As mentioned earlier this week, hydrogen peroxide (hereafter I’ll simply refer to it as peroxide) has fallen out of favor as a wound disinfectant and really isn’t used all that often in medicine. However, it’s still a powerful disinfectant and it has loads of other uses, which is fortunate due to its short shelf life. It’s great to know the numerous other uses of peroxide so that we don’t waste it.
While hydrogen peroxide is sold in numerous concentrations, it’s the 3% solution in the brown bottles in the first aid section of the grocery store that is most commonly available and is what is used in all the solutions listed below.
KITCHEN
Disinfectant. First clean visible dirt and contaminants from the surface, and then spray with a 1:1 combination of peroxide and water. Let sit 5 minutes or more. Rinse surfaces that touch food, like cutting boards, but let others just air dry.[1]
Produce wash. To remove germs and pesticides, add ¼ cup peroxide per gallon of water in a clean sink or bowl. Soak produce in this mixture—20 minutes for thin-skinned items like lettuce and salad greens, 30 minutes for thick-skinned items like carrots and potatoes. Then drain and thoroughly rinse and dry. As an added bonus, using this rinse may extend the shelf life of your fresh produce.[2]
Sanitize wood cutting boards by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes, and then rinse and air dry.
Remove
baked on brown gunk from pots and pans.
Spray or soak pans in peroxide and baking soda and let sit for a couple
of hours. Then wipe away the gunk and
your pans will look like new. (That's what "they" say. I'd say the mixture "softens" the gunk so it takes less scrubbing.)
BATHROOM
Glass cleaner. Use a 1:1 solution of peroxide and water in a spray bottle to clean glass and mirrors.
Toilet bowl cleaner. Add ½ cup hydrogen peroxide to your toilet bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Scrub as usual and flush.
Mold and mildew remover. Spray peroxide on problem areas and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing to kill mold and mildew in the shower. Unfortunately, it may not remove the stains that mold and mildew leave behind.
LAUNDRY
Before using peroxide on any fabric, test on a small, inconspicuous section of fabric first.
Stain remover. Peroxide can remove stains from white and off white clothing. Soak in a basin of water with 1 cup of peroxide added for 30 minutes.[3] Launder as usual. Dry in the sun if possible.
For smaller stains, dab peroxide on the reverse side of the fabric.
Brighten whites. Combine ½ cup washing soda (find it in the detergent aisle) and ½ cup peroxide. Add this to clothing and linens in the filled washer and let soak for a couple of hours before laundering as usual.
YOU
Sanitizer. Sanitize make-up brushes, nail clippers, and tweezers by soaking in peroxide for 5 minutes.[4]
Toothbrush. Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. This is especially helpful when your toothbrush isn’t ready to be replaced but you’ve experienced an illness and want to remove germs from it.[5]
GARDEN
Germination. Soak garden seeds in peroxide for 30 minutes to hasten germination and increase the germination rate. After soaking, rinse thoroughly and plant as usual.
Fertilization. Peroxide doesn’t actually fertilize plants, but the extra oxygen molecule helps them absorb nutrients from the soil better. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.
Kill mold and mildew. Use 2/3 cup peroxide per quart of water and spray this solution on plants daily until the problem is resolved.
Kill plant pests and their eggs. Spray a 50/50 solution on plants.
Sanitize garden tools. Soak tools in a solution of 2 tablespoons peroxide per quart of water for 30 minutes to kill pathogens.
Repel insects. Use 2 tablespoons peroxide per quart of water to repel soft bodied insects like aphids and spider mites. However, be aware that it will also repel beneficial pollinators.
HOW TO TEST WHETHER PEROXIDE IS STILL GOOD
Hydrogen peroxide doesn’t have any preservatives and is naturally unstable. It eventually decomposes into plain water. So how can you tell whether yours is still good?
One test is to simply pour some peroxide into the sink. If it bubbles or fizzes, it’s still good. (However, if you just cleaned the sink it may not work. I poured some into my sink to test it and was disappointed that it didn’t fizz. I turned away to move onto something else, but then I hear the fizzing as it went down the drain. Yep, I had recently cleaned the sink but had missed a bit around the drain.)
A second test involves wasting a bit of potato. Simply pour the peroxide over a slice of potato. If it bubbles, the peroxide is still good. If not, it’s closer to just water and should be discarded. Down the drain is just fine.
To keep your bottle of peroxide effective as long as possible, always store it in a cool, dark place and keep it tightly sealed. Never dip cotton, gauze, or anything else into the bottle or dab peroxide from the bottle. Contaminants hasten decomposition. Always pour from the bottle. And finally, just to be safe, always write the date on the bottle when you open it for the first time and remove the seal. Regardless of the date stamped on the bottle, the peroxide inside will not be effective more than six months after the bottle was first opened.
Links to related posts:
Medical Preparedness Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide
DIY
Sanitizers for Hands and Other Surfaces
References:
https://balconygardenweb.com/hydrogen-peroxide-uses-in-garden/
[1] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for/
[2] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for/
[3] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for/
[4] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for/
[5] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for/
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