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Key Takeaways
- Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a mild form of oxygen-based bleach that can be used as a cleaner.
- Hydrogen peroxide will revert to water (H2O) just a few months after opening and lose all effectiveness.
- You can use it to sanitize common bacteria spots, remove stains, clean machines, and even kill mold.
Tucked inside your medicine cabinet is an effective laundry whitener, stain remover, and household cleaner and disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant that kills bacteria and fungus on hard surfaces and acts as an oxidizing agent to lift hard-to-remove stains. It must be used quickly because once a bottle of hydrogen peroxide is opened and exposed to sunlight, it breaks down into plain water within six months.
Drug store strength hydrogen peroxide (3%) works well for cleaning. If using full strength, wear gloves to prevent skin irritation. Learn 11 things to clean with hydrogen peroxide around the house.
Sanitize Cutting Boards and Dishes
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
Cutting boards, especially wooden boards, can harbor bacteria in tiny cuts and scratches. After cleaning the board, lightly spray the surfaces with hydrogen peroxide. Let it work for 10 minutes and then rinse the board well with water. Allow the board to air dry.
To sanitize dishware, wash the dishes to remove food particles. Spray with hydrogen peroxide and wait 10 minutes before rinsing and drying.
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Kill Pink Slime in the Shower
If the grout in your shower is turning pink, it is most likely a bacterium called Serratia marcescens, a biofilm that thrives in damp environments. It is resistant to some cleaning products, but hydrogen peroxide works well to get rid of it.
Start by scrubbing the area with a baking soda and water paste, rinse, and then spray with hydrogen peroxide and leave for 10 to 20 minutes. Scrub well again, rinse, and dry. If the stain remains, repeat the treatment.
Freshen Garbage Cans
Mix a solution of 1:1 water and hydrogen peroxide. Dip a scrub brush in the solution and clean the inside of kitchen and bathroom garbage cans and recycling bins. If there is stuck on grime, sprinkle the damp scrub brush with some baking soda to act as a gentle abrasive to help remove the mess.
Disinfect Doorknobs, Hardware, and Handles
Attach a spray nozzle to the top of the hydrogen peroxide bottle so it is easy to use when disinfecting surfaces. Lightly mist the area you wish to clean and let it work for at least 5 to 7 minutes to begin breaking down bacteria and grime. Dry the surface with a clean microfiber cloth.
Get Rid of Houseplant Pests
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Thanks to its disinfecting properties, hydrogen peroxide can help fight fungal infections like powdery mildew and kill the eggs and larvae of insects. In a spray bottle, combine 2 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Spray the mixture onto affected areas of the houseplant from top to bottom, leaf to roots.
Remove Mold Stains From Painted Walls
Kill mold spores and lighten moldy stains by spraying the area with undiluted hydrogen peroxide. Start at the center of the mold colony and work your way out to help prevent the spores from spreading and the stain from streaking more of the wall. Let the hydrogen peroxide work for at least 10 minutes before attempting to wipe away any visible mold. Allow the surface to air-dry completely and then repeat the treatment if needed.
Warning
When cleaning moldy areas, always wear a mask, gloves, and protective eyewear to prevent irritation from the spores.
Sanitize Beauty Tools
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
Clean tweezers, mani-pedi tools, and eyelash curlers with hydrogen peroxide to remove body soil and bacteria. Submerge non-electrical items in a bowl of undiluted hydrogen peroxide for 15-20 seconds and then rinse in warm water. Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide to clean the surfaces of electrical items like hair dryers and toothbrushes.
Sanitize Garden Tools
Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide with your gardening tools for a quick way to clean tools and plant containers. Pruning shears, trowels, shovels, pots, and planters can spread diseases and pests if they are not cleaned after using them around an infected plant. Spray the surfaces with undiluted hydrogen peroxide and allow them to air dry after each use.
Whiten Laundry
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Whiten dingy or yellowed clothes with hydrogen peroxide in the washer. Add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the washer drum or the automatic bleach dispenser before loading white clothes into the washer.
Clean Your Washing Machine
Front-loading washers can develop smelly odors from mold and mildew growth caused by detergent and fabric softener residue and body soil left inside the washer drum and rubber door seals.
To clean your washer, add 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide to the empty washer drum before running a hot water wash cycle. A monthly cleaning will help keep your washer smelling clean and fresh.
Remove Stains
Hydrogen peroxide is a very effective stain remover for protein- and plant-based stains like blood, mildew, and dye-transfer.
To treat stains, pour or spray a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Allow it to soak into the fabric for about 10 minutes before washing the garment as usual.
Because it is a mild bleaching agent, always test hydrogen peroxide on colored clothes in an inconspicuous spot (e.g., the hem or inside seam) first to ensure the colors don’t fade. To test, dip a cotton swab in the hydrogen peroxide, and rub it on the fabric. If color transfers to the swab, don’t proceed.