10 uses for hydrogen peroxide

Make produce even healthier

Ensure your fruit and veggies are free of harmful organisms with the help of hydrogen peroxide. Just pour peroxide into a spray bottle and spritz over produce. After three minutes, scrub with a vegetable brush and rinse with water. The antimicrobial solution has been shown to eradicate E. coli and other bacteria from fresh produce.

De-gunk an old baking sheet

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 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.

Sanitize a reusable water bottle

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.

Clear up your pup’s bumps

Poor Buster has a few blemishes on his chin that just won’t go away. To get rid of them, 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.

Restore shine to cloudy glasses

To get your drinking glasses clear without pricey rinse aids, add 2 to 4 Tbs. of hydrogen peroxide to the dishwasher’s rinse compartment and run as usual. Peroxide breaks down hard-water deposits so your glasses sparkle.

Revive tired feet for pennies

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. The mix softens skin and provides a cooling sensation to rejuvenate tired feet.

Brighten up yellowed nails

The vibrant pink polish you chose for your girls’ night out looked great, but when you removed it, your nails had a yellow tinge to them. To erase the stain, pour hydrogen peroxide into a small bowl and soak your fingertips for 3 minutes. The peroxide releases oxygen to break down the polish.

Deodorize musty towels

After countless trips to the town pool this summer, your towels smell a bit mildewy. To eliminate the odor, add 1⁄4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to your washing machine when you add detergent. (For high-efficiency washers, add 2 Tbs. to the bleach compartment.) The peroxide will dissolve the odor-causing mildew hidden in the fabric’s fibers.

Lift a red wine stain—fast

Oops! Your guest spilled wine on your beige carpet. To the rescue: hydrogen peroxide! After blotting the stain with a clean cloth, 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.)

Help fresh-cut flowers thrive

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.