Your garbage can is home to numerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It’s important to stay on top of your garbage can and make sure it’s clean, otherwise, it’s easy to transmit germs and bacteria from there around your house. Cleaning it is simple. Spray the entire interior and exterior of your garbage can with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse it with water, let it dry, and put a clean garbage bag inside (Love To Know).
That’s right! You can use hydrogen peroxide to remove bacteria from the surface of your vegetables. It’s a lot more effective than simply washing them with water. Use a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide and soak your vegetables for 20-30 minutes, depending on if they’re delicate skinned like lettuce, or tougher skinned like potatoes. Hydrogen peroxide may help extend their shelf life (Dallas News).
Because hydrogen peroxide has antibacterial properties, it may help soothe a sore throat. It’s especially effective if you have mucus in your mouth since the hydrogen peroxide loosens the mucus and makes it easier to drain. Mix water, salt, and hydrogen peroxide and gargle for about 60 seconds. That mucus won’t know what’s coming (Healthline).
Nothing’s worse than picking up your favorite mug, only to realize there are gross coffee stains caked to the sides. No one wants to drink coffee out of a dirty mug, even if it’s hygienic. But you can use hydrogen peroxide to remove coffee stains from your favorite mugs and coffee cups. Let the hydrogen peroxide sit until the stains dissolve. Use half a cup of hydrogen peroxide and two tablespoons of baking soda in a mug filled with water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes so it works to its full potential, and clean the mug afterward. Those annoying coffee stains will be gone (Ecococoon).
Grocery bags harbor tons of bacteria. Think about it, you’re putting all sorts of food inside every single time you go to the grocery store. Raw chicken juice and other potentially harmful food products can easily spill out of the bag and onto your other foods, like fruits and vegetables. Cleaning your reusable grocery bags is just as important as cleaning the other areas in your house. First, clean your grocery bags in the washing machine. Once they’re dry, spray hydrogen peroxide all over the bag and handles to disinfect all surfaces. Let it sit for five minutes and let it dry to make sure it’s fully sanitized (Good Clean Health Co).
Fungus loves fish tanks. If you think about it, it’s the perfect breeding ground for fungus and other harmful bacteria that may be detrimental to the health of your fish. Mixing a few drops of hydrogen peroxide when cleaning your tank will help control the fungus and kill it. If you have fish living in your tank, use it sparingly. The peroxide will give an oxygen boost to your fish tank. To continue cleaning, put your aquarium plants into a hydrogen peroxide mixture and submerge for about five minutes to help remove algae (The Green Machine Online).
Makeup brushes become Petri dishes when it comes to bacteria. Dead skin cells and bacteria thrive in your makeup brushes, and without proper cleaning, you’re rubbing that bacteria all over your face. Pour water and hydrogen peroxide into a bowl with a drop of dish soap, and swirl the makeup brushes around the solution. Make sure every part of the makeup brush comes into contact with the solution, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse it with water and let it dry (Love to Know).
Your plants can use a little bit of extra love and attention to help them grow! Mix half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with a gallon of water and pour the solution into the roots of your plants. Be careful about getting them on the leaves of your plants, since it could harm them. This works because of the extra oxygen molecule the hydrogen peroxide provides (Love that Leaf).
Just as hydrogen peroxide works to kill fungus and bacteria on your feet, it also sanitizes your shoes. There’s nothing worse than walking around with shoes you can smell from where you’re standing. That means other people can smell them, too. Open your shoes as much as you can and spray them with hydrogen peroxide. Let it dry overnight before putting them back on your feet. You can even get your white shoes looking brand new again by washing them with hydrogen peroxide (Nike).
Run out of deodorant and need to find a quick solution to smelling good? Hydrogen peroxide will do the job. Since it’s a natural disinfectant, and bacteria under the armpits cause a smell, hydrogen peroxide will work to kill any bacteria under your arm. Spray some peroxide under your arm and let it sit. Then, go about your day! (Pinterest).
Canker sores are small, painful blisters inside your mouth that may make it difficult to go about your day. You can’t easily forget about them, nor ignore them. There’s nothing more miserable than trying to eat with a painful mouth. Rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide for one minute. This will help kill the bacteria associated with canker sores and promote healing. Once you’re finished, spit the solution out (Medford Smiles).
If you’re stuck in a rut and your water is contaminated with pathogens, a quick and easy solution might involve hydrogen peroxide. While UV light is the best way to combat these pathogens, hydrogen peroxide might work just as well. Make sure you’re using food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Add chlorine and hydrogen peroxide to the water and let it sit overnight. The hydrogen peroxide and chlorine will work together to get rid of the pathogens, thus cleaning your water (Bulk Peroxide).
Mattress stains happen, and they can happen for numerous reasons. By spraying the mattress stains with hydrogen peroxide, you can easily spot and clean them. Let the solution sit until the stain is lifted. If the stain is still there when the solution dries, repeat the process until the solution is completely gone. If it’s still not working, add a bit of dish soap to the hydrogen peroxide to boost the process. Scrub the stain with a toothbrush and allow it to air dry (Homemade Simple).
Just as you can whiten your nails with hydrogen peroxide, you can also lighten your hair. Test it out with a few strands of hair first, though, to make sure you like it. It wouldn’t be fun to die your entire head, only to find out you hate the result! Make sure your hair is damp. Grab a new toothbrush and dip it into hydrogen peroxide. Coat the strands of hair you want to color, wait 15 minutes, and rinse it with cold water. If you like how it looks, continue with the rest of your hair (Style Craze).
Hydrogen peroxide can get rid of body odor, but it can also get rid of yellow armpit stains. If you have a yellow tinge on your tablecloths or lace curtains, hydrogen peroxide will also remove those stains. There’s nothing worse than having a beautiful home or a white shirt with yellow stains. In a bin, pour enough hydrogen peroxide inside that it covers the item. Soak it for at least one hour before rinsing it in cold water and letting it air dry (Wear Numi).
Dust mites collect in your mattress. It’s important to air your mattress every single day to get rid of them. Using a combination of essential oils and hydrogen peroxide, you can clean your mattress from dust mites, leave a pleasant smell, and have clean sheets. Simply spray the surface of your mattress and wait for it to dry. Once it’s dry, add clean sheets. We promise you’ll have a great sleep! (The Spruce).
If your child wears a retainer or mouth guard, it’s important to stay on top of their cleanliness. Our mouths are homes to tons of bacteria, which means that bacteria gets stuck to your child’s retainer. Soak the retainer or mouthguard in hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes to sanitize it. When you’re finished, clean it with water and let it air dry (Ever Smile White).
If your pet is the victim of a skunk attack, don’t worry! You don’t have to keep them outside and away from your home forever. Hydrogen peroxide does a great job of removing skunk odor. Mix peroxide, baking soda, and hand soar, and apply the solution to your animal’s fur. They might not want to stay still, but you must rub it in. Let it sit for five minutes and then repeat the process if the smell is not completely gone (Wildlife).