What is Hydrogen Peroxide Used For?
Commonly used in first aid for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, hydrogen peroxide has many practical uses around the home that you would not expect. Whether you’re looking for a natural cleaning alternative or want to heal your cracked heels, you’re bound to find many of these hydrogen peroxide hacks very useful.
Don’t have any hydrogen peroxide on hand? Try these Murphy Oil Soap Hacks or Borax Cleaning Hacks to get the job done.
Life-Changing Hydrogen Peroxide Hacks
1. Heal Bug Bites
If you live in humid parts of the world, you have experienced the horrible itchiness, and infections bug bites can cause. To reduce the chance of infection after being bit, dip cotton balls into hydrogen peroxide and rub onto the bites. Hydrogen peroxide aids with the healing process and reduces itching.
2. Lighten Your Hair
Save yourself of money by skipping the salon hydrogen peroxide on your hair lighten it. While it won’t have the same effects as bleach, you will be able to lighten your hair shades. Create a spray by mixing diluted hydrogen peroxide in water and apply daily.
The change will be gradual but noticeable over time once you have reached the desired results ceased using the spray and touch up the roots when necessary
3. DIY Glass Cleaner
Skip your typical ammonia glass cleaner and use this natural alternative. Simply add your hydrogen peroxide to a spray bottle, spray onto glass windows, and wipe clean.
4. Clean Your Ears Out
Instead of using cotton swabs, which can push the ear wax further into your ears, use hydrogen peroxide instead.
Note: If you have an ear infection or existing ear condition, visit your doctor for advice and do not try this.
5. DIY Toilet Cleaner
Create a homemade toilet cleaner by combining 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup Castile soap, baking soda, and 1/2 warm water. You can also add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.
Place the mixture into a squeeze container and squirt into under the rim. Allow sitting for 10 minutes before scrubbing it with a toilet bowl brush. Flush everything down, and your toilet will be good as new.
6. Sanitize Makeup Brushes
Cleaning your makeup brushes can do wonders for improving your complexion. Dirty brushes can cause clogged pores and acne. Dip your makeup brushes into a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, Castile soap, and water and allow to soak for 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
7. Remove Yellow Armpit Sweat Stains From Clothing
Remove yellow stains from clothing by creating your pre-laundry mixture. Combine 2 tsp hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 cups baking soda. Pour this mix onto your damp white shirt and allow it to soak for 20 minutes. Scrub the mixture into your shirt, and then toss into the washer for one cycle.
Here is a great video that shows how to create a powerful DIY stain remover using hydrogen peroxide. There are six other great tips here as well!
8. Clean Burnt Pots
You can remove burnt food from pots and pans by soaking with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and water. Scrub and then rinse.
9. Disinfect Tooth Brushes
In between switching toothbrushes you need to clean your toothbrush properly. You can do this by dipping your toothbrush into hydrogen peroxide and allowing it to soak 15 minutes. Remove your toothbrush from the hydrogen peroxide and rinse thoroughly.
10. Restore Old Baking Sheets
Baking sheets can get covered with burnt food over many uses, causing a dirty appearance. Remove by first sprinkling with baking soda, adding hydrogen peroxide, and then adding another layer of baking soda. Allow to soak for 20 minutes and then rinse off.
11. Hydrogen Peroxide as a Pesticide
Take a spray bottle and mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water to create bug repellent. Spray the solution onto your plants to deter bugs as it not only kills the insects but the eggs they lay on your plants.
12. DIY Bleach Alternative
Simply add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to your laundry load to restore whites and brighten colors. This bleaching method is much safer to use than bleach and works just as effectively.
13. Get Rid of Cracked Heels
Use hydrogen peroxide to remove the dead skin from your dry, cracked heels. Not only will it soften calluses, but hydrogen peroxide will also aid the healing process.
How to Treat Cracked Heels:
Round 1: Mix 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cups of hot water. Soak your feet in the mixture for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry feet.
Round 2: Place your feet into a container of lukewarm water. Add liquid soap to a foot file and wet it with the warm water. Once the foot file is foamy, use it to file down your cracked heels. Once you are satisfied with the results, rinse off your feet, and dry.
14. Make Your Grout White Again
Create a paste from baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water. Allow soaking into your grout for 5 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing off. This paste can be used to help make your tile grout, backsplash grout, or shower grout white.
15. Remove Pesticides From Fruits and Vegetables
Grab a spray bottle and fill with hydrogen peroxide. Spray fruits and vegetables with the hydrogen peroxide and leave for a few minutes. Thoroughly rinse.
16. Effectively Clean Jewelry
Combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and Windex in a bowl and allow your jewelry to soak for 15 minutes then rinse. This will clean the grime off your jewelry while also disinfecting it.
17. Disinfect Your Countertops
Hydrogen peroxide makes a great natural alternative for cleaning counters when you don’t want your food to touch harsh chemicals. You can effectively kill germs lurking on your countertops by mixing equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water in place of your usual household cleaner.
18. Rust Removal From Pots and Pans
Get rid of the rust that has caked onto your pots and pans over time by spraying hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing with steel wool. A plastic-bristle brush can be used in lieu of steel wool if you have concerns about scratches forming on your pots and pans.
Next time you go shopping, be sure to grab some hydrogen peroxide and try out these amazing hydrogen peroxide hacks you just learned!
Here are some safety precautions you should take when using hydrogen peroxide.
- Keep out of reach of children
- Store in a cool dark place
- Keep hydrogen peroxide out of eyes and immediately wash if contact occurs
- Be sure to use the correct grade for your household
- Keep the cap on at all times when not in use
- Wear gloves when handling hydrogen peroxide
Never Mix the Following With Hydrogen Peroxide
Harsh household cleaners like ammonia vinegar bleach, etc. should not be combined with hydrogen peroxide. Before mixing anything with this chemical, be sure to look up whether the chemicals are compatible as dangerous gases and fumes are created by mixing the wrong chemicals.