November 9, 2014
Brightnest : 9 Surprising Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide
Today I have a great guest post from BrightNest. I love using hydrogen peroxide to clean and I know you’ll find at least one tip you can use today! BrightNest is devoted to inspiring and empowering you to take great care of your home. From basic maintenance tasks to fun cleaning tricks, we deliver everything you need to shape up your home and simplify your life.
Let’s play a word association game. When you hear “hydrogen peroxide,” what do you picture?
If it’s a first aid kit, you’re not alone. The vast majority of us keep hydrogen peroxide in the wings for scrape and bruise duty and kinda forget it exists 99% of the time. Tragedy! Hydrogen peroxide’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties make it one of the most valuable $2.00 purchases you can make at the drug store.
Here are 9 of our favorite uses:
1. Remove Wine Stains
Or blood stains or pit stains or pretty much any other stains! It may not whiten as quickly as bleach, but unlike bleach, there’s very little risk of damaging fabric. To do this, combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and mild detergent in a bowl. Sponge the mixture onto the stain and let it sit for one minute. Then, blot the solution into the stain until it’s completely absorbed, and then wash the garment as you normally would.
2. Keep Kitchen Surfaces Clean
Hydrogen peroxide comes in a brown bottle because it’s extremely light sensitive. So leave it in the original bottle! Instead of transferring the liquid to another spray bottle, simply put a nozzle on the brown bottle from the store. Hold your hydrogen peroxide bottle in one hand and bottle of vinegar bottle in the other. Mist the surface you’d like to disinfect with the hydrogen peroxide and then follow up with a mist of the vinegar. Important: Don’t combine the two liquids into one bottle – they will form a new chemical if they’re combine that doesn’t work as well.
3. Refresh Sponges
You’ve done the dishes and everything is clean – except for the nasty sponge. Steep it in a cup of hydrogen peroxide to kill any lingering bacteria. Tip: Be sure to rinse it out thoroughly afterwards.
4. Clean Your Septic Tank
One in five American homes has a septic system. If you’re one of the special few, flush an ounce of hydrogen peroxide through your system every six months to keep it in working order.
5. Remove Mold From Plants
To remove mold from houseplants, mix a pint of water with five tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide or food grade peroxide. Spray your plants with the solution to remove any mildew or mold on the leaves.
6. Clean Your Toothbrush
Once a week, soak your toothbrush in a cup of hydrogen peroxide to kill germs. If you’re feeling especially icky, clean it this way after every use.
7. Disinfect Fruits and Veggies
To do away with pesticides, fill your sink with cold water and a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide and wash your fruits and veggies.
8. Accelerate Plant Growth
To help your houseplants grow faster, soak seeds in a solution of 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide before planting.
9. Brighten Your Hair
If your hair is already pretty light and and you’d like to make your hair blonder, fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water, and spray your wet hair with it after a shower. Over time, your locks will lighten.
Go here to see the original post on BrightNest.
Aaron the gutter cleaner Says
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used for cleaning the outside of the gutters. It perfectly removes and mould and mildew. It is important to use gloves and white scrub pads though. The other colours scratch the gutters, so stick to the white one. Good luck!
susie Says
It also is a teeth whitener! Mix one part with 2 parts baking soda and 2 parts water! I read this somewhere on the web. I asked my dentist and he said it was safe to use!
Logan Says
Using it on your gutters is a new one to us Aaron, thanks for sharing! Doesn’t exactly surprise us though because hydrogen peroxide is great at removing mold. We’ve also used it on toilet bowls, bath tubs (great for this!), and cutting boards. Cutting boards is important because germs and bacteria can soak into the board. We would love to hear more suggestions and hear some more ways people have used it!
erica Says
I use it in my pressure washer to clean my sidewalks