Kitchen sponges do one hefty job keeping all of the dishes that we eat, drink and cook out of clean. But what about keeping them clean? You don’t want to let bacteria build up on your sponge, which in turn can end up back on those dishes and make you sick. Sure, you can always spray them with bleach and let them soak for a while before rinsing. However, if you prefer something a little less harsh, why not use hydrogen peroxide?
Keep some straight hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and spray it directly onto the sponge, on both sides. Let it sit and soak for 15-20 minutes and rinse completely, squeezing out any excess bubbles. You can also simply pour it on your sponge, but you may end up using more than necessary if you choose to do it this way. To save money, use the spray bottle.
Relieve Tooth Pain
Even though overusing hydrogen peroxide on your teeth can cause some sensitivity, using it occasionally will do wonders for the inside of your mouth. Not only will swishing with the peroxide help to whiten your teeth and freshen your breath, but it can also alleviate tooth pain, depending on the cause.
If your toothache is the result of an infection, hydrogen peroxide can help to remedy the issue. Simply mix equal parts peroxide and water and swish throughout the mouth for 3-5 minutes, concentrating on the part of your mouth that hurts. The solution should help to get rid of some of the bacteria that are causing you discomfort. Taking a Tylenol won’t hurt, either.
Kill Underarm Odors
Most deodorants on the market today contain aluminum, which may deter you from wanting to smear it into your skin. And, there are some natural deodorants on the market that actually work, but they can be pretty expensive. So, the next logical step is to create a natural deodorant of your own. You can do this using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
Add one part of water to two-parts hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle and shake lightly to combine. Spritz the solution onto your underarm area and dab a bit of baking soda on afterwards. This will work to prevent odors, but it does not work as an antiperspirant, which means you may still sweat, it just won’t smell as bad.
Disinfect the Kids' Toys
When you’ve got a little one, everything in the house (within reach of baby arms, of course) is in danger of being ingested. That means that everything they touch is basically just one giant germ factory. And the last thing you want to do is use harmful cleaning agents on anything your baby touches.
But you can keep their toys clean and disinfected without risking them touching (or eating) any sort of chemical. Mix one-part water to one-part hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and spritz toys at the end of each day (or as much as you can possibly remember) to keep them germ free.
Keep Lunch Pails Free of Germs
Keeping with the theme of kids being walking germ magnets, something else to think about is the lunchbox you send them to school with every day. They’re reaching in with their hands, which have been all over school doorknobs, bathroom stalls and God knows what else, to pull out their food which they’re them eating. Plus, if they trade food or anything, there will be more than one set of dirty little hands in there.
To make sure your kids' lunchboxes don’t turn into bacteria breeding facilities, keep them disinfected with a simple peroxide and water solution! Use the trusty spritz, soak, rinse, and dry method when they bring them home at night. That way, you can rest easy knowing you’re doing everything possible to keep the flu out of the house!