Hydrogen peroxide is not just something you just keep in the back of the medicine drawer. It turns out that it can clean and disinfect almost anything in your household too!
This makes it an affordable and affordable must-have for every household. Read on to know more about what hydrogen peroxide can do for you.
What is hydrogen peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide, chemically represented as H2O2, is a versatile and powerful chemical compound. It is composed of water molecules (H2O) with an extra oxygen atom (O2), which gives it its unique properties. Hydrogen peroxide is best known for its use as a disinfectant capable of eliminating harmful microorganisms
Things you can do with hydrogen peroxide
You can do a lot of things with hydrogen peroxide – some of the items on this list may be familiar but most of the items will come as a surprise for you.
Clean your fruits and vegetables
Fruit and vegetable washes help you get rid of any traces of pesticides and bacteria – but they can also be very expensive. Hydrogen peroxide gets the same job done and it comes with a cheaper price tag! Fill your sink with cold water. Then add ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide to it. Rinse your fruits and vegetables on the mixture.
Brightens your dishes
Your dishes can look dingy as time passes. Hydrogen peroxide can help bring back some color and life to your plates. All you need to do is add 2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide to your liquid dishwasher. This will give your liquid dish detergent a boost.
Removes grime and stains on your pots and pans
If your pots and pans have baked-on grime clinging to it or have had stubborn food stains that you can not get rid of no matter how much you scrub, hydrogen peroxide will make things easier for you. Pour baking soda on a small bowl and add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide until you form a paste. Place the paste on the grime and the stain and let it set for 5 minutes before scrubbing everything off. You will find that the grime and the stain would have lifted off along with the paste. Proceed to cleaning your pots and pans as you usually would.
Non-toxic cleanser for your refrigerator
Your refrigerator can accumulate bacteria if you do not clean it regularly. However, most cleaning products come with toxic chemical products that should never interact with the food that you store in your fridge. Hydrogen peroxide is a non-toxic chemical and disinfectant. You can use it to clean off the shelves and walls of your refrigerator without compromising the food that your store in it.
First, unplug your refrigerator to defrost it. When it is time to clean, empty out all the contents of the refrigerator. Use a clean sponge or rag and dip it in hydrogen peroxide to wipe the surfaces. Leave the fridge door open for at least 30 minutes to an hour to make sure that the hydrogen peroxide will dry out completely. Give the surfaces another wipe with a paper towel before you bring the contents back in.
Disinfects cleaning supplies
Your cleaning supplies such as sponges, rags, dish scrubbers, or toilet brushes, should be disinfected regularly – if possible, after every use. You can use hydrogen peroxide for this situation.
You can spray hydrogen peroxide directly on the items and let it set for about 5 minutes. Allow the items to bubble up. After, spray again and see if bubbles still occur. If none, you can rinse the items with water.
If you are dealing with really dirty items, you should soak them in hydrogen peroxide for at least 10 minutes instead.
Disinfects hygiene items
The items in your beauty counter and bathroom counter could use some disinfection too. Hydrogen peroxide can help disinfect items like loofahs, toothbrushes, facial cleansing devices, makeup blenders, and shaving devices.
You can spray these items with hydrogen peroxide, leave it for about 5 minutes then rise it off. You can also soak these items if you think spraying would not be enough.
Cleans makeup brushes
Your makeup brushes must be cleaned regularly since it has the potential to spread germs and bacteria all over your face and give you acne problems. Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water in a cup. Soak your makeup brushes in the mixture for at least five minutes. Then, take the brushes off and air dry them overnight. You can start using them again the next day!
Gentler bleach alternative
Hydrogen peroxide is a gentler alternative to chlorine bleach and it is more environment-friendly too. The next time you are washing whites, use hydrogen peroxide instead. All you have to do is replace the bleach with hydrogen peroxide then wash your clothes as you usually would. Some people mix hydrogen peroxide and chlorine bleach thinking their clothes will come out whiter and cleaner. This is not true since the sodium hypochlorite found in chlorine will only turn hydrogen peroxide into water.
Cleans your washing machine
Washing machines can accumulate musty odors in time because of mold and mildew. This can happen when there are excess residues of detergent and fabric softeners left inside the washing machine. You can fix this problem by pouring two cups of hydrogen peroxide into the washing machine. Then, do a hot water cycle.
If you are residing in humid weather, make this a monthly cleaning ritual.
How to store hydrogen peroxide
You may have noticed that hydrogen peroxide usually comes in a brown bottle. This is because exposure to light can break down its compounds, rendering it to be ineffective. Exposure to heat will also break down the compounds of hydrogen peroxide so you also have to keep this in mind when storing it. The ideal place for storing your hydrogen peroxide is somewhere dark and cool – this is why most households place it in kitchen cabinets instead of medicine cabinets.
Take note that the shelf life of hydrogen peroxide is 6 months after you break the seal. Although expired hydrogen peroxide is not harmful, it also becomes not that effective. There is an easy way to test if your hydrogen peroxide is still useful. Pour a little amount on your bathroom sink and see if it reacts when it reaches the metal drain. When you see bubbles, it means your hydrogen peroxide is still good. If there are none, it is time for you to open a new bottle.