Why Every Household Needs to Have Hydrogen Peroxide On Hand
Hydrogen peroxide is basically a miracle solution that has over 50 unique uses around the home and garden. Because hydrogen peroxide’s uses are so extensive, you can replace most of the cleaning products under your sink with just one bottle of hydrogen peroxide. No, we’re not exaggerating! Today, we’re going to share why every household needs to have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide 3% on hand at all times.
First things first, what exactly is hydrogen peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide (H202) is a chemical that is simply water (H20) with an extra atom of oxygen. The extra oxygen atom is what gives hydrogen peroxide its disinfecting power. The oxidation effectively kills bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and mould spores without the use of harmful chlorine bleach, ammonia, alcohols, acids, and other dangerous chemicals.
What is food-grade hydrogen peroxide?
When using hydrogen peroxide in your home and garden, you should use food-grade hydrogen peroxide 3%. This means that it’s 97% water and 3% hydrogen peroxide. This is the strength that has been used in the medical community for over 170 years to disinfect equipment and surfaces. That should give you a good idea about how effective this solution is at ridding of harmful germs.
How can hydrogen peroxide be used around the home and garden?
The uses for hydrogen peroxide truly seem endless. Here are the most common ways to use hydrogen peroxide around the home and garden:
Disinfect
Hydrogen peroxide 3% is a great non-toxic alternative to ammonia or bleach. It can be used to disinfect any surface including:
- Bathtubs, sinks, and showers
- Counters
- Cutting boards
- Doorknobs and light switches
- Rubbish bins
- Mirrors
- Refrigerators
- Toilets
- Toys
- Gardening tools
To disinfect a surface, first, clean any visible dirt or grime off the area with plain soap and water. Then spray the surface with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide 3% and water. Let it sit for five minutes or longer. Rinse surfaces that touch food, such as cutting boards, with water. Otherwise, you can just let the surfaces air dry.
Wash produce
If you’re looking for a cheap, easy, and effective way to remove germs and pesticides from your fruits and veggies, hydrogen peroxide is the solution for the job. Simply fill a large bowl or clean sink with water and add one-fourth cup of hydrogen peroxide 3%. Wash produce in the water and peroxide mixture, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and dry. As a bonus, cleaning your produce with hydrogen peroxide can actually extend its shelf life!
Remove household stains
As a non-toxic alternative to bleach, hydrogen peroxide makes for a very effective stain remover. Here are a few ways it can be used to remove stains:
- Remove carpet stains: Spray hydrogen peroxide 3% directly on carpet stains and rub lightly with a clean cloth.
- Remove stains from clothing: Pour some hydrogen peroxide 3% on a clean cloth or paper towel and gently dab the stained area. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then wash the item as usual in the washing machine. You can also add hydrogen peroxide directly to the bleach compartment in your washing machine to brighten white clothing.
- Brighten tiles and grout: Spray hydrogen peroxide directly onto grout lines or tile. Let it sit for several minutes and then scrub with a stiff cleaning brush.
Note: When using hydrogen peroxide on coloured fabrics, be sure to test a small, discreet area before applying it to the desired area.
HOW TO USE OXYGEN PLUS – HYDROGEN PEROXIDE FOR GREEN CLEANING AND PLANT CARE
Support plants’ growth
Hydrogen peroxide is an all-star when it comes to supporting the health of your plants and garden. Mix one-part hydrogen peroxide 3% with two parts water in a spray bottle. Spray your plants with this mixture to cure root rot, repel pests and insects, promote healthy root growth, and eliminate fungal infections. You can also soak your seeds in hydrogen peroxide to sanitise them before planting them.
Clean beauty tools, nails, and teeth
Hydrogen peroxide can even be used as a personal care product. Here are a few of our favourite applications:
- Sanitise beauty and nail care tools: Use hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball or napkin to clean nail clippers, tweezers, and eyelash curlers.
- Keep your toothbrush clean: Dip your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide for five minutes to kill germs
- Take a detoxifying bath: Add 1 litre of hydrogen peroxide 3% to your bath. Add some essential oils for extra relaxation. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
The only chemical you need in your home
As you can see, the applications of hydrogen peroxide are very wide-reaching. You can literally throw out all of your dangerous cleaning products and replace them with one bottle of non-toxic hydrogen peroxide 3%.
Hydrogen peroxide is environmentally friendly and biodegrades into just water and oxygen. You can feel completely safe using it around your family members, children, pets, and food. Forget all those hazardous chemicals like bleach and ammonia—the only chemical you need in your home and garden is safe and effective hydrogen peroxide 3%!