Hydrogen Peroxide - Why You Really Shouldn't Do Without It

I first discovered hydrogen peroxide years ago when I was really young and always falling down and scarping my hands and knees. I had one such injury that was really bad and I had to be taken to the hospital. In those days, I had a healthy fear of methylated spirit and I knew it was going to hurt like crazy because the wound was big, but the nurse reassured me she would use something that wouldn't sting at all, and that was the day I discovered good old hydrogen peroxide. There was not even the tiniest prick as it was applied to stop the bleeding, instead, there was some interesting white foaming. Since then, I have discovered several other uses for peroxide and I think everyone should have a bottle handy!

1. To Disinfect wounds

I already mentioned this in the introduction. It's a great replacement for spirit, particularly for children (although I still use it in place of spirit today). The 3% solution you can buy at the drugstore can be applied directly to minor wounds to clean away dead tissue. It can halt minor bleeding, and can help to clear up infections or prevent infections from setting in. It is generally recommended to only apply the hydrogen peroxide once, since doing it too many times may also inhibit friendly bacteria which help to facilitate healing.

2. It heals Cold blisters

You know those irritating little sores that pop up on the corner of your lips every now and then? Peroxide will take care of it faster than palm oil. Just dilute hydrogen peroxide in equal parts of water and keep dabbing it on the sore often. It will dry up in no time.

3. As mouthwash

Hydrogen peroxide is great as mouthwash, it clears bad breathe. Make sure you only get food grade peroxide for this use though, and follow the dilution instructions on the bottle, if any.

4. As a Teeth whitener

Hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent. When you swish it in your mouth, it not only takes care of bacteria and bad breath, it also whitens your teeth,

5. It is a disinfectant

This means you can use it to clean germ prone regions in your home, e.g counter tops, door handles and even in the bathroom and toilet. When you use peroxide to clean your surfaces, it also gives a shine and sparkle. 

The most important things to note about hydrogen peroxide are the disinfecting quality and the bleaching and whitening quality. These two qualities cover so many things from cleaning your tiles and mirrors to cleaning and disinfecting your fridge etc. You can get creative with what you use hydrogen peroxide for (for example, I use it to clean my white tablet pouch). 

Hydrogen peroxide can even help with stubborn pimples, you can dilute it and use as a facial cleanser once in a day, plus it also kills mold. So if u see mold growing around your house, just give the area a wipe down with peroxide.

However, note that you must never EVER ingest hydrogen peroxide! And so, back to why you really shouldn't do without it - it's because hydrogen peroxide is just too useful!

Cover image via Diycozyhome