Hydrogen peroxide has long been known to help fight off colds and flu viruses, but there are, perhaps surprisingly, an abundance of uses for hydrogen peroxide.
One bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide costs less than $2 at nearly any drug store. For such an inexpensive product, peroxide is an extremely effective remedy for many ailments, challenges, and messes. The uses for hydrogen peroxide range from medicinal to aesthetic, and it is a natural and safe alternative to toxic household cleaning products that you see everywhere.
Some of the many natural uses for hydrogen peroxide in your daily life:
- Take one cap-full (using the little white cap that comes with the bottle) of peroxide and hold it in your mouth for one minute daily, then spit it out. No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash to freshen your breath and kill any bacteria in between meals.
- Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.
- Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishcloth when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
- After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
- Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for 5-10 minutes several times a day.
- If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a cap-full of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for 10 minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
- Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help get rid of boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
- Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
- Use peroxide to clean windows and mirrors without streaking.
- In the case of a messy toilet area in the bathroom, put some peroxide in a spray bottle and spray on the areas where urine may have missed the toilet bowl. The smell will be gone and the bacteria eliminated.
For the following uses for hydrogen peroxide, create a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water:
- Fill a spray bottle with your 50/50 mixture and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
- Spray a 50/50 mixture on your feet (especially the toes) every evening and let dry. This will help prevent and fight off any fungal infections.
- Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.
- For a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 mixture on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but natural-looking highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it’s not a drastic change.
- Fill a shot glass with 50/50 peroxide and alcohol (notice: not water this time), and using a dropper to pour some of it into one ear first, keep your head tilted to one side for three to four minutes until the mix stops bubbling inside that ear. Dry the outer area with a tissue and discard. Repeat on the second ear, and then you will notice the inside of your ears will not only be cleaner but you will be able to hear better. Doing this once a month will keep you from an ear ache or infections. This especially benefits children who are prone to colds, allergies, and earaches during the swimming season.
Hydrogen peroxide is also safe to administer to infants and children; however, they may not be fans of the bubbling and mild stinging sensation that comes with it. If hydrogen peroxide gets into the eyes, flush out immediately with water.
One little brown bottle of peroxide goes a long way, and no home should be without it. It is quite amazing that hydrogen peroxide is such a simple, inexpensive, healthy necessity that can clean, disinfect, and heal effectively.
