There’s a reason you never smell bleach in a doctor’s office. It smells and it’s not healthy. And any nurse will tell you the only place they might use bleach at home is in their laundry.


Then there’s some chemical history: Chlorine (the main ingredient in bleach) was used to kill our Troops in WWI. Hydrogen peroxide was first isolated (discovered) in 1818 and was used during WWI as an effective way to save lives and help cleanse hospitals.

So with that fun introduction, let’s look at that plain little bottle of 3% peroxide that you can get at the dollar store, and all the things it can do:

• Take one capful (the little white cap that comes the bottle) of peroxide and hold it in your mouth for 5-ish minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I shower.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.
• Soak your toothbrushes in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.
• Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
• After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
• Struggling with toenail fungus? Spray a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them every night and let air dry.


• Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. Research shows certain gangrene that defy healing will indeed heal by soaking in peroxide.
• Fill a spray bottle with a 70/30 mixture of peroxide to water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system the way bleach or most other disinfectants will.
• Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.


• If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
• And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages show, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.
• Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath water to help get rid of boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
• You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary. And it does so much more!


• Use peroxide to clean mirrors. There’s no smearing.
• Around toilets, peroxide takes care of urine on the floor that’s the result of a careless aim (ahem). In the blink of any eye all the smell will be gone and the bacteria eliminated!
• It will take most stains out of your carpet, without the discoloring the way bleach does.

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save money in such a simple, healthy manner! So scram bleach; here comes peroxide!

    Alice Osborne
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com