Reasons why you NEED Hydrogen Peroxide in your life

By Anushka F

Hydrogen peroxide may sound scary, but it’s actually the world’s most effective household disinfectant. Chemically represented as H2O2, it’s commonly used for sanitising small cuts or whitening delicate items in the wash. However, I’ve discovered there’s a lot more to this little bottle than meets the eye. It’s got a huge amount of uses around the home so discover now what it can do for you…

…but, please be careful when handling Hydrogen Peroxide. The tips here are suggestions, and each should be carefully considered before putting into practise.

Health & Beauty uses

Who knew hydrogen peroxide could do more than bleach hair?

1. For homemade teeth whitening

Mix up baking soda with hydrogen peroxide to make a weekly homemade stain remover for your coffee or tobacco-stained teeth.

2. As an antiseptic mouth rinse

Swirl a capful of hydrogen peroxide around your mouth to help whiten your teeth and kill any stubborn germs that can lead to bad breath. All it takes is 30 seconds of swishing.

3. Disinfect your toothbrushes

Just can’t get that clean feeling anymore? It may be time to disinfect your toothbrush.  Soak it in hydrogen peroxide to zap and staph bacteria and other germs that can be found in the bathroom environment.

4. Whiten your nails

If your nails have been stained from endless nail polish applications, soak your fingertips in a small bowl of hydrogen peroxide and rinse thoroughly to reveal cleaner nails and whiter French manicure-esque tips.

5. Clear up acne breakouts

Bacteria breads fast so if you’re finding spots are popping up in a specific area of your face or body, you need to kill it to stop spreading and further spots from forming. Use hydrogen peroxide as a face rinse to kill the bacteria that causes acne and help dry out any spots. For sensitive skin, try squirting onto a cotton pad and always do a patch test first.

6. Soften corns and calluses

For an effective way to soften pesky corns and calluses, mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and luke warm water to make a foot soak. Do this once a week and you should start to see some improvement.

7. Prevent swimmer’s ear

Like to swim a lot but don’t like the inevitable swimmers ear syndrome? I hear you (or not). Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar in a small bottle with a dropper lid. Apply a few drops into each ear after swimming to prevent infections from forming.

8. Easy ear wax removal

For a safe method to removal built-up ear wax, till your head and add a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide into your ear, wait a few minute then follow with a few drops of olive oil. Wait another few minutes before tilting your head the other way to drain any fluid out.

9. To treat athlete’s foot

Hydrogen Peroxide has excellent anti-fungal properties. Make a solution based on combining equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water in a dark coloured bottle. Apply to your feet nightly so it can get to work on fighting the fungus.

10. Relieve ear infections

If you’re suffering from an ear infection, help relieve the pain with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ear. It won’t get rid of an infection but it can aid recovery.

11. Disinfect small wounds

If you’ve got a small cut or graze to deal with, reach for the H2O2 which is a natural antiseptic. It can be applied directly to minor wounds to clean away dead tissue and help prevent any infections. It’s worth noting that hydrogen peroxide should only be applied once as using it on a wound too much may inhibit friendly bacteria which is essential for the wound to heal.

12. Highlight your hair on a budget

Get that sun-bleached look without the sun or an expensive trip to the salon! Spray hydrogen peroxide over damp hair and let it soak in for 10 minute then rinse out. If your hair naturally lightens in the sun then this will work well. Make sure you do a strand test before you commit.

13. Clean contact lenses 

When you’ve run out of lense solution, the best way to clean your lenses is with hydrogen peroxide. It helps get rid of the common build-up of proteins that can diminish contact lenses over time. Use H2O2 as a quick, cheap alternative to expensive solution, but always use it very carefully because if you don’t it could burn your eyes.  Read LiveStrong’s article on how to clean contact lenses before you attempt to do it.