77 Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide?
from Smevrything
It’s the liquid you pour onto your
finger after you accidentally cut yourself while doing the dishes. It’s what
you use to disinfect your child’s knee after a fall, but did you know that
there are so many other uses for hydrogen peroxide?
Maybe you’ve recognized it by its
chemical formula, which is H2O2. In the purest form, it’s a colorless liquid,
and it’s just a bit more viscous than water. Some of the most popular hydrogen
peroxide uses involve disinfecting, bleaching and oxidizing.
In fact, if you know someone who
listens to the famous rapper, Eminem, maybe they told you that he used hydrogen
peroxide to bleach his hair! You can think of hydrogen peroxide as being water
that is equipped with an additional oxygen atom. The truth is that these two
compounds are very different.
Fact: Pure hydrogen peroxide will
actually explode if you heat it to its boiling point.
For this reason, most household
products contain a diluted solution of the chemical. The majority of household
solutions containing HP have as little as 3 to 5 percent of the active chemical
in them.
A lot of people don’t know that the
fizzing that you see when you pour HP onto a cut is actually H2O2 bonds
breaking apart. The bubbles are really just free oxygen molecules.
While the science is quite fascinating,
the practice uses of hydrogen peroxide are even better! Let’s dive right into
the exciting world of HP and see what it can do for you!
Note: The term “HP” used in this
article is just a shorter way of saying “hydrogen peroxide”. Also, the majority
of these “uses’ should be carried out using a 3%, standard-grade purity of HP.
The Complete List
1) Eliminate Viruses. You can use about three drops of 3
percent HP in each of your ears. Some experts say doing this can greatly reduce
the duration of the flu and cold. Once you apply the drops of HP, let the HP
sit for about 10 minutes before allowing it to drain. Another benefit is that
it will take the ear wax with it!
2) Get rid of pesticides. Most fresh vegetables are
produced using spray pesticides. These are harmful chemicals that you don’t
want to consume. Add about ¼ a cup of HP to a bowl with 3 cups of water and
allow your vegetables to soak in it for about 30 minutes. Rinse the veggies
well and stick them in the refrigerator for a while. You obviously want to make
sure the vegetables don’t have any open wounds that will soak up the HP/water
solution.
3) Get rids of airborne germs. If you have a humidifier,
you can mix 1 pint of 3 percent HP with one gallon of water and add it to your
humidifier. Let the humidifier run until the mixture is depleted. The
disinfectant and antibacterial properties of the liquid will eliminate airborne
germs.
4) Whiten Your Teeth. In case you didn’t know, the active
ingredient in most teeth whitening products is HP. It can whiten your teeth
naturally by oxygenating the surface of your teeth. First, brush your teeth
normally with toothpaste. Next, mix 2 teaspoons of water with 1 teaspoon of 3
percent HP. Swish this mixture around in your mouth for up to 60 seconds but
make sure you don’t swallow any of it. When you’re finished, rinse your mouth
with water and do this up to three times a week.
5) Bleach toe and finger nails. To do this, all you need
to do is place your toes or finger tips into some HP. Just use your standard
diluted HP product that you would buy from the store. You can pour it into a
small container or bowl.
6) Bleach hair. When compared with other household
bleaching agents, HP is milder, so you can use it to bleach your hair.
7) Create hair highlights. Just spray some HP onto damp
hair, and it will give you sun-bleached highlights. You need to allow it to sit
on the hair for up to 15 minutes before you rinse it away.
8) Rejuvenate and detox your body. You can soak in a bath
with some HP, and it will rejuvenate and detox your body. All you need to do is
pour 1 cup of 35 percent HP into a tub of water. Just soak in the tub for about
a half an hour, and you’ll feel the benefits of the HP.
9) Eliminate stuffy sinuses. When your sinuses are
stuffy, it can be painful. Unclog them with a homemade nasal solution
containing HP. In most cases, you can mix 1 cup of water with 1 cap full of HP.
If your sinuses are really stuffed, you might consider a slightly more
concentrated mixture of HP.
10) Stop toothache pain. We’ve all had a toothache at some
point in our lives, so you know how painful they can be. To soothe some of the
pain, you can gargle a mixture of coconut oil and HP. The antibacterial
properties of HP help to eliminate the bacteria that are causing the toothache
pain.
11) Disinfect wounds. HP works very well to disinfect most
small wounds. In most cases, a small cap full of a standard 3 percent solution
will do the trick. Just pour the liquid directly onto the wound.
12) Make an antiseptic mouth rinse. It’s true that HP can
whiten your teeth, but it’s also effective as a mouth wash. Just mix 1 cup of
water with about 2 caps full of HP.
13) Eliminate acne. Most of us have had acne at some
point. If you’re a female, you know that acne can be especially degrading. You
can create a face rinse that can clear up acne. The face wash will eliminate
the germs that cause acne breakouts.
14) Get rid of boils. You can use HP to get rid of boils.
Just fill up your bathtub with water and a single cup of 35 percent HP. This
mixture of bath water and HP will treat boils, but it will also rejuvenate and
detoxify your body.
15) Soften calluses and corns. If you need to soften
calluses and corns to get rid of them, just soak them in a mixture of equal
parts HP and warm water. This mixture will naturally soften most corns and
calluses.
16) Get wax out of your ear. Most people have an enormous
buildup of wax in their ear and don’t even know it. Get rid of it with 2 drops
of HP in each ear. After adding the HP to one ear at a time, add a couple drops
of olive oil. Wait a couple of minutes and drain the solution out of the ear.
Most of the wax will flow out with the HP.
17) Prevent the dreaded swimmer’s ear. Also known as
swimmer’s ear, a typical ear infection is no fun! To get rid of it, just mix a
1 cap of HP with some vinegar in a small dropper bottle. After swimming, just
apply a few drops of this solution to each ear to prevent infection.
18) Get relief from ear infections. By applying about 8
drops of HP to an infected ear, you can ease many of the symptoms and clear the
infection out.
19) Eliminate skin mites. A lot of people suffer from skin
mites. You can use HP to kill them off. All you need to do is spray some HP on
the affected skin. Repeat this process a few times after a few minutes, and it
will kill skin mites.
20) Get rid of foot fungus. Just mix some HP with water
inside of a darkened bottle. The bottle needs to be darkened because HP isn’t
supposed to be exposed to sunlight. All you need to do is apply the mixture to
foot fungus. It’s usually best to use equal parts 3 percent HP and water for
the solution.
21) Make a marinade for poultry, fish or meat. You can
actually marinade these food items by placing them inside a casserole that
contains equal parts water and HP. The casserole should be loosely covered and
refrigerated for about 30 minutes. Make sure to rinse the items before cooking.
22) Grow mushrooms. Did you know you can use HP to grow
oyster mushrooms inside your refrigerator? All you need is 1 gallon of diluted
HP and freezer bags. Keep in mind that it can take about 6 months to grow
oyster mushrooms using this method, but the results are usually worth the wait.
23) Disinfect your toothbrush. If you want to maintain
optimal oral hygiene, you need to make sure your toothbrushes are clean. You
can disinfect a toothbrush by soaking it in HP. It will kill all of the
bacteria that are known to thrive in the bathroom.
24) Remove stubborn stains from clothing. One of the most
difficult stains to remove from clothing is blood. You can pour some HP
directly onto the stain, allow it to sit for about 1 minute and rinse it off
using cold water. If the stain still remains, you can repeat the process as
needed.
25) Control the growth of fungus in aquariums. If you own
an aquarium, this is a brilliant way to use HP. You’ll have to check elsewhere
to find the exact instructions, and you’ll also need to be careful because you
don’t want to harm your fish.
26) Make an emetic for household pets. It’s not uncommon
for dogs and cats to feel ill after eating certain foods that they shouldn’t
have eaten. HP is great because it induces vomiting. This also works well if
your cat or dog has swallowed something they shouldn’t have swallowed because
it will make them throw it up.
27) Use as a dishwasher detergent. While it’s not a
perfect substitute for dishwasher liquid, HP is always an option. You can make
the last of your dishwasher detergent last longer by mixing some HP with it.
28) Create an all-purpose cleaner. Most people understand
that your typical all-purpose cleaner can get expensive. Just fill a spray
bottle with a diluted mixture of HP and use it to clean almost anything.
29) Clean your contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses,
then you can clean them with HP. Just soak your contacts into a diluted
solution of HP overnight. It will get rid of protein buildup and make them
ready to wear the next day.
30) Make laundry whiter. Over a long period of time,
you’ll notice that your laundry items can get dingy and yellow. Just add 1 cup
of hydrogen peroxide to the wash and let the laundry soak for 30 minutes.
31) Remove organic stains. Sweat, blood, wine and coffee
are all considered organic stains, and they can be difficult to remove. Just
make a mixture of 1 part dish detergent with two parts HP and apply the mixture
to the stains. However, it’s important to remember that HP can actually bleach
darker colored fabrics, so you need to be careful with what you use it on.
32) Eliminate undesirable odors. Over a period of time,
your fabrics can get bogged down with odors. Just make a mixture of white
vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and soak the fabrics in it. All of the unpleasant
odors will be removed.
33) Clean carpets and rugs. A number of homeowners use HP
to clean dirty carpets and rugs. It’s especially useful on light carpets
because it can actually bleach darker colors. All you need to do is spray a
diluted solution onto the rug or carpet and clean it as you normally would.
Always do a spot test beforehand to make sure it won’t bleach the fabric.
34) Disinfect your lunchbox. It’s true that lunchboxes can
accumulate a lot of bacteria. All you need to do is spray your lunchbox with a
diluted solution of HP. Let the hydrogen peroxide solution sit for a few
minutes; wipe it away.
35) Keep your shopping bags fresh. A reusable shopping bag
is great, but it can get really dirty. You can disinfect and remove odors from
any reusable shopping bag by spraying it with some HP.
36) Improve the germination of seeds. In case you didn’t
know, fungal spores can impede the germination of seeds. All you need to do is
soak seeds in HP before planting them, and it will remove fungal spores from
them.
37) Thoroughly clean your humidifier. To keep a humidifier
running efficiently and cleanly, just add 1 pint of HP with 1 gallon of water
to it. The HP will disinfect the humidifier and remove mildew and mold.
38) Clean tile surfaces better. An efficient and effective
way to clean tile surfaces is the use of HP. Over time, tile surfaces will get
dirty and accumulate stains. All you need to do to remove the stains is spray
some HP directly onto tiles.
39) Clean your toilet. Another great use for hydrogen
peroxide is cleaning a toilet. All you need to do is pour half of a cup of HP
into the toilet bowl and let it sit for roughly 30 minutes. It will remove
stains and disinfect the bowl.
40) Make grout whiter. If you want to make your grout
whiter, all you need to do is mix some hydrogen peroxide with white flour and
use it to clean the grout. However, the first step involves covering the grout
with the paste, covering it and allowing it to sit overnight. Just rinse the
grout with water the next day, and it will be much brighter.
41) Get rid of soap scum in the bath tub. This is one of
the hardest stains to scrub out of your tub. To get rid of soap scum quickly,
just spray the surface with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for about 30
minutes. The HP will loosen the grime, so all you need to do is wipe it away.
42) Say goodbye to mold. You can use standard 3 percent HP
to remove mold. It’s even recommended for removing mold by some of the top
health agencies in the world. Just spray mold with HP and let it sit for about
10 minutes. Next, scrub it with a sponge. When dealing with mold, always make
sure to wear protective clothing.
43) Clean glass better. You can loosen massive amounts of
grime and dirt from glass surfaces by spraying them with HP. Wipe the surfaces
with a lint-free cloth for optimal results.
44) Clean kitchen and bathroom counters. You can spray
diluted HP onto kitchen and bathroom countertops to clean and disinfect them.
It can work even better than some of your top household cleaners.
45) Disinfect sponges and dishrags. Over time, these
things will get SUPER dirty. Clean them up with some hydrogen peroxide. All you
need to do is soak them in some HP for about 30 minutes. This will thoroughly
disinfect and clean all sponges and dishrags.
46) Disinfect your cutting boards. When you use cutting
boards, they like to soak up bacteria and food particles. These aren’t things
that you want to stay on your cutting boards. To clean and disinfect them, just
spray your cutting boards with some hydrogen peroxide and let them sit for a
few minutes. Next, just rinse them with some cold water.
47) Wash fruit. You can use HP to remove wax and dirt from
veggies and fruit. Just spray them down with some HP and rinse with cold water.
48) Clean your refrigerator. To do this, all you need to
do is spray down the entire refrigerator with HP and let it sit for a few
minutes. Wipe everything with a clean cloth.
49) Remove stubborn foods. Nobody likes cleaning stubborn
food off pots and pans. Just combine some baking soda and HP, and it will give
you a paste. Just scrub the paste into the troublesome food spots and let it
sit for a few minutes. Next, scrub it with warm water. The baking soda is an
abrasive, and the HP breaks apart the food particles.
50) Enjoy a fresher salad. Add 1 tablespoon of hydrogen
peroxide to half a cup of water. Just spray the HP onto the salad, and it will
make it last longer. However, make sure to use food-grade HP.
51) Clean the kid’s toys. Toddlers are especially
notorious for spilling things onto their toys. You’ll want to use HP to wipe
down play areas, toy boxes and toys. Just spray it onto the toys and wipe them
down.
52) Brighten curtains and table clothes. If these items
have become yellowed, you can wipe down the yellowed portions with some HP. You
also have the option of adding 1 cup of HP to your wash when doing whites.
53) Get rid of algae. You can use HP to remove algae from
an aquarium. For every 66 gallons of aquarium water, you want to use about 60
ml of hydrogen peroxide. Use a dropper to add the liquid over the span of about
5 minutes.
54) Treat animal wounds. You can use HP on animal wounds
in the same way you would use it on human wounds. Just dab the HP onto your
animal carefully, and it will disinfect while removing dead flesh.
55) Quick Fact: Did you know that fruits, vegetables and
rainwater all produce hydrogen peroxide naturally?
56) Get rid of canker sores. If you have canker sores in
your mouth, you can hold a single capful of HP in your mouth for 10 minutes,
and it will get rid of the canker sores. DON’T EVER SWALLOW IT!
57) Make your own enema. Just mix 1 tablespoon of HP to 4
cups of water.
58) Gain control of a yeast infection. To do this, you
just need to add about 2 capfuls of HP to the inside of your douche once or
twice a week.
59) Clean your mirror exceptionally well. Over time,
mirrors get incredibly dirty. To get a no-streak clean, just spray them down
with some HP and wipe them clean. You can use a newspaper or paper towel for
optimal results.
60) Prolong the freshness of your vegetables. You can use
HP to prolong the freshness of your vegetables. Just add about ¼ a cup of
food-grade HP to a sink full of cold water and throw your veggies into it. Let
them soak for about 30 minutes. Next, rinse them and allow them to dry.
61) Remove wine stains. To get rid of annoying wine
stains, just mix equal parts liquid detergent with HP. Pour the solution onto
the stain and use a clean cloth to blot the stain away.
62) Eliminate a wring around the collar by spraying it
with a mixture of 1 part liquid detergent and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.
63) Easily kill mites. All you need to do to get rid of mites
is spray them with some hydrogen peroxide. You can repeat the process a few
times to be safe.
64) Improve your plant’s root system. You can improve the
roots of your plants by watering them using a mixture of 1 part HP and 32 parts
water.
65) Clean wooden cutting boards. Unfortunately, wooden
cutting boards are notorious for harboring bacteria. To get it exceptionally
clean without the use of harsh chemicals, just mix vinegar and HP.
66) Remove odors from sponges. If you’re having trouble
with smelly sponges, just combine equal parts warm water and HP inside a small
bowl. Soak sponges in the mixture for 25 minutes. Next, rinse thoroughly.
67) Make short work of armpit sweat. If you need to get
rid of embarrassing armpit stains, just use 2 parts HP with 1 part dishwasher
liquid and apply it to the stains. Allow the stains to soak for about 60
minutes; rinse away with cold water.
68) Remove stains from stone countertops. HP can work very
well for removing stains from virtually any tile or stone surface. Just mix it
with some white flour and apply the paste to the stains. Wrap everything in
plastic and allow it to sit overnight. Remove and clean up the next morning.
69.) Boost your immune system. Did you know that your body
naturally produces hydrogen peroxide? By using HP to disinfect the surfaces in
your home, you’re boosting your immune system.
70.) Weaken the common cold. It’s true that HP can’t
actually eliminate the common cold, but by adding a few drops of HP to your
ears every morning, you can weaken the common cold and fight it off faster.
71) Remove impurities from your feet. While it’s not
entirely proven, a lot of people have had success removing impurities, like
calluses, from their feet with HP. Just add about half a cup of hydrogen
peroxide to your bath and soak in it for about 30 minutes like you normally
would.
72) Purify humidifier water. When you add a gallon of
water to your humidifier, just add 1 pint of HP with it, and the solution will
purify the water and keep your humidifier sanitary.
73) Extend the life of your sponge. By soaking your old,
worn sponges inside a bowl of warm water and HP, you can extend the life of
your sponge. Let the sponge soak for about 30 minutes and rinse with cold
water.
74) Disinfect your skin. You can disinfect and deodorize
your skin by spraying it with some HP. Make sure to use the 3 percent variety
of HP.
75) Wash and disinfect your hands. While it works very
well for disinfecting wounds, hydrogen peroxide also does the trick for hand
washing. Either dip your hands into or spray them with a 3 percent version of
HP.
76) Eliminate recurring yeast infections. You can use a
mixture of distilled water and 3 percent HP as a douche for recurring yeast
infections.
77) De-mold plants. If you have some plants that are
starting to get a bit moldy and musty, just spray them down with some 3 percent
HP.
Hydrogen Peroxide Facts
Now that you’ve seen the list – you
know what this amazing liquid is capable of. Do you know that it’s also found
in ALL living materials? Did you know that the white blood cells inside of your
body produce it naturally?
Fruits and veggies also produce it
naturally, which is why your doctor is always telling you to eat more of them.
During a mother’s first milk, huge amounts of hydrogen peroxide are transferred
to a baby, which boosts the immune system. This incredible compound is even
found in rainwater.
You might also like to know that you
can add HP to water, and it will oxygenate the water. This is a nifty technique
that you can use when transferring fish from one location to another. It will
add oxygen to the water, so the fish will be far more comfortable.
The disinfectant qualities of HP have
made it a household staple for many years, and it’s difficult to find a
household first-aid kit that doesn’t have a bottle of it. If you haven’t
already, go and start enjoying the benefits that
hydrogen peroxide has to
offer!
About the Author
Julian Thomas spends most of his time
writing at Smevrything.com. He enjoys writing about
science, entertainment and activities like fishing and hiking, to name a few.
