Hydrogen peroxide is something that you can reasonably expect to find in any household. It’s just one of those ubiquitous medicine cabinet items. When I was growing up, anytime I would get a little scrape, cut, or other boo-boo, my mom or grandma would whip out a little bit of gauze, the hydrogen peroxide, and disinfect the injury.
That’s likely what most of us think it is for, and it is, but hydrogen peroxide is good for so much more. It’s actually a versatile and supremely affordable solution for lots of tasks you have around the homestead and in the workshop.
In this article, I’ll be sharing with you some of the best tried-and-true tricks for getting the most out of this medicine cabinet staple. Keep reading, and let’s get right into it!
Improve Dishwashing Detergent
Adding a half cup to a cup of pure hydrogen peroxide to your dishwasher during the rinse cycle will help cut through stubborn stains, reduce streaks, and make your dishes smell even fresher.
DIY Disinfectant
Use hydrogen peroxide to replace harsh, questionable chemical cleaners in your daily regimen. You can mix equal parts of it and water before adding the mixture to a bucket or a spray bottle. Use it on any hard surface that needs cleaning, including countertops, floors, and more.
But do be a little cautious and test any surfaces that might be stained or discolored by it before you go all in. You can rinse or wipe dry as normal depending on the job.
Sanitize Cutting Boards and Other Surfaces
Some surfaces are more contaminated than others, and it’s hard to imagine anything in your kitchen that is swarming with more germs from day to day than a cutting board. Giving these surfaces a deep cleaning from time to time is smart.
To do that, use straight hydrogen peroxide poured and spread directly on the surface. You can use folded paper towels, a clean rag, a sponge, or any other applicator to spread it around. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse and dry as normal.
Washing Fruits and Veggies
One of my favorite, and most common, uses for hydrogen peroxide is as a safe detergent for fruits and veggies.
Any produce you bring home from the grocery store, and even some of what you’ll get from a farmer’s market, will be soaked with pesticides and potentially coated with a preservative wax.
To get rid of this stuff, add a quarter cup to a third cup of hydrogen peroxide to a big bowl or sink basin full of cold water.
Stir it together, then soak and wash your produce as required by type. You’ll see the difference in what’s left behind in the wash! Don’t forget to give it a quick rinse with cool, clear water before you dry them.
DIY Mouthwash
There’s a reason why you see hydrogen peroxide as an ingredient in so many over-the-counter hygiene products. It’s effective at killing germs of all kinds, including the ones that cause bad breath!
If you’re out of mouthwash or just want something simpler for your daily regimen, mix water and hydrogen peroxide in a one-to-one ratio.
Knock it back, swish for 30 seconds to a minute, then spit. If desired, rinse your mouth with fresh water. You should only do this 2 to 3 times a week because hydrogen peroxide, even diluted, is a debriding agent and might irritate the tissue of your mouth.
Make sure you consult your dentist if you have any lingering injuries or other oral health problems before you try this trick!
Sterilize Your Toothbrush
I don’t know about you, but I’m really bad about keeping my toothbrush sterilized. I know, it’s gross, and I don’t like to just buy a new one every month. It seems so wasteful! Here’s an easy hack: soak your toothbrush in pure hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes once a month or as often as every couple of weeks if you want to.
Rinse with clear water, and you are done. Easy as that!
Give Plants a Boost
You probably didn’t know that hydrogen peroxide can be used to give your plants a boost in overall health. Specifically, the stuff helps to protect roots and introduces more oxygen into plant tissues.
We’ll mix it with water again, but we only need a little bit of hydrogen peroxide. One teaspoon to every one cup of water is all that’s required. Add it to your watering can and then pour it over the root zone of your plants, but not on the foliage itself.
Starting Seeds
Soaking your seeds, especially older seeds, in a hydrogen peroxide water solution can boost germination rates by softening the outer seed coat and hull.
The ratio is a pint of water with 1 oz of hydrogen peroxide. Make sure it’s 3%; otherwise, you’ll need to use less. Let the seeds soak for 12 to 24 hours, then start planting.
Brighten a Load of Laundry
The power of hydrogen peroxide can do great things for dingy fabrics during a wash cycle. Adding about a cup to a load of whites will make them brighter.
Old, stained fabrics like cleaning rags and towels can be refreshed by pre-soaking them with a couple of cups of hydrogen peroxide in the wash water, then running them as normal.
Warning: never, ever mix hydrogen peroxide with bleach, or allow them to combine in the washing machine! This will create a poisonous gas that can hurt or even kill you.
Clean and Freshen a Musty Fridge
What’s worse than a skeezy, musty fridge? Nothing. It’s a big chore but one that must be done. Make it a bit easier by using hydrogen peroxide to deodorize after you’ve unloaded the fridge and pulled out the drawers and shelves.
Once more, a one-to-one mixture of hydrogen peroxide and H2O is what’s required. Wipe it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe off with a sponge or rag using clean water. Dry everything, and you’ll be good to go.
Soak Fabrics to Remove Old Odors
Freshening towels, clothes and other soft goods is a cinch with this stuff. But before you proceed, test for colorfastness in an out-of-sight spot on each of the items. The easiest way to do this is with a cotton ball or swab dipped in straight hydrogen peroxide. Make sure the colors don’t run or change, then proceed.
Make a soak by adding a ½ cup to 1 full cup of hydrogen peroxide to water, but only enough water to cover what you are treating. Use less for less smelly things, and more for things that really reek! Let your stuff soak for at least 15 minutes, then remove and wash as normal. You should notice a huge difference!
Clean Glass Streak-Free
Glass cleaner is full of toxic chemicals, and these days, it doesn’t even work that well. I feel like I have to clean and clean and clean, and I still end up with streaks on mirrors and windows.
In my experience, hydrogen peroxide works much better. Use a two-to-one ratio of this stuff to water to clean the glass, then wipe away residue with a clean, dry rag or paper towel.
Care for Fingers and Toenails
Nail fungus is nasty, unsightly, and embarrassing. It’s also hard to get rid of. Hydrogen peroxide can help here. In a bowl or manicure and pedicure tray, once again use a one-to-one ratio of hydrogen peroxide and warm water. Soak affected nails for 10 to 15 minutes.
Repeat this process once or twice a week until your nails start to clear.
Keep a Room Humidifier Clean and Sanitary
Room humidifiers are a necessity for some households but are notorious for harboring mold and other germs if not maintained.
Help prevent this, and make maintenance easier, by adding a couple of tablespoons of straight hydrogen peroxide to a full water tank on the machine once a month. This will really cut down on mold formation.
Deal with Pet Messes
No matter how much we love our animals, no matter how well-trained they are, it seems like potty accidents will always happen. Nothing is worse than the stains and the smells on carpet! Luckily, hydrogen peroxide is once again your ace in the hole.
Clean up the mess as best you can: soak up and dry urine, and remove poop, then apply a two-to-one mix of hydrogen peroxide and water to the stained area. Scrub as needed, soak up the residue, and repeat until the stain is clear and the smell is gone.
Once again, check for staining and discoloring of your fabric before you commit!
Brightening Tile, Grout, and Caulking
My great-grandma knew that hydrogen peroxide made for a powerfully effective but gentle cleaner that was effective on the most stubborn stains. Particularly, stubborn stains on tough surfaces like grout and tile or caulking that has gotten a little old.
To use this, all you’ve got to do is combine a little bit of baking soda with hydrogen peroxide, adding just a little at a time and mixing until you’ve got a thick but spreadable paste. Spread the concoction on the stained area, let it sit for up to an hour, then scrub with a brush or sponge as needed.
You can repeat this process for hardcore stains before you have to break out the seriously heavy-duty chemicals.
Keep Aquarium and Terrarium Glass Squeaky Clean
If you own fish or keep any other pets in an aquarium or terrarium, you’ve got to stay on top of controlling algae and other contaminants that like to live on the glass. Hydrogen peroxide can help here too.
For a terrarium, use the glass cleaner recipe above and make sure to rinse and dry well before you return your pet. In an aquarium, the prescription is 1 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide for every gallon of water in the tank.
Note that, like with every other kind of algaecide, you’ve got to do this sparingly; otherwise, it can be bad for your fish. If you are relying on hydrogen peroxide alone to control stubborn algae, something else has gone wrong in the tank, and you should investigate.
Remove Spilled Wax
Spilled, dried wax is the biggest pain to clean up. Make the task easier by applying hydrogen peroxide directly to the wax before you start scraping.
This works on hard and soft surfaces like fabrics, but as with all fabrics, you’ll want to check for colorfastness. If the wax is really stubborn or likely to stain, add a drop of liquid dish soap to the peroxide before you start.
Remove Stubborn Rust
If you struggle to remove tough rust from any metal surfaces, try this before you resort to grinding or more hazardous chemicals. Combine cream of tartar with equal parts hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
Stir it together to form a thick paste. Spread it all over the rusty area, give it 45 minutes, then scrub and rinse away. Repeat as needed.
Get Rid of Watermarks on Stone Surfaces
If your stone cutting board, countertop, porch, or any other surface has unsightly watermark stains, banish them with this trick. Grab a bowl of baking soda, about a half cup or up to a cup for a bigger job, and then add just a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to make a thick, chunky paste.
Spread this paste on the stain, give it 10 minutes or up to overnight depending on how bad the stain is, then wipe it off with a damp rag.
