Most of us know hydrogen peroxide as the wound care go-to of our childhood. Who could forget that burning sensation when your mom dabbed it on your cut?

Hydrogen peroxide is a great way to achieve sparkling clean mirrors and windows without streaks. All you need to do is spray the glass down with hydrogen peroxide or a peroxide/water combination. Then wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth, paper towel, or rag. Some people also like using old newspaper!

There is nothing more annoying than having to scrape off old, burned food waste from your pots and pans — or worse, leaving them to “soak” for an eternity in the sink. Scraping the pan bottom can also scratch the surface, ruining it for good

Canker sores can be incredibly painful, especially if you are prone to getting them over and over again. They can be irritated or made worse by extra bacteria in the mouth, which is one reason why oral hygiene is important!

Did you know that your mouth might be home to more than 20 billion bacteria? If you wear a retainer, it’s vital to make sure you clean it regularly to avoid causing tooth decay, bad breath, and other issues.

If you’re struggling to get tough stains out of your laundry, don’t reach for the bleach. Instead, use a bit of hydrogen peroxide to boost the efforts of your wash cycle. Just put a cup of peroxide in with white clothing to brighten it.

If there are two things that hydrogen peroxide can do, they are removing stains and disinfecting surfaces. That makes it the perfect solution for cleaning those all-important surfaces in your bathroom.

If you have dry skin on your feet, you know how painful it can be — and how difficult it can be to treat. Cracked, flaking heels are often from being on your feet a lot, especially if you have to wear constricting shoes for your job.

You probably know that it’s important to wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them, but sometimes, just water isn’t enough. A solution with hydrogen peroxide can help you bring your sanitizing efforts to the next level, and you might be surprised by how much dirt comes off your veggies. Just make sure to use food-grade hydrogen peroxide so you don’t make yourself sick.

Was there ever a tool that was as universal as hydrogen peroxide? It is even a great way to get rid of moderate amounts of rust! It is ideal for things like rusty tools, which you can let soak in a hydrogen peroxide solution.

Carpets can trap an astonishing amount of dirt, mold, and other grime. Left untreated, this can cause health problems for the people in your home, including allergies and respiratory issues. Meanwhile, cleaning the carpet can be a royal pain.

Who said you need anything special to get some highlights in your hair? Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful lightening agent, and it works on everything from fabric to teeth, fingernails, and, you guessed it — hair!

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can be great tools to improve the air quality in your house. But because of their intended use, they can be hotspots for mold growth. All that warm, wet air and water trapped in a small compartment can mean mold spores get spewed out, infecting the air in your home.

We’ve mentioned that hydrogen peroxide is great for lifting stains out of clothing and dishes, so it should come as no surprise that it can whiten your teeth, too! In fact, it’s the main ingredient in many of the commercial whitening agents you’ll find in stores.

Finding yourself in a stinky situation without any deodorant on hand? Reach for the hydrogen peroxide instead! You can try mixing it with a small amount of dish soap or just dabbing it on your underarms on its own.

Bleach is a household cleaning staple, but it can also be dangerous. If you want a safer alternative to use around kids or pets, or if you dislike breathing in bleach fumes, consider swapping the bleach for hydrogen peroxide.

Cleaning your toilet is a vital but unpleasant task. Luckily, hydrogen peroxide is a great way to make this chore a lot easier and more effective. Not only does the peroxide disinfect and kill bacteria, but it also treats stains, leaving your toilet looking sparkling and new.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: hydrogen peroxide is the king of banishing stinky odors. If your gym shoes are smelling pretty rank, just give them a quick spray with a hydrogen peroxide solution.

Toothaches can be absolutely unbearable, making you unable to focus on anything else. Though the science is mixed, many people swear by soaking a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and holding it against the painful tooth for about five minutes. Alternatively, swish it around in your mouth.

Sponges exist to wipe away all the germs and crud from used dishes, so it should come as no surprise that they are havens for all kinds of bacteria. To keep them clean, give them the occasional spray or soak in a hydrogen peroxide solution.

We’ve all been told time and again not to stick Q-tips in our ears, but it can be so tempting when you have too much waxy buildup! If your ears are feeling gunky and you’re itching to reach for the cotton buds, grab some hydrogen peroxide instead.

If you have to rinse dishes frequently before putting them in the dishwasher, or if you notice caked-on food after running a cycle, your dish detergent alone might not be enough. The good news is that you don’t need new detergent or to spend hundreds on a new machine.

Hydrogen peroxide isn’t just great for sanitizing. It is also an effective mold killer, which is good news for us all! Left unchecked, mold can cause serious issues in your home by spreading spores through the air and causing damage.

Whether you’re a gardener or just love your houseplants, hydrogen peroxide is a great tool to keep on hand. It can function as a two-in-one pesticide and fungicide, repelling harmful critters and spores that will damage or sicken your plants.

Hydrogen peroxide is a pro at killing bacteria, so it should come as no surprise that it’s a great tool for banishing bad breath! Halitosis is often caused by excess bacteria in your mouth, which is why hydrogen peroxide is the original DIY mouthwash.

If you wear contacts, you know how vital it is to keep them clean. Dirty lenses can harbor all kinds of bacteria, increasing your risk of damage to your eye, infections, and even blindness.

As cute as they are, kids are still learning the concepts of germs and hygiene. Babies are prone to putting everything in their mouth, which increases their risk of getting sick.

Most of us first experienced hydrogen peroxide as our parents’ go-to for cleaning wounds. While some more recent studies have shown that using it on big cuts may cause tissue damage and impede effective healing, it’s likely okay to use on minor wounds.

Hydrogen peroxide is the ultimate bacteria killer, which means it can be an effective treatment for pimples. Many people use it as a simple toner. Just soak a cotton ball in peroxide and dab it on your face where you’re experiencing a breakout.

Hydrogen peroxide can even be used in some instances to save your dog’s life. If your pup has swallowed something poisonous, you can give them a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.

Makeup brushes can trap a truly horrifying amount of bacteria, gathering dirt, oil, and even mold spores. Unfortunately, using a dirty makeup brush can spread this bacteria around your skin, causing acne breakouts, irritation, and even infection.

If your nails have a tendency to turn yellow, you might feel frustrated. Yellowing nails can happen because of working with certain materials like dye, or as an indication of diet or health. Regardless, hydrogen peroxide is a great tool to fix them.

The science is mixed, but there are many people who swear by hydrogen peroxide as a remedy for treating a cold! And as long as you’re acting safely, there is no reason why you can’t try a home remedy like this.

Yeast infections can be extremely painful and embarrassing, especially if you suffer from chronic ones. Luckily, there is some evidence that hydrogen peroxide can help! Just add a small amount to a bath before you soak.

As every parent of a school-age kid will tell you, lunch boxes are havens for bacteria. Spills and hot lockers can cause lunch boxes and coolers to get sticky and smelly, making you groan as you contemplate packing your kid’s lunch.

Fabric is great at trapping odors, even if it’s fabric that you wash on a regular basis. If your bath towels are smelling funky, grab some hydrogen peroxide.

We’ve talked about how hydrogen peroxide is highly effective at killing mold, and that goes for killing mold in the air, too! To clean your home’s air, add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to a diffuser or humidifier, in a one-to-eight ratio (one part peroxide to eight parts water).

If you have grout in your bathroom or kitchen, you might notice it becoming discolored. This is because of mold and bacteria gathering in the cracks between tiles. A scrub with some hydrogen peroxide can revitalize your grout, removing the hidden bits of fungus and crud causing discoloration.

We keep saying that hydrogen peroxide is amazing at killing bacteria and fungus, and guess what? That even applies to fungus that attacks the skin, such as the one that causes athlete’s foot! If your feet are itchy and smelly, try a soak in a hydrogen peroxide solution.

If you have a cutting board that you usually use for cutting meat, it’s important to keep it as clean as possible. Bacteria can get trapped in knife cuts on a board, and when it comes to raw meat, you don’t want to mess around.