There’s definitely been a shortage of alcohol, bleach, and other cleaning supplies the past few weeks. However, one item I’ve seen that hasn’t been flying off the shelves is hydrogen peroxide.

This stuff can work wonders! Fun fact: did you know that it’s sold in those dark brown bottles for a reason? It actually breaks down when it’s exposed to light, heat or air- hence the need for the special packaging!

Even if we weren’t in the middle of a global pandemic, there’s several reasons to keep this on your shelf! It’s safer than bleach, effective, and has so many uses!

Sanitize your cutting boards and counters- wooden cutting boards in particular can get all sorts of nasy bacteria in the grooves, so let your board (or counter) soak for a good 10 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria.

Clean your produce and lengthen its shelf life! Mix up a solution of ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water. You can let your delicate produce, such as lettuce, soak for 20 minutes, while harder-skinned veggies such as carrots can be soaked for 30 minutes. You’ll be killing any harmful bacteria that will make your produce go bad faster, making it healthier and more cost-effective.

Sanitize your kitchen sink- give your sink a good scrubbing with baking soda (using a sponge or rag), and then pour hydrogen peroxide over it. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse.

Get rid of that nasty brown layer on your cookie sheets and pans- simply sprinkle them with baking soda and then a generous spritz of hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak for 1-3 hours and you’ll have some beautifully clean pans!

Of course, hydrogen peroxide has more uses than just kitchen cleanliness-

Clean mirrors and glass surfaces without all the leftover streaks!

Clean off soap scum with this miracle solution- 1 cup baking soda, ¼ cup vinegar, and 1-2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. After it’s done foaming, use the solution to scrub off soap residue.

Use it when doing laundry! You can keep your whites bright with hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach, and you can remove stains as well! It’s especially effective for blood stains.

Soak your toothbrush to get rid of bacteria- and to top it off, use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash! (This also whitens your teeth- so there’s multiple benefits!t But be careful not to swallow it- you may want to research different solution mixtures before giving this a try).

Get rid of harmful (and smelly) bacteria from your feet by letting them soak in a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts warm water.

Disinfect the toilet- add a ½ cup to the toilet bowl and let it sit for a good 20 minutes to kill all the microorganisms and icky things living in there.

Clean out the garbage can! Make a solution of a 1:1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide and water, and spray your garbage can after rinsing it out. Let it sit in the sun for a few hours to get rid of all the germs!

It’s not recommended that you use hydrogen peroxide on your skin- studies have shown that it can actually slow the healing process, and cause scarring. I have personal experience with this! As a 17 year old, I went on an ice skating date with a really cute boy (who is now my husband :) ). But I forgot to wear long socks and ended up rubbing away the skin on the outside of both my ankles. My mom wanted to disinfect it (understandably), so she poured hydrogen peroxide over the wounds. IT BURNED LIKE CRAZY. And bubbled- which is a really weird sensation! It ended up scarring and I had those scars for a couple years! Luckily the scars eventually went away, but it’s a good reminder that this is powerful stuff! With that said, there’s still a lot this little miracle brown bottle can do- just wear gloves ;).

What’s your favorite way to use hydrogen peroxide?