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 I have a few weird fears. One – I’m afraid of wind. Yes, I realize how totally dumb that sounds. But for some reason when high winds are afoot, you might find me under the foot……of the bed. Two – I’m afraid of Boxer breed dogs. Three – I’m afraid of one day tucking my skirt into the back of my pantyhose. I think I’ll stop there……except for this one – I’m afraid of bleach. Seriously. I hate the stuff. I cannot even stand to touch an unopened bottle. For some reason, it gives me the heebie jeebies. But sometimes you really need something to kill germs, i.e. you’re cooking chicken or you’ve got the plague. There are a couple things I use to clean up this type of mess – white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. I thought I would go over peroxide today because I bet there are bunches of you don’t know all the awesome stuff it can do! Oh, and it’s really cheap too.  Cheaper than most cleaners you buy. |
| You need to use 3% hydrogen peroxide – the stronger stuff is dangerous…..but 3% is pretty much all they sell at the drug store, so don’t wig out. It’s near the Band-Aids® because you use it to disinfect wounds – you can also use it to disinfect your house. Peroxide is better to keep in your house than most cleaners because it’s non-toxic.
I admit, that stuff never really bothered me before Annie. But, she’s very nosy……and very curious. I really don’t want her downing a bottle of Clorox, so I feel safer using peroxide. Granted, I’m not going to let her drink it with her crackers, but it is a lot safer. It won’t cause her to grow a third leg from being around it either. You might not know this about it, but peroxide is: antibacterial, antifungal, and it kills mold and mildew. And here’s a plus, because it’s a disinfectant when you’re using it you’re also disinfecting your cleaning rags. Nice! Two for one deal. I love those. It’s almost like a Buy One Get One Free sale. If you start using peroxide, you won’t have to continue buying six different cleaners for your house…..you can just buy it since it cleans a multitude of surfaces. Here are the “cleaners” I am currently buying: peroxide, white vinegar, borax, baking soda, castile soap, tea tree oil, Fels Naptha, and Ivory soap. That’s it….and most of those are dirt cheap. I poured my peroxide down into this spray bottle, full strength. Now it’s ready to go! Make sure if you use a see-through bottle like me that you store the bottle in the dark. Peroxide will break down when exposed to light. Since I store mine in a dark cabinet, I don’t mind to use the clear bottle. |
 I also use white vinegar in a spray bottle, so I made sure to label them both. I’ll use them both for different things, but they both clean the same way. I bought these spray bottles at Sally Hair Supply……because I was tired of the cheap $1 ones. Every time I buy one of those, they drip or quit working. These were $2.29/each and they work great. I consider it a good investment…..a good investment toward the keeping of my sanity. |
 What can you use Hydrogen Peroxide for? For starters, you can use it in the laundry. It serves the same purpose as bleach in your washing machine. Just pop it in the same dispenser you use for bleach. It will take the color out of dark things, so be careful what you use it on. I’ve also read that it will take blood stains out…..and get nastiness out of your carpet. But if you’re worried about it making a place on your carpet, try a small spot in your husband’s closet first to see if it take the color out. Why your husband’s closet? Because he’ll never notice. If you have white diapers, it will also whiten those. I like sunshine best for that, though.If you want to use it to mop your floors, you can mix it with equal parts water and mop away. I use my spray bottle for quick floor clean ups…..like those times when I squirt ketchup all over the floor or drop a blob of jelly.
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 This is my favorite use – hard surfaces. Peroxide will disinfect extremely well. It will clean countertops, mirrors, showers, windows, doorknobs, appliances, cutting boards, trash cans, sinks, and toilets…..and that’s only the beginning. If you need to clean it, you can use peroxide. And, it will even show you that it’s working! Just spray it on like so……. |
 With peroxide, you don’t immediately wipe away. You need to let it set a bit and work…..see, it’s foaming up. That lets you know it’s killing germs. Bye-bye, chicken nastiness! So, spray your stuff down, eat a cookie, and then wipe away.One last gem of information – it’s great to clean things when you’re sick……or if you need to get rid of germiness. If you’ve been sick, soak your toothbrush in peroxide. The same goes with thermometers. Also, you can disinfect the sponges and cloths you clean with by soaking them in peroxide…..but you’re really doing that if you’re using peroxide with them to clean anyway.
Now, just watch for peroxide to be on a really cheap sale and stock up! CVS won’t know what hit them. See THIS LINK for Hydrogen Peroxide uses and clarification of methods. |
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About Stacy
Hi, I'm Stacy! Welcome to Stacy Makes Cents! I'm a naturally-minded, frugal living mama, who likes to blog about living debt free in everyday life. Delicious (and healthy) recipes, money tips, and frugal living posts abound here! Enjoy your stay. Romans 13:8 
