17 Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide That Will Make Housework So Much Easier

By Editorial Staff November 18, 2020

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There are so many uses for hydrogen peroxide, from disinfecting minor cuts to basic household cleaning.

Our mothers and grandmothers always kept a bottle handy at home, but there are probably a few ways that the medicine cabinet staple can benefit your life that you don’t know about yet. Turns out, you can use hydrogen peroxide for your skin, laundry, and even on your pets!

Scroll through the gallery below for some of the little-known ways you can use the household antiseptic to make pesky, time-consuming household tasks a thing of the past.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, First For Women.

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Make fresh-cut flowers last longer.

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Your garden is in full bloom, so you picked a bunch of flowers to display on your dining-room table. To enjoy the blooms as long as possible, add 1 tsp. of hydrogen peroxide to every quart of lukewarm water in the vase. The peroxide kills any bacteria in the water, ensuring your flowers thrive for up to five days longer.
Make a homemade grout cleaner.

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The best way to whiten grout: Spread a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide over the lines. Let sit for 15 minutes, then scrub with a brush and rinse. Cleaning grout with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen to break down dirt and grime.
Soak your feet after a long day.

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Give your tootsies some TLC with a soothing foot soak. To do: Fill a basin with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide; soak for 30 minutes. Peroxide kills bacteria, and this mix softens skin and provides a cooling sensation to rejuvenate tired feet.
Clean cookie sheets — no matter how grimy they are.

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If your cookie sheet is looking a bit worse for wear, try this: Sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the pan and pour hydrogen peroxide over it. Let the pan sit for two hours, then scrub with dish soap and water. The bubbly combination of oxidizing peroxide and alkaline baking soda will loosen baked-on grime so you can easily remove it.
Wash away bacteria on fruit and vegetables.

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You always wash your fresh fruit and veggies to rid them of potentially harmful bacteria, but experts say plain water doesn’t always do the job. Ensure your fruit and veggies are free of harmful organisms with the help of hydrogen peroxide. The antimicrobial solution has been shown to eradicate E. coli and other bacteria from fresh produce. Simply pour 3-percent hydrogen peroxide into a clean spray bottle and spritz generously over your produce. Let sit for about three minutes, then scrub with a vegetable brush and rinse thoroughly with water.
Get rid of skunk smell on dogs.

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If your pal gets sprayed by a skunk, mix 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide, 2 tsp. of liquid dish soap and 1 ⁄4 cup of baking soda. Massage into his fur (taking care to avoid his eyes and ears); let sit for five minutes, then rinse with water. The peroxide will kill odor-causing germs from the skunk spray while the soap cuts through oil and dirt and the baking soda deodorizes.
Whiten nails stained by polish.

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That oxblood-red nail polish you chose for your girls’ night out looked great, but when you removed it, your nails suddenly had a yellow tinge to them. To erase the stain, fill a bowl with enough 3-percent hydrogen peroxide to cover your fingertips and soak your nails for three minutes. The peroxide will oxidize the pigments in the polish, leaving nails brightened.
Remove a red wine stain — fast.

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Oops! Your guest spilled wine on your beige carpet. To the rescue: hydrogen peroxide! Remove wine stains from carpet by blotting the stain with a clean cloth. After you've soaked up most of the liquid, pour 1⁄2 cup of peroxide and a squirt of dish soap into a spray bottle and spritz on the stain. Blot with a clean sponge or cloth; repeat as needed. Detergents in the soap lift the stain out of the carpet while the peroxide, a mild bleaching agent, breaks up discoloration. (This method works best on light-colored carpets, but be sure to spot-test first.)
Cure root rot in droopy houseplants.

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Lately the leaves of your favorite potted plants have started to yellow, signaling root rot. The save: Water them regularly with a solution of 1 cup of water and 1 oz. of hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide will release oxygen into the soil to kill microbes and nourish the plants, so they’ll green up in no time.
Get rid of mildew smell on towels.

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After countless trips to the town pool this summer, your towels smell a bit mildewy. For a potent laundry deodorizer, add 1⁄4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to your washing machine when you add detergent. (For high-efficiency washers, add 2 Tbsp. to the bleach compartment.) The peroxide will dissolve the odor-causing mildew hidden in the fabric’s fibers.
Clean hard water stains on cloudy glasses.

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To get your drinking glasses clear without pricey rinse aids, add 2 to 4 Tbsp. of hydrogen peroxide to the dishwasher’s rinse compartment and run as usual. Hydrogen peroxide is just as effective as other rinse agents at breaking down the hard-water deposits that make glasses look cloudy, plus it eliminates odor-causing bacteria and mold from your dishwasher.
Clear acne without irritation.

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How to use hydrogen peroxide for acne: Swab the pimple or blemish once a day with 3-percent hydrogen peroxide. The drugstore staple penetrates pores to fight acne-causing bacteria under the skin. In fact, it’s study-proven to heal pimples just as quickly as benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in many over-the-counter acne products — but without the redness, dryness, and irritation that benzoyl peroxide can cause.
Sanitize old water bottles.

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You carry your water bottle with you everywhere, and even though you wash it every night, it’s starting to smell. The save: Fill the bottle with 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 2 parts water, let sit for a few hours, then rinse with warm water and let air-dry. The peroxide will kill odor-causing bacteria lurking in glass, plastic or stainless-steel bottles.
Safely remove ear wax

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Instead of trying to remove a buildup of earwax with cotton swabs, which can make the problem worse, try using hydrogen peroxide. Wondering how to clean your ears with hydrogen peroxide? Just tilt your head to one side and use an eyedropper to apply a few drops of peroxide into the ear canal. Keep your head tilted for a few minutes to let the peroxide break down the wax, then tilt your head to the other side so the wax can drip out. Repeat with your other ear.
Remove set-in stains.

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Help ensure that stains are completely removed from light-colored fabrics by wetting the soiled spot with a 50:50 solution of hydrogen peroxide to water. Let sit 30 minutes, then wash as usual. Peroxide gently oxidizes stains so they can be washed away. (Test on an inconspicuous area first to check colorfastness.)
Clear your dog's acne.

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Poor Buster has a few blemishes on his chin that just won’t go away, but is hydrogen peroxide safe for dogs? Turns out, it is! To get rid of breakouts, moisten a soft cloth with hydrogen peroxide and use it to wipe his chin twice a day until his skin is clear. The antimicrobial solution will kill the bacteria causing the acne.
Prevent bacteria buildup in humidifiers.

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To prevent bacteria and mold from building up in your humidifier, try this: After every three days of use, unplug the device and remove the water tank. Saturate a clean cloth with 3-percent hydrogen peroxide and wipe down the base of the humidifier. Then fill the tank with 1 gallon of water and 1 pint of peroxide and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing with fresh water. Hydrogen peroxide’s oxidizing properties will kill harmful microorganisms.