The Ordinary Use of Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a mild antiseptic that is usually used to clean minor cuts, scrapes, and burns on the skin in order to avoid any infection. Its low cost makes it a great choice.
Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide
While it is mainly known for cleaning and disinfecting wounds, there are so many ways you can use this amazing substance. From a cleaning agent to more household uses, you’ll be surprised how much more you could be using it.
Fights Bad Breath
A diluted mixture of mostly water with a bit of hydrogen peroxide can be used as an effective mouth rinse in order to help fight bad breath. It can help kill stinky smell causing bacteria and help avoid gum disease.
Providing an Antique Look to Metal
Hydrogen peroxide can be used as an oxidizing agent in order to change the look of different types of metal. For those who want to give some furniture or anything else a more antique feel, it can make brass and copper look artisticly rusted.
Cleaning Dead Bugs Off Your Car
One of the most annoying things that can happen while driving is when bugs smash into your front bumper and leave a giant mess that is surprisingly tough to clean. According to many online forums for car enthusiasts, hydrogen peroxide poured onto dryer sheets creates a very effective tool to get the buggers off easily without damaging your car.
Cleaning the Interior of Your Car
While you’re cleaning your car, you might as well clean its interior as well. A great solution for cleaning the car’s upholstery is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, white vinegar, and warm water. This is a great solution for general cleaning and also for removing stubborn stains.
Getting Skunk Off Your Pet
If your beloved fur baby spends a lot of time outdoors, chance are that they will end up encountering a skunk at a certain point. If your pet does end up getting sprayed, you’ll know immediately. You can gently clean their fur with hydrogen peroxide to get the nasty smell out safely.
Remove Stains From Marble
Marble that is not sealed is very susceptible to stains, particularly from coffee or tea. If your marble is looking very stained, you can clean it up with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and flour. Spread the paste directly on the stain and let it sit overnight.
Remove Armpit Stains
We all dread those horrible yellow sweat stains in the armpits of our favorite shirts. If you do end up finding one of these, you can use hydrogen peroxide to get them back to their original state. Combine two parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dish soap and let it sit for an hour.
Keep Your Pool Clean
Chlorine can be an irritant on the skin and you can use hydrogen peroxide as an alternative. It will help keep your pool clean without causing any issues for your skin. For using in the pool, you’ll need 35% concentrate food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Consult with a pool professional for your exact pool situation.
Cleaning a Scorched Pot
If you managed to burn up the bottom of your pan to the point that it’s totally scorched, you can use some hydrogen peroxide to help get those stubborn stains out. Mix together baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and watch how you clean your pot back to good as new.
Clean Grout
If you have tile floors, you know that you need to do a deep clean of the grout every once in a while. You can mix together baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to create a paste that will help you clean the grout so it becomes completely clean.
Freshening Your Retainer
If you’ve got a retainer, you know just how annoying it is to get it clean, and it gets pretty funky really quickly. One of the best ways to clean it is by using hydrogen peroxide mixed with a bit of peppermint oil in order to get it disinfected and feeling fresh.
Whitening Your Teeth
Another benefit of using hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash is that it helps to whiten your teeth. In fact, a lot of whitening toothpastes and whitening gels even include hydrogen peroxide as an ingredient, so you can simply do it yourself or buy a toothpaste that contains it as part of its ingredient list.
Whitening Your Fingernails
Additionally, hydrogen peroxide is not good just for whitening your teeth but also your fingernails. A lot of people use hydrogen peroxide mixed with warm water in order to get rid of unsightly yellow stains that come up after using nail polish.
A Replacement for Bleach
A lot of people find that they have sensitive skin, which can become irritated when bleach is used in the laundry. You can use hydrogen peroxide as an alternative that’s a lot more gentle on the skin. Add a cup of it into your next load of whites to make them bright and new.
Why Use Hydrogen Peroxide in Laundry?
Hydrogen peroxide isn’t only useful for whitening clothes, you can also use it on colorful clothes in order to prevent the color from becoming dull from laundry detergent. This happens from body oil and the residue trapped in the clothing’s fibers, but hydrogen peroxide can help fight against that dulling effects.
Removes Odors from Towels and Clothes
No matter what you do, socks will always become smelly at the end of the day. Same goes with used towels. If you want to remove the icky smell from both of these, you can use hydrogen peroxide while you clean your socks and towels to make sure the smell doesn’t become permanent.
Kills Outdoor Pests
Outdoor pests can really be very devastating to outdoor plants, and it can mean a lot of hard work goes to waste. You can use hydrogen peroxide to help get rid of these annoying bugs by spraying it on the plants and soil to help keep them away.
Disinfect Your Keyboard
You might not know this, but your keyboard is about 20,000 dirtier than a toilet seat. This shocking fact is true, so make sure you end up cleaning it often. You can use hydrogen peroxide to help you kill all those unwanted germs. You can use a Q-tip or a toothbrush to help get in the small crevices.
Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes are often neglected when it comes to cleaning, but this is actually quite bad for your skin. It’s really important to clean these brushes, which can often be expensive. Use one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water to thoroughly clean the brushes.
A Replacement for Deodorant
A lot of people use hydrogen peroxide as a more natural alternative to deodorant. It’s an effective way to eliminate stinky perspiration by killing the bacteria that causes the unpleasant odor. Not only that, hydrogen peroxide is also a lot cheaper than most deodorant brands.
Fixes Cracked Heels
Anyone dealing with cracked heels knows that it is truly a difficult and persistent problem to deal with. You can treat the callouses with hydrogen peroxide, which will help soften up the rough skin. There are a lot of ways you can deal with this, but hydrogen peroxide is a cost effective solution.
Cleaning Your Drains
Hydrogen peroxide contains bacteria killing properties that can help you effectively clean your drains without having to use harsh chemicals. Keep your drain running and clean by using one cup baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of hydrogen peroxide ten minutes later. This is a great way to unclog the drain as well.
Cleaning Your Produce
Another great use for hydrogen peroxide is to sterilize and clean your fresh produce after bringing them home from the store. It’s a great way to wash off the pesticides, dirt, and bacteria that can linger on the fruits and vegetables.
A Replacement for Dishwasher Detergent
If you’re looking for a more natural solution for a dishwasher detergent, then hydrogen peroxide is a great alternative option. Mix it with other natural cleaning ingredients in order to get great results without using harsh chemicals.
Lightening Your Hair Color
Did you know that you can use hydrogen peroxide as a gentle way to lighten your hair color? Make some paste out of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and put it on your hair. Wash it out and see how your hair gets a bit lighter without any bleach needed.
Brightening Your Bathroom
Hydrogen peroxide is great for whitening, and the same can be said for cleaning bathrooms and bathroom tiles. Hydrogen peroxide will keep your bathroom and everything inside of it totally bright, sinks, fixtures, tubs, and tiles included.
Removing Blood Stains
Blood stains are notoriously difficult to clean out of clothes, especially white ones. However, hydrogen peroxide can help a great deal as it helps break down the stains. You can spot treat with hydrogen peroxide and then wash as you normally would to get the best results.
Making Elephant Toothpaste
You don’t only have to do cleaning with hydrogen peroxide, it can also be used for fun! You can do fun science experiments like mixing together hydrogen peroxide with warm water, dish soap, and dry yeast and watch as your kids stare in wonder.
The Oxygen Release
When hydrogen peroxide is placed on an affected area, oxygen is released, causing the foaming you’ll see. This foam helps to remove the dead skin while disinfecting the affected spot. This helps reduce the chance of infection taking place.
Where to Avoid Hydrogen Peroxide
While hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning wounds, there are some times where you shouldn’t use it. For example, some injuries like severe burns, animal bites, and deep gouged wounds could actually be made worse by hydrogen peroxide. Always see a doctor for a serious injury.
Safety Precautions
When you use hydrogen peroxide, you must always follow the directions on the package. Read it carefully before doing anything. Always avoid making contact with your eyes or sensitive parts of your skin. Always wipe off any dirt with a clean cloth before applying hydrogen peroxide.
Getting the Best Results
For best results, always start with applying a small amount of hydrogen peroxide onto the affected area. Repeat as needed for one to three times per day or as instructed by your doctor. Before placing a bandage on the impacted area, allow the hydrogen peroxide to dry completely.
Hydrogen Peroxide as a Mouth Rinse
You can use hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash in order to prevent unpleasant things like gingivitis, canker sores, and cold sores. Make sure you mix it with water first and look up how much you need.
The Best Results as a Mouth Rinse
After you’ve created you hydrogen peroxide and water mouth rinse, swish it around your mouth for a minute and then spit it out. You can do this up to four times a day for best results. Never swallow this mixture!
The Side Effects
While it is normal to experience stinging, redness, and irritation after applying hydrogen peroxide to an affected area, if these continue to persist get worse, contact a medical professional immediately. Most people who use hydrogen peroxide won’t experience any side effects, and severe allergies to hydrogen peroxide are quite uncommon.
Allergic Reactions
While it is very rare to experience a severe allergy to hydrogen peroxide, it can’t be completely ruled out. If you experience swelling of the tongue, throat, and face, as well as itching, immediately contact a doctor or other health care professional.
Overdosing on Hydrogen Peroxide
If swallowed, hydrogen peroxide can be very harmful, so never ever ingest it. If you or someone you know has ingested it and overdosed, or you’re seeing any severe looking symptoms, immediately contact emergency health care professional. This could include difficulty breathing or even passing out completely.
Storing Hydrogen Peroxide
In order to safely store hydrogen peroxide, always refer to the instructions on the bottle. Always keep it in a cool place and not directly in sunlight.