Over the last few months, cleaning and disinfection have become an important part of our daily lives at home. You can use a household steam cleaner for surface disinfection. Also, there’s ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. Some households are using bleach as well, though that one can be harmful if not used properly. And here is another household product you can use for cleaning – hydrogen peroxide.
Keep reading if you:
Are looking for new ways to disinfect your home;
Wish to know the cleaning uses of hydrogen peroxide;
What is hydrogen peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide, or H2O2 might already be among your household products. You can easily buy it from your grocery store, or your drug store. It’s one of the most commonly used household cleaning agents. It’s a colourless liquid, resembling water, and it has some bleaching properties.
It can work as an antiseptic for its antibacterial properties. Just make sure not to keep it on your skin for too long, as it can cause burns. It’s also extremely effective when used to disinfect household surfaces.
The product you most probably have at home is the 3% household hydrogen peroxide – the most widely available and the most affordable. There is also the 6-10% hydrogen peroxide which is used in cosmetics to bleach hair. The 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide is not recommended for household use without the supervision of a specialist.
And, there is the industrial hydrogen peroxide, which can reach up to 90% and is not available for purchase by the average person. This one is used for industrial bleaching and even as an ingredient in some rocket fuel.
15 cleaning uses for hydrogen peroxide
Now that you’ve found the brown bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide, here is a list of all the cleaning and disinfecting tasks you can use it for around the house.
Remember to use protective gloves when doing any of these, as hydrogen peroxide can leave burns when in contact with the skin for too long!
Clean the appliances.Your washing machine is in contact with your dirty laundry, and your dishwasher and fridge are in constant contact with food. This makes all three of these appliances a breeding ground for bacteria. Simply pour some household hydrogen peroxide on a soft cloth and wipe the surfaces on the inside.
Scrub the sink. To clean the sink, first, scrub it with a sponge and some baking soda. After that, pour some household hydrogen peroxide over the surface and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, rinse with clean water and enjoy the shine.
Disinfect hard surfaces. Kitchen counters, tables, door knobs, light switches and every other hard surface we touch on a daily basis is home for all kinds of microbes. Use undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide to wipe them clean. No need for rinsing.
Scour cookware. If your pots and pans have baked-on food that’s hard to remove, you can sprinkle them with baking soda and then add half a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let them soak for about an hour for optimum results, before washing up the mess.
Disinfect the rubbish bin. Wash your rubbish bin with soap and water. Then add equal parts water and 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Mix it and spray the entire surface of the bin on the inside and the outside. Let it dry on its own.
Deep clean the toilet bowl. Since hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent, using it on your toilet bowl will not only kill the germs, but also whiten the porcelain. Just pour about half a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide over the surface of the toilet and leave it for about 20 minutes. After that, just flush.
Shine mirrors and glass surfaces. Add equal parts of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide to a spray bottle. Mix it well. Spray the mirrors and glass surfaces and wipe them down with a soft cloth or a newspaper to get a streak-free shine.
Kill mold and mildew. Hydrogen peroxide is not just effective against bacteria, but also fungus. It’s enough to spray over the affected area with the undiluted product and leave it to work its magic for about 30 minutes. After that you’ll have to rinse and remove the stains the mould has left.
Remove soap scum. Make a paste from a cup of baking soda, a quarter cup of white vinegar, and two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. When the bubbles subside, scrub the surface to remove the soap scum.
Clean out your cat’s litter box. Empty the litter box and wash it thoroughly with a dishwashing liquid. Then spray the whole surface with undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let it dry up on its own. Then, fill the box again.
Sanitise your toothbrush. It’s said in several researches that toothbrushes are easily exposed to fecal bacteria from the bathroom. To sanitise it, soak your toothbrush in 3% hydrogen peroxide for about 20 minutes.
Sanitise makeup brushes. First, wash your brushes from excess makeup with a gentle shampoo. Then, soak them in a bowl of water with a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide for about 10 minutes. Rinse the brushes thoroughly after that.
Sanitise sponges. Soak your sponges in a bowl of equal parts water and 3% hydrogen peroxide for about 15 minutes. Rinse them thoroughly after that.
Sanitise cutting boards. Both wooden and plastic cutting boards get scratched and all kinds of bacteria could get stuck in those scratches. A quick spritz with hydrogen peroxide will keep them safe to use. Remember to rinse after.
Whiten sheets and remove stains. Blood stains, chocolate stains, grass stains and many more can be easily removed from fabrics with hydrogen peroxide. However, remember that it’s a bleaching agent, so it’s not recommended for use on non-white clothes. To remove stains, pour a bottlecap of hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain and then add half a cup to the washing machine along with the laundry detergent. The result will be disinfected, whitened clothes with no stains.
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