Have you ever put on a clean new dress only to spill coffee on it during your break?
What about having a new pet that thinks the carpet is perfectly fine to pee on?
Maybe you have kids who just love getting ketchup, juice, or grass stains all over their clothes?
If you have, then odds are you've asked yourself the question:
"How the heck am I supposed to clean this now?"
The answer: hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen Peroxide for Household Stains
If you've read some of our earlier posts, odds are you already know about hydrogen peroxide and what it does. Whether it’s disinfecting surfaces and instruments, unclogging drains, or being used as a bleaching agent, hydrogen peroxide is one useful and versatile chemical. In this article, we highlight how you can also use H²O² to save yourself from those annoying household stains.
Note that you'll need just 3% hydrogen peroxide for these stains.
So, without further ado:
1. Coffee Stains
Coffee stains are a problem when you get them on your clothes, carpet, and floor.
To get them out, dry out the stain then mix 2 parts hydrogen peroxide with 1 part dish soap. Dab the solution on the stain with a rough cloth or an old toothbrush. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes before wiping the area off with a towel and the stain should be gone.
Remember to wear gloves while doing this procedure.
2. Wine Stains
The holidays often bring merriment, camaraderie, and the occasional red wine stain on your expensive carpet. Thankfully, hydrogen peroxide can help remove even difficult wine stains.
For this stain, you can use the same formula to remove coffee stains. One thing to note, though, is to try the solution on a smaller inconspicuous part of your carpet to see if it discolors your carpet.
If there's no discoloration, then go ahead and use the same method for removing coffee stains.
3. Ketchup, Juice, and Grass Stains
What do ketchup, juice, and grass stains have in common? You often find them in your child's clothes. So, if you want to keep your child's clothes clean, it's a good idea to have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide around (just not anywhere that they can reach it).
For these stains, mix 2 parts hydrogen peroxide with 1 part water and stir well. Remember to always dry your stains first before using this solution. Dab some on the stain then wait for 5 to 10 minutes.
Then you just launder as usual and the stain should be gone.
4. Dirty White Clothes
As we've mentioned before, hydrogen peroxide finds industrial use as a bleaching agent for paper and cotton. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that you can use hydrogen peroxide to give your old white clothes some new life.
Just pour one cup of hydrogen peroxide into your washing machine as you wash your white clothes. You can also pour that cup of hydrogen peroxide directly into the water if you're using an older washing machine model.
5. Scuff Marks
Another common stain is pencil lines on walls, either as a result of some DIY home makeovers or because of younger children drawing on them. Removing these scuffs can be troublesome especially since using an eraser removes the scuff mark as well as the wall paint underneath.
So, it's good news that hydrogen peroxide can deal with these scuff marks rather easily. Just pour some on a clean cloth and wipe those scuff marks away.
Just remember to first check if the hydrogen peroxide has any effects on your wall paint.
6. Pee Stains on the Carpet
If you're a dog owner, you probably have a dirty carpet that your pet loves to lounge on. This carpet is often covered in shed hair and smells of your dog's presence.
If you want to thoroughly clean your dog's favorite carpet, then hydrogen peroxide is your best bet.
Just put some hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle and spray onto your carpet. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes then blot the stain away with a clean cloth. Note that you have to blot and not rub as rubbing may bleach and discolor your carpet by spreading the hydrogen peroxide.
7. Pee Stains on Hardwood Floors
Dog pee-stained hardwood floors often come with pee-stained carpets. Thankfully, hydrogen peroxide can deal with this problem too.
You pretty much do the same process for removing pee stains on your carpet. However, you do first need to check how your hardwood floor reacts to the hydrogen peroxide by testing it in an inconspicuous spot.
8. Pet Poop and Pee Smells
Pet pee may not leave a mark every time but it will leave a scent that can become overwhelming. The same can be said about your pet's excrement. These smells are caused by bacteria as they decompose the waste matter and aldehydes from urine and excrement.
Fortunately:
Hydrogen peroxide can remove smells as well.
Just pour some hydrogen peroxide over the smelly spot then cover with a clean cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Place some plastic wrap on top of the cloth and put a book over it to weigh it down overnight or at least 8 hours. This should get rid of the smell and any stains left behind.
9. Grime and Mildew on Kitchen Sink
Moving into the kitchen, you may notice that your sink has some gunk growing on and around it. This gunk is caused by bacteria and fungi making themselves at home on your kitchen sink. This is a problem since the kitchen sink is where you'd want to clean your utensils, not introduce them to bacteria and fungi.
If you want to keep your kitchen sink clean and free from bacteria and fungi then it's time to use some hydrogen peroxide.
With 2 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide, make a paste and mix well with an old toothbrush. Then, apply the paste onto every nook and cranny, as well as surrounding areas, of your sink. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes then scrub lightly and rinse thoroughly to prevent any white trails from the baking soda.
10. Grime and Food Stains on Countertops
The other kitchen surface you need to deal with is your kitchen counter. With grime, waste, and food stains on this surface, you're practically inviting all sorts of bacteria and fungi to colonize your kitchen which makes your kitchen a breeding ground for various diseases.
Thankfully:
Hydrogen peroxide can purge your kitchen countertop of all these disease-causing bacteria and fungi.
Just put some hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle then spray directly on stains. Let it stay for at least 5 minutes then wipe it off with a clean cloth.