10 Household Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide

Got this from Homesteadblogger.com's "Front Porch" on a post by Caterine Ann, who got it from http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=1325. Great info...

Note that for each use below, we use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (comes in small brown containers at the drug store, or 1 gallon drugs at the health food store - sold as “non-chlorine bleach”). Unless otherwise specified below, I use it straight. Note that if you want to keep it in a spray bottle, it must be a bottle that keeps out all light (light breaks down the hydrogen peroxide) - otherwise, put just as much as you’ll use in the spray bottle.

1. Whiten Your Whites and Brighten Your Brights. Works fabulously as a bleach alternative that you can also use on colors. Just put the hydrogen peroxide in the bleach receptacle in washer.

2. Stain Remover. Works very well on blood, if you get to it fairly quickly - I learned this from Matt’s mom who is a nurse! Just pour a bit on a cloth and dab at your clothing; if it has sat for a while, pour some on and let it sit for a couple of hours. Also, some people just have a chemical difference in their sweat that leaves yellow underarm stains on white clothing. Or wine stains on a white blouse? Again, pour some hydrogen peroxide on the stain and let it sit a couple hours. Then wash as you would normally - this works for me every time!

3. Antiseptic. Works great to help kill germs and prevent infection on cuts and scrapes. Make sure it bubbles up first before dabbing it off.

4. Mouthwash. You can use it straight or mix 1 to 1, water to hydrogen peroxide. Gargle, Swoosh, Spit, and Rinse. This works well if you have canker sores or other mouth sores.

5. Toothpaste. You can make your own toothpaste by using two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of peroxide. I don’t do this regularly, but I have done it in a pinch. {FYI...My personal recipe is 3ts. baking POWDER, 1-1/2 ts. Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/8ts. pepperment oil. ~KW<><}

6. Cutting Board and Countertop Sanitizer. Vinegar kills most germs, and hydrogen peroxide kills most of the rest. The two kill more germs and bacteria than bleach alone, if you do this: have the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in two different spray bottles, spray on one first, then the other. Then rinse clean.

7. Watering Your Plants. If you tend to over-water your plants, this is for you. Mix 1 oz of hydrogen peroxide with 1 quart of water, and water your plants normally. This adds oxygen to your soil, helping stave off root rot and enhances root development. I do this particularly with plants whose soil is overly dense and more prone to water-logging.

8. Kill Shower Mold and Mildew. Spray on the surface and let sit, then wipe clean. Or spray after your shower to prevent mold from forming.

9. Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Pour 1/2 cup straight peroxide into the bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, and scrub clean.You can do the same thing with vinegar.

10. For Faster Germination When Soaking Seeds. This is a new one to me - I just read about it and haven’t tried it yet. Apparently if you soak your seeds in 1 cup of water mixed with 1.5 t hydrogen peroxide, the seeds will germinate faster. Has anyone tried this yet?

Bonus: Pretty Much Any Time You Run Out Of Vinegar While Cleaning, you can substitute hydrogen peroxide!