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Today we have a post dedicated to uses for hydrogen peroxide (H202) you will love!
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the greatest chemistry inventions in my opinion. Most people have a jar of hydrogen peroxide in their home, so it makes a fantastic ingredient for all types of house and garden applications.
I get emails about hydrogen peroxide everyday. Readers are curious if it is natural, safe for colors, and more things like this.
So, today we are going to share some cool and bizarre uses for hydrogen peroxide you might not know, but also the science behind what exactly this amazing substance is!
Bizarre Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide You Will Love!
We have talked about hydrogen peroxide for many years on Chemistry Cachet. If you have our eBook, it is found in many of our DIY cleaners too.
By the way, be sure to save this post by pinning or bookmarking because I will continue to update this overtime as I test and try new things 🙂
When was hydrogen peroxide invented?
Hydrogen peroxide was discovered in 1818 by French chemist Louis Jacques Thénard . It is on our list of one of the greatest inventions by a chemist! You can read more about Louis and his discoveries on the World of Chemicals.
The Science Behind Hydrogen Peroxide Applications:
The chemical compound of hydrogen peroxide is a weak acid, strong oxidizer, disinfectant, and a bleaching agent. Since it degrades to oxygen and water, it is considered safe for the environment. Many scientist prefer it over chlorine bleach as a bleaching agent because of these environmental factors.
H202 when reacted with a catalase forms oxygen and water. A catalase is an enzyme found in almost all living things exposed to oxygen. Here is some more fascinating science on this reaction.
The bottom line on the science aspect is peroxide has many uses due to its structure, and also safe due to its degradation.
This is the key to our post today, and the neat ways to use it around your home!
Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide
Now, we will share with you our favorite and a little bizarre ways to use peroxide around your house! All of these tips below are using regular 3% hydrogen peroxide found in the first aid section of the store unless otherwise noted.
Keep Mold Away From Cut Flowers
Our homemade mold prevention for cut flowers uses hydrogen peroxide!
Water Your Plants With H202
That’s right! Peroxide can be very helpful for plants for a few reasons. I first learned about this in horticulture and thought it was very interesting. Spraying a water/hydrogen peroxide mix around your plants can help with root rot, fungus, and also aerate the soil. Mix 1 tbsp of hydrogen peroxide with 1 cup water, add to a spray bottle, then spritz around the base of your plants to target the root area. You can use this on almost every type of plant from flowering to vegetable plants. I have used this on potted plants to keep root rot away, it is a neat trick. Read more about this on Gardening Know How.
Clean Your Dogs Paws
While most vets don’t recommend using peroxide for wound care** (read precautions below for more on this), it is helpful as anti-fungal and cleaner on pets paw area. It is an ingredient in our DIY dog paw wipes for this reason. It has been so helpful for Ruger’s paw area. He was continually struggling with fungal issues around his paws from being outside. After using our dog paw cleaner for him, it has cleared up. Be sure to CHECK WITH YOUR VET first!
Make DIY Lysol Spray For Disinfecting
Make this easy DIY Lysol spray for disinfecting almost any surface in your home.
Wash Fruit and Vegetables
We mentioned above that everything in this post uses regular 3% hydrogen peroxide unless otherwise noted. Well, this is a notation! When it comes to cleaning anything that comes in contact with food, you need to make sure it is a food grade peroxide which means it won’t contain stabilizers. I recommend this one for that! It is more expensive, but safe for food products. Use this to clean fruits and vegetables! It works great and will remove all residue safely. Fill a bowl with cold water, add in a tablespoon of the food grade peroxide. Soak your food product for a few minutes, then rinse.
Sanitize Children’s Toys
You have probably seen this tip on the internet before, but since children, especially babies, put things in their mouth, this is another use for food grade peroxide. Again, I use this one. This is an important tip to make sure your children stay safe from the cold and flu!
Really Whiten Your Teeth
One of the most proven ways to whiten teeth is with hydrogen peroxide! It is found in many whitening products for this reason. It is a powerful oxidizer and releases stains on teeth. You can use food grade for this tip too or just regular. You can mix a small portion of peroxide with baking soda for a whitening paste or just swish some peroxide. Read more about teeth whitening in this post!
Whiten Whites
Peroxide doesn’t just whiten teeth, it whitens all whites. You can create a homemade Oxiclean to brighten white clothes or fabrics. In fact, stop by Chemistry Cachet again in a week for a big tutorial on homemade oxiclean. You can also use this on colors because it is gentle too. It doesn’t bleach like chlorine bleach, instead it oxidizes the fabric!
Stain Removal
The best homemade stain removal involves peroxide. It works for ALL types of stains too. We have a great post on creating a powerful stain remover here. You can also check out the eBook for an all-purpose stain remover. You can also use peroxide alone for quick stain removal. Dab it onto food stains or ink stains, allow it to sit, then wipe off or wash like normal. You can experiment with it!
Make Chemistry Cachet’s “Chemist Paste”
Those who own our eBook know all about chemist paste. Everyone writes in saying they love it. If you don’t have our eBook, use coupon code PEROXIDE for 50% off at checkout now. Chemist paste is a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. It has amazing scrubbing and whitening power for so many things. Just like our tips above for whitening teeth, it works for cleaning many things.
Carpet Cleaner
Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning carpets! Check our our DIY carpet cleaner for tips on using it. This is great for all types of stains and general cleaning.
Sanitizing Toothbrushes
Every month, I like to soak my toothbrushes in hydrogen peroxide. This is important for removing germs and debri that can linger in your toothbrush especially if you have had an illness, canker sore, or fever blister. This is good to use with food grade peroxide.
Clean the Kitchen
Adding peroxide to homemade cleaners is a great option especially for things like refrigerators, cutting boards, or anything else that comes in contact with food. It disinfects, cleans, and whitens. If you have our eBook, it is found in many of our kitchen cleaners. If you don’t have the ebook, don’t forget to use coupon code PEROXIDE for 50% off at checkout now.
Clean the Bathroom
If you have white tiles, natural stone, or anything that is looking dingy, you can clean with peroxide in the bathroom too! I have white subway tile, and I love creating a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, a little dish soap, and water to spray the surfaces.
Precautions on Using Hydrogen Peroxide
While peroxide is safe for almost everything, there are a few things to keep in mind when using it.
When it comes to your pets, never use it on an open wound. Vets warn against this because hydrogen peroxide is great at killing off infection, but it also kills healthy cells too. Always talk to your veterinarian about a cut or wound on your pet to see what they suggest. Our dog paw wipes are not to be used on cuts! Only on healthy paws. Again, discuss this type of thing with the vet!
Speaking of wounds, you also need to be cautious when using hydrogen peroxide on your wounds! After my husband had his major surgery and had trouble healing, our wound care doctor told us to use hydrogen peroxide sparingly because it does kill all cells, healthy and bad. We used it in the beginning, but only once. Talk to your doctor about wounds!
Hydrogen peroxide is safe for most fabrics, BUT PLEASE test an area before using it as a stain remover. I have never had it discolor fabric, but testing a small spot first is important. This goes for carpets too!
Also, test surfaces when it comes to natural stone or tiles!!
NEVER ingest hydrogen peroxide! Keep away from pets and children!
What is the best type of hydrogen peroxide to use for home applications?
As mentioned, all of our tips and cleaners use regular 3% hydrogen peroxide found in the first aid section. If you plan on using it to clean food or food surfaces, be sure to use a food grade hydrogen peroxide for safety.
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
I love this post! So many ways to use this product. I will check into the food grade Version. Our vet tech cautioned using H2O2 on open wounds as it is “tissue toxic” – just as you noted. Look forward to your homemade oxiclean post and further uses for H2O2. Thanks Alexis!
There are so many neat ways to use it! I love how versatile it is. Thanks Laurie!
Damn this was interesting, knew none of this
Thanks Jo-Anne!
Hi. Unless I am wrong I don’t see what strength of hydrogen peroxide.
Yes it’s listed. I explain right under the uses section that all of these ideas use regular 3% unless otherwise noted
3%. That has made me wonder the characteristics of 100%. Must be nasty.
You will see up to about 90% peroxide in laboratories, but it is has a high decomposition and used as rocket fuel! The highest you can usually buy is 30%
Love seeing others knowing what I’ve known for years. We have dogs and it’s amazing how peroxide gets their stains out and doesn’t fade the carpet! I also use it to keep my cancer at bay. I was given 5 years to live in 2007 and I’m still here. I soak my feet in it with hot water added. Search “peroxide cures cancer” to see what’s written about it. I use the 3% not good grade. Since it originated as skin cancer I wash my face with it too.
Thanks for sharing! Peroxide is one of my favorite chemistry inventions!
I have used hydrogen peroxide to whiten my teeth and it worked. Is this safe?
They say occasional use is okay, but I would ask your dentist to be sure.