Hydrogen peroxide is a cheap and easy-to-find solution. Because of its antimicrobial and oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide uses in the home are abundant, including personal health uses and household cleaning applications. Try 3% hydrogen peroxide (the concentration typically sold over-the-counter) for the following health and home purposes.
1. Clean and whiten teeth
Hydrogen peroxide kills germs that cause bad breath and gum disease, while also whitening teeth with its oxidizing action. Try a few spoonfuls of a 50/50 hydrogen peroxide/water solution (more concentrated solutions can irritate your mouth tissues) as a pre-brushing rinse. Swish for 20-30 seconds and spit out.
2. Sanitize toothbrushes
Simply pour some hydrogen peroxide on your toothbrush from time to time to kill lingering germs. This allows you to go longer periods of time without buying a new toothbrush. It’s an especially good idea to sanitize your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide if you’ve recently been sick.
3. Treat toenail infections
Due to its antimicrobial effects, a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution can help you get rid of a fungal infection under the toenails or a painful ingrown toenail infection. Soak the foot for 20 minutes daily in ½ gallon warm water with ½ cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, gently massaging the inflamed area of the toe.
4. Remove earwax
Hydrogen peroxide helps remove excess earwax mechanically – in other words, its fizzy bubbles help loosen the wax for easy removal. Mix a solution with equal parts warm water and hydrogen peroxide. Lie on your side (with the ear you want to treat facing upward) and insert a few drops into the ear. After a couple minutes, turn your head to let the wax and peroxide solution drain out into a cotton ball.
5. Highlight hair
Hydrogen peroxide has a mild bleaching effect, so it can be used to add natural-looking highlights. Simply spray the area of your hair that you want to highlight with undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide, leave in for 30 minutes, and rinse in cold water. (For best results, consult a tutorial or enlist the help of someone who’s done this before.)
6. Remove bloodstains
You can use hydrogen peroxide to effectively remove fresh bloodstains (before the stain sets in) on clothing or other fabric. Apply the peroxide directly to the fabric, and then wash with soap and cold water. Keep in mind that the hydrogen peroxide itself may stain/bleach darker fabrics.
7. Get rid of urine and skunk odors
A mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dishwashing detergent can be used to eliminate animal urine odors and even skunk odors. Combine 15 oz. hydrogen peroxide, 2 tbsp baking soda, and 2 squirts dish soap; apply and scrub, then rinse with water. This solution is even safe for washing your skunk-sprayed dog!
8. In the garden
Some gardeners recommend using a weak hydrogen peroxide solution on plants to help deliver oxygen to roots, thereby helping roots develop and treating root rot; hydrogen peroxide also helps eliminate garden pests. Advocates recommend watering plants with a mixture of 32 parts water, 1 part peroxide. A solution of 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, plus 1 quart water, can be sprayed directly on spider mites to kill them.
9. Disinfect surfaces
Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water, and apply using a spray bottle or sponge to disinfect surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen – sinks, toilets, cutting boards, countertops, and just about anything else. Leave for several minutes and wipe off. As a bonus, it also has a deodorizing effect. Note that light breaks down the peroxide, so don’t store it in a spray bottle unless it is opaque.
10. Clean dirty grout
Thanks to its bleaching properties, hydrogen peroxide is a great, non-toxic way to whiten dirty grout in between floor tiles. Mix 3 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide into a thick paste and apply to dirty grout. Let sit 1-2 hours and scrub clean. (Do not use on colored grout.)
WARNING!
Don’t take hydrogen peroxide internally or use an industrial-strength solution for personal/household uses. Keep in mind that once the seal on a bottle of hydrogen peroxide has been broken, it will start losing its effectiveness after about a month. Pour out the amount you need into a separate container; putting anything into the bottle of hydrogen peroxide will contaminate it.
