like aluminum.
Give Your Garden An Extra Boost
If you spray a mixture of one teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide and one whole cup of water on your plants, your plants will grow quicker, stronger, and healthier. Hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen, and plants need oxygen for growth. Hydrogen peroxide also kills off any potential plant diseases, fungi, and root infections.
This stuff works like medicine for plants too. If you're spraying an entire garden with the mixture, you can add a little bit more hydrogen peroxide.
Get Stubborn Earwax Out
A 2015 study from Australian Family Physician supports ear irrigation as the most effective way to remove ear wax. Ear irrigation involves a liquid that softens the wax and dislodges it. Since hydrogen peroxide makes the wax bubble and weaken, it's a safe way to clean your ears.
Start by lying on your side. Place a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your upward-facing ear. Wait five minutes, then sit up and use a tissue to absorb any excess liquid. Then do the same on your other ear. Remember to consult your doctor before trying these home remedies.
Keep Your Makeup Brushes Clean
Makeup brushes are full of old makeup, dead skin cells, and bacteria. All too often we rub our skin with these brushes without cleaning them first. This can lead to the development of acne, or worse, staph infections.
There is an easy way to disinfect your brushes, though. Just soak them in a bowl of warm water with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide mixed into it. let the brushes sit for ten minutes, swirl them around, rinse them, and then dry them off on a clean towel.
A Super Cheap Hair Dye
Going to the salon to get your hair professionally bleached can be super expensive. Why pay all of that money when you can lighten your hair at home with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide? Ok, so maybe the experts at the salon can give you nicer highlights and lowlights, but you can't beat the value of hydrogen peroxide in a bottle.
All you have to do is mix hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, an alkaline chemical that will lower the acidity. Spread the paste through your hair and leave it on from 15 to 60 minutes. Then, rinse your hair with cold water.
Disinfect Your Fruits And Veggies
It's essential to wash your fruits and vegetables when you bring them home. You never know who touched them or which pesticides they came into contact with. But instead of paying $8 for a veggie wash, why don't you use a little bit of hydrogen peroxide?
To create a veggie cleaner, fill your sink with cold water and add 1/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Don't use a higher concentration since it's not food safe. Wash your fruit and vegetables in the mixture, and then rinse them thoroughly with fresh water. According to Poison Control, hydrogen peroxide isn't toxic, except in large amounts.
Keep Mildew Away From Your Shower
Nobody likes cleaning their shower. That's why it's best to clean a shower and shield it from future mold at the same time. Fill a spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Spritz the walls of your shower and let it work its magic for 10 minutes. Then, wipe the mildew away.
According to a 2013 study in BMC Research Notes, hydrogen peroxide effectively kills microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. It also demolishes budding yeast systems, so you won't have to clean your shower for a while longer.
Clean Out Your Humidifier
When's the last time you cleaned your humidifier or diffuser? Bacteria adore wet, warm places. Humidifiers remain damp for a long time. Plus, standing water allows bacteria to multiply. Dirty humidifiers can trigger allergy symptoms rather than help them.
To clean a humidifier or diffuser, add two cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide to one gallon of water. Pour it into the humidifier's water tank and filter, scrub it, and let it sit for 10 to 30 minutes. Then rinse the base in clean water and leave it to air dry.
Disinfect Your Whole House
Hydrogen peroxide is an anti-viral and anti-bacterial. That's why many household cleaners include this ingredient. If you're running low on kitchen cleaners, use 3% hydrogen peroxide instead. Store it in a spray bottle and use as you would any other household cleaner.
Although hydrogen peroxide is a powerful disinfectant, it takes time to work. You might want to leave the solution on your countertops or walls for a minute before wiping. A mixture of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and plain soap makes an efficient cleaning solution for windows and mirrors.
Purify The Air In Your Home
Remember when we discussed cleaning your humidifier with hydrogen peroxide? We talked about how clean air improves your quality of life. Well, you can combine hydrogen peroxide and a humidifier for a different reason: to reduce the germs floating through your home.
You'll want to dilute your 3% hydrogen peroxide a lot. Mix one part of peroxide with eight parts of water, and add the mixture to your humidifier. If you have a diffuser, you can add some drops of essential oils for a pleasant smell. Then let the machine work its magic. Don't use this technique if you have pets around.
Keep Your Retainer Germ-Free
That tiny plastic mold that you have to stuff into your mouth every night is hard to keep clean. But you can clean your retainer for little-to-no money by using hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and water.
Place your retainer into a jar and submerge it in water. Add one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and a sprinkle of baking soda. Leave the retainer in there for about ten minutes. Afterward, take it out and rinse all the residue off. Make sure to rinse your retainer thoroughly before popping it back in your mouth.
Get Blood Stains Out Of Your Clothes
“He’s bleeding! Grab a towel!” is not something that you ever want to hear in your household, but these things happen. And you know you’ll grab whatever’s within reach to stop the bleeding when you have to. Luckily, there’s a hack for that.
If you have a blood-stained towel, add some hydrogen peroxide to the affected area, and let it sit. Then, rinse under warm water with soap. Repeat if it doesn’t come out the first time, but it should make a big difference!
Keep Your Shoes Smelling Fresh
No one wants to buy a different product for every purpose, which makes hydrogen peroxide all the more beneficial. Sure, you could find a product at the store specifically for getting rid of foot odor in shoes, but why would you when you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide at home?
Mix it with baking soda to create a paste. Then, put it in your shoes and set them out to dry. Once dried, removed the residue with a cloth. It’ll help a lot!
Keep Your Tools Rust-Free
Gardening tools, hammers, screwdrivers, and nails can get really rusty over time, especially if they're left in a damp environment. A rusty tool can always be brought back to its former glory, though. All you need is a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. Just rub the stuff onto the rusted area of the tool with a bit of steel wool or a stiff brush.
Always test this technique out before you start rubbing hydrogen peroxide all over your tools though because H2O2 can react with some metal alloys.
Get Your Shower Grout To Look White Again
Cleaning bathrooms can be a dirty job, right? All of the moisture in the room and build-up from products in the shower and sinks can require a lot of elbow grease to clean. Luckily, hydrogen peroxide is also helpful with cleaning the shower grout.
Combine hydrogen peroxide with a little water and some lemon. Spray on the grout and give it some time to sit and work its magic. After, scrub into the grout. It will still take some work, but will make the job much easier!
Give Your Dishwasher Some Extra Cleaning Power
Dishwashers make everything easier--when they work. If you don't clean your dishwasher, the extra residue will cake the walls and leave your dishes less than lustrous. Plus, the hydrogen peroxide will lend your dishwasher soap more cleaning power.
Before you run your next load, add 1/4 cup (or three ounces) of 3% hydrogen peroxide to your dishwasher. Close the door and run it. The hot water will swirl it around, and the peroxide will disinfect the surface. That's all you have to do!
Say Goodbye To Bad Breath
Hydrogen peroxide not only whitens your teeth, but it also eliminates bad breath. Gargling hydrogen peroxide kills the bacteria in your throat, so it can also assuage sore throats and gum inflammation. Before you pour it straight into your mouth, dilute the peroxide in water.
Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into water: one part peroxide per two parts water. This will lower the concentration to 1% hydrogen peroxide. Gargle and swish the solution around your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds and then spit it out. Do not swallow. Rinse your mouth afterward, and you're ready to go!
Clean Your Contact Lenses
If you don't clean your contact lenses, you run the risk of spreading an eye infection. Instead of buying a solution, you can clear your lenses with hydrogen peroxide. This technique may help people who are sensitive to the preservatives used in contact solutions. To prevent hydrogen peroxide from stinging your eyes, you'll need a neutralizer as well.
To clean your contact lenses, you can place them in 3% hydrogen peroxide for a little while. Afterward, leave them in a neutralizer for a couple of hours. Usually, the directions on the bottle will tell you exactly how long to leave them in.
Clean All Of Your Household Sponges
When your sponge starts smelling, it's time to clean it. You don't have to throw your sponge away every time it smells germ-infested. Hydrogen peroxide will soak into the sponge and kill all bacteria inside the tiniest crevices.
To start, place your sponge in a container. Pour hydrogen peroxide until the sponge is mostly submerged, and watch for the white bubbles. That means the bacteria is dying. After a few minutes, flip the sponge over and leave it for a few more minutes. Then take out the sponge and rinse it. You're done!
Keep Your Kids' Toys Free Of Germs
If you're worried about chemical cleaners, you'll want to keep hydrogen peroxide in mind. It's a great tool to use on kids' toys since it doesn't leave harmful residue. A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water can easily disinfect plastic toys.
First, wipe off visible dirt. Remove any batteries if the toy has them. Then, create a solution that's half water and half 3% hydrogen peroxide. (If you use all peroxide, it may strip the paint off.) You can either place the toy in a bowl of the mixture, or you can soak a towel and rub the toy.
Clean Out Those Dirty Lunchboxes
According to a study from e-cloth, 73% of lunchboxes and coolers have bacteria that could cause food poisoning. Protect your family from this bacteria by cleaning these cases regularly. What better way to clean them than with hydrogen peroxide?
To start, remove all the food debris with soap and water. Then, fill your cooler or lunchbox with hydrogen peroxide. If you need more liquid, combine the hydrogen peroxide with water, but know that it'll have less strength. Leave it for ten minutes, and then rinse your containers.
Keep Your Cutting Board Clean
If you think about it, cutting boards touch our food as often (if not more often) as our plates do. As your cutting board touches raw vegetables and meat, it'll accumulate bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Just washing the cutting board isn't enough; you'll want to disinfect it too.
After you clear your cutting board of food and water, rinse it thoroughly. Fill a container--large, glass baking pans should work--with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Leave your cutting board in there for ten minutes. Once you remove it, rinse it thoroughly, and look forward to your next meal.
Make Your Roots Match The Rest Of Your Hair
Anyone who has dyed their hair blonde understands the struggle of having your roots grow in. It's awkward to see a dark line of hair touch your blonde locks. If you don't want to use hydrogen peroxide to lighten your hair, why not use it to make your roots look better?
Dab some 3% hydrogen peroxide onto your roots, and let it sit for half and hour. Then wash it out. If you want it to appear more blonde, do it again. And if your head begins to sting, rinse your hair earlier.
Pour Some Right In Your Bath Water
You’ve probably never heard of this hydrogen peroxide hack before! Surprisingly, the product can help kill germs and bacteria on your body, which will help prevent and fight off illness. (Try it this winter!)
Once you get your warm bath running, add some hydrogen peroxide and soak for 30 minutes. Afterward, you’ll want to shower to rinse it off your skin. This is a cheap and easy hack for helping prevent illness if you’ve been in a germy environment like a kids’ arcade or ball pit.
Prevent Ear Infections
Some kids and adults are more prone to ear infections than the average person. According to MedlinePlus, ear infections are the most common reason that parents bring their kids into the doctor, and three out of four children will have at least one ear infection by the time they reach three years old.
Reduce the risk of an ear infection by adding a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide to a q-tip, and cleaning out the ears. There are more harmful bacteria in our ears than we think, and this little step goes a long way.
Disinfect Your Towels And Wash Cloths
Bathroom towels often become one of the dirtiest things that we have to clean. Sometimes, good ole detergent and hot water just don’t do the trick-- towels can collect loads of dead skin cells!
Luckily, you can get rid of dead skin cells on your bathroom towels with yep -- you guessed it -- hydrogen peroxide. Not every time, but every so often, add ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide to your wash load of towels. Add another ½ of vinegar, too! It will get your towels next-level clean.
Keep Your Toilet Bowl Clean
Once again, hydrogen peroxide is the magic cleaning ingredient that you need in the bathroom! While you’re waiting for it to set on the grout in the shower, spray some hydrogen peroxide into your toilet bowl to get a good clean.
Mix it with ½ cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of castile soap. Throw in some warm water, too. This hack is great for saving money, or if you run out of toilet bowl cleaner and have some last-minute guests arriving.
Disinfect A Cut Or Scrape
Hydrogen peroxide also acts as a quick agent for cleaning a cut or wound. This is most likely one of the most common uses for the product, but if you don’t already know about it, it’s worth mentioning!
This hack is another that saves money, if you were to go to the store and select various different products for antibacterial and disinfectant purposes. Apply the hydrogen peroxide to minor wounds to clean away dead tissue, stop minor bleeding, and clean the area to prevent infection.
Keep Your Toothbrushes Clean
Have you ever thought about how many germs gather on your toothbrushes? The reality is that they attract plenty of bacteria, and yet most people never clean their toothbrushes. According to the Children's Oral Health Institute, hydrogen peroxide is a safe method of disinfecting your child's toothbrushes.
Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into a cup, and place your toothbrushes into it bristles-down. Leave the toothbrushes in there until the liquid stops bubbling. Afterward, rinse the toothbrush thoroughly before use. Another method is to swish your toothbrush through a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide before use.
Bleach White Fabrics
Have your curtains yellowed over time? It happens. Check the bottom of your curtains for discoloration; if it's messy, grab your bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Soak the yellowed part of your curtains in 3% hydrogen peroxide for five to ten minutes, and then throw them in the wash.
You can use the same method to remove stains from tablecloths. Soak the stained spots in hydrogen peroxide for a while. If food has caked onto the cloth, use a damp rag or sponge to scrub it off after the soak. Then run it through the wash.
Apply Hydrogen Peroxide To Bug Bites
Insect bites can quickly become itchy and irritate your skin. Making matters worse, if you scratch at the bites you can possibly cause a more severe infection. Applying hydrogen peroxide to your bug bites can help accelerate the healing process while reducing itchiness at the same time.
People who swear by this method say to reduce swelling and itchiness by simply swabbing your bug bites with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide. There is one caveat to this method; you need to hit the bites as quickly as possible in order for the hydrogen peroxide to be fully effective.
Prevent And Get Rid Of Swimmer's Ear
The Cleveland Clinic says using a 3-percent hydrogen peroxide solution can help prevent swimmer's ear. The infection, called otitis externa, occurs when water lingers in the ear canal. We've already talked about how hydrogen peroxide can clean out ear wax but the product is also a preventative step a swimmer can take.
Use half an ear dropper full of the solution and let it bubble and fizz while your head is on its side. After a few minutes, perform the same process on the other ear. The Cleveland Clinic says to avoid drying the ear with a cotton swab or piece of cloth as it can cause tears to the delicate ear canal; instead, dry the area with a hairdryer to remove unwanted moisture.
Rid Yourself Of Athlete's Foot With Hydrogen Peroxide
Dr. Elizabeth Auger, a foot and ankle specialist, recommends using hydrogen peroxide to rid yourself of athlete's foot. Known as tinea pedis, athlete's foot is caused by a fungal infection between and around the toes.
You'll need to mix a pint of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of warm water. To help fix the issue, dunk your feet in the solution. Allow your feet to soak for 30 minutes. Just keep in mind, cracks and cuts on your feet may sting when you first submerge them in the hydrogen peroxide mixture.
Revive Your Reusable Shopping Bags
Reusable shopping bags are a great way to go green. You get to help the environment and let's be honest, these bags tend not to break open like paper or plastic bags, ensuring your groceries and other items remain in good shape.
While reusable shopping bags are the way to go, they can often become smelly over time and they don't do great in the washer and dryer. If you want to revive your reusable shopping bags just spray them down with a quick spritz of hydrogen peroxide. A lot of people swear by this hydrogen peroxide hack.
Ditch Chlorine In Your Pool For Hydrogen Peroxide
This tip comes courtesy of the team at SF Gate who offer a less eye-irritating solution to pool cleaning. That's right, you can replace chlorine, which has been shown to cause lung and other issues, with hydrogen peroxide.
You can "shock" your pool, according to SFGate, by adding a "35 percent concentrated food-grade hydrogen peroxide at a ratio of one cup to 250 gallons of water in your pool." Immediately after you pour in the solution, start your pool's pump just long enough to circulate the mixture. Next, turn off the pump and let the solution sit for a full 24 hours before swimming.
Sinus Infection? Try Hydrogen Peroxide
If you suffer from regular but minor sinus infections, a simple hydrogen peroxide treatment could help sold your woes. Simply mix one tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide with one cup of non-chlorinated water. The solution you've created can be used as a nasal spray when treating septic sinuses.
Various studies have shown this method to work; however, for more serious sinus attacks you should schedule a doctor's visit as they will likely refer you to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat) specialist.
Preserve A Salad For A Little Longer
You can use food-grade hydrogen peroxide to keep your salad greens fresh for longer than usual. If you're sick and tired of lettuce, kale, spinach, and other greens shriveling up overnight, try this hack. Combine half a cup of water with one tablespoon of 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide and spray the solution on your salad greens before adding any type of dressing.
Store your greens in the fridge and make sure they are covered for the best results. The product does a great job of killing bacteria and micro-organisms. Don't overdo it with the hydrogen peroxide and, again, make sure it's food grade.
Get Rid Of Foot Odor In Shoes
No one wants to buy a different product for every purpose, which makes hydrogen peroxide all the more beneficial. Sure, you could find a product at the store specifically for getting rid of foot odor in shoes, but why would you when you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide at home?
Mix it with baking soda to create a paste. Then, put it in your shoes and set them out to dry. Once dried, removed the residue with a cloth. It'll help a lot!
Hydrogen Peroxide Gets Rid Of Blood Stains
"He's bleeding! Grab a towel!" is not something that you ever want to hear in your household, but these things happen. And you know you’ll grab whatever’s within reach to stop the bleeding when you have to. Luckily, there’s a hack for that.
If you have a blood-stained towel, add some hydrogen peroxide to the affected area, and let it sit. Then, rinse under warm water with soap. Repeat if it doesn’t come out the first time, but it should make a big difference!
Pour Some Into Your Bath For A Detox
You've probably never heard of this hydrogen peroxide hack before! Surprisingly, the product can help kill germs and bacteria on your body, which will help prevent and fight off illness. (Try it this winter!)
Once you get your warm bath running, add some hydrogen peroxide and soak for 30 minutes. Afterward, you’ll want to shower to rinse it off your skin. This is a cheap and easy hack for helping prevent illness if you’ve been in a germy environment like a kids’ arcade or ball pit.
