It turns out, there are other great uses for hydrogen peroxide (thank you, Internet!) that I didn't know about. It makes you wonder what other household products you have lurking in cabinets and cupboards that are not reaching their full potential. At a guess, I'd say probably more than I can count with both hands. But before I change focus and raid my medicine cabinet for products to check, let's talk about hydrogen peroxide! For example, did you know it can be used to:

1. Disinfect Small Wounds

Hydrogen peroxide is a natural anti-septic, therefore one of its most common uses is to clean wounds to prevent infection.

2. Bleach Your Hair

Because it is more gentle than household bleach, hydrogen peroxide is also great for lightening hair.

3. Just Add Highlights

To get a classic “sun-bleached” look, simply spray hydrogen peroxide over damp hair and let it soak in for 10 – 15 minutes before rinsing out.

4. Whitening Toothydrogen peroxideaste

Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a homemade toothydrogen peroxideaste that will also remove stains from teeth when used daily.

5. Antiseptic Mouth Rinse

Use a cap full of hydrogen peroxide as a mouth rinse to help whiten teeth and kill germs that cause bad breath.

I'm embarrassed to say that over the years I had forgotten alllllll about #1. I remember the one time my grandmother used rubbing alcohol on my scrapped up knee and I screamed at the top of my lungs. SO PAINFUL! From there on out, she used hydrogen peroxide because it didn't burn. It also creates tiny bubbles or “fizz” on the cut itself. My grandma would say “that means its working”. I'm sure there is a much more scientific explanation for it, but I'd like to think she was right.

The list above contains my personal favorites from Natural Living Ideas. Be sure to visit their awesome site to get even more useful tips for this highly under appreciated liquid. I found them to be a great resource!