8 ways to use hydrogen peroxide in your home

[3 MIN READ] 
 
In this article:  

• Hydrogen peroxide is no longer recommended for cleaning cuts and scrapes. However, this doesn’t mean it has no use in your home.

• This natural substance has dozens of uses for house cleaning and personal hygiene, including cleaning and whitening your teeth, disinfecting counters and cutting boards, plant care and brightening laundry – and more.  

• Most over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide contains a 3% concentration; that’s what you should use at home.

Is hydrogen peroxide the natural cleaner you’ve been looking for? 

You probably have a little brown bottle of it in your home: hydrogen peroxide (also known as H2O2). While it’s no longer recommended for cleaning skin cuts and scrapes, this natural substance still has dozens of uses for house cleaning and personal hygiene. Eight of our all-time favorites:  

1. Clean your mouth and brighten your smile

Rinse your mouth with a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water to kill bacteria, freshen your breath and whiten teeth. Swishing this solution may also help relieve minor pain associated with gum disease, canker sores and gingivitis. An important note when using this trick: Rinse and swish the hydrogen peroxide, but don’t swallow. Also, consider limiting use to a few times a week to avoid irritating the gums. 
 
You can also mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make your own whitening toothpaste. But use sparingly, as this paste is abrasive and can damage your tooth enamel and irritate gums if used too often. 

2. Purify produce

Use hydrogen peroxide as a fruit and vegetable wash to remove chemicals and kill bacteria. Spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide over your produce and let it soak about five minutes before rinsing. Or, for a more thorough cleansing, fill your clean sink with cold water and add 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide. Let your produce soak in this bath for 20-30 minutes. 
 

3. Disinfect counters and cutting boards

Ward off food-borne illnesses that love to live and breed on your kitchen counters and cutting boards with hydrogen peroxide spray. Simply spray, let sit for 5-10 minutes, and wipe clean. For those hard-to-reach grooves on your cutting board, try a more aggressive approach by following your hydrogen peroxide wash with distilled white vinegar. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, then rinse. 
 

4. Cure root rot

Brown, slimy, over-watered plant roots can’t absorb nutrients from the soil. To cure plant-killing root rot, combine one quart of water with an ounce of hydrogen peroxide. Let the soil around the plant completely dry, then pour this mixture in. Repeat until the root rot is gone, making sure to let the topsoil (roughly 1-2 inches deep) dry completely between treatments. 

5. Revitalize sponges

Clean those stinky, funky sponges with a combination of hydrogen peroxide and warm water. Let the sponge soak in the solution for at least 15 minutes, giving it plenty of time to attack the smell and bacterial build-up. 

6. Remove unwanted earwax

Earwax protects our ear canals from infection. But when we poke or push earwax into our canal, we encourage build-up. Impacted earwax can block the canal and cause issues with hearing, ear pain and even dizziness. 
 
Talk to your primary care provider about using a simple solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and warm water to help soften the earwax and remove the build-up. A few drops of the mixture in your ears twice a day for three to five days is usually enough to do the trick. 

7. Whiten your whites

Put down the bleach. Instead, add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to your load of whites to keep them bright. 
 
To tackle old, sweaty armpit stains, try combining a mixture of one part dishwashing liquid and two parts hydrogen peroxide to the affected area. Let it stand for an hour, then rinse. A bit of caution, though: Hydrogen peroxide can bleach fabrics. It’s a good idea to keep a careful eye on your clothes during treatment if you’re worried about damage. 

8. Kill mold and mildew

Attack mold and mildew on bathroom tile with a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts water. Apply it to the surface with a spray bottle and give the solution at least an hour to do its work. Rinse clean. Because hydrogen peroxide acts as a whitening agent, this solution is also effective for removing stubborn stains in your grout. 

Before you get started 

One important note before you jump in and try these cleaning hacks: These tips are based on 3% hydrogen peroxide concentration, which is what most over-the-counter solutions are. Be sure to read the label for concentration information and instructions before you get started.  

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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.