After two weeks of “social distancing”, being isolated, and homeschooling, I decided it was time for me to write a post about tips for keeping your home clean during COVID-19. I have seen so many people using products that are not good products, I couldn’t just sit back anymore, I had to say something! I’m not saying I know everything there is to know about cleaning products but after many years of testing products, researching products and working with brands, I feel very confident in what we use to keep our house clean. My products might not be cute and trendy but they kill bacteria, germs and viruses, and that’s what really matters.

Our house

To keep the surfaces of our home clean and safe from COVID-19, I am using my 2 favorite products, both of which I have used forever. Years ago I stumbled across a great blog called Dr. Annie’s Experiments. On her blog she tests every cleaning product you can possibly imagine, and once I read her results, and did some research, I changed what I was using to sanitize my home.

The two staple cleaning items in our house are Homage Essentials Co. Hydrogen Peroxide and Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes. If you read Dr. Annie’s experiments you learn that, other than bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide is the number one disinfectant, but since regular hydrogen peroxide doesn’t smell like anything, I love the Homage Essentials Co. products because they come in a variety of amazing smelling scents!

Everything in our house gets cleaned with hydrogen peroxide–the kitchen counters, sink, trash can, refrigerator, the bathrooms and even the floors!

The Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes clean everything that’s not always easy to spray, like the light switches, remotes, door handles, our phones, computers, etc. I usually buy these on Amazon but they sold out pretty quickly after the COVID-19 scare hit, so until they are available again I would recommend saturating a paper towel with the Homage Essentials Co. hydrogen peroxide, and using it as a wipe.

During a normal week I have my daughter wipe down doors, light switches and remotes once a week, but during this season I’m having her do it a couple times a week, just to be on the safe side.

Our hands

There are LOTS of hand sanitizers out there but if you read Dr. Annie’s hand sanitizer experiment results, you quickly learn that not all of them are doing what they should be doing–killing the germs!

As soon as I finished reading her post, a couple years ago, I immediately threw out what I had been using and ordered Zylast Direct Hand Sanitizer and Foaming Hand Soap. The Zylast products get rid of dirty hands, and they kill germs, including the Norovirus!

I carry a travel size bottle of the Antiseptic in my purse and use it anytime we leave a store, get gas, etc. Anytime we are out in public we immediately clean our hands with the Zylast Antiseptic once we are in the car. Once we arrive back home the first thing we all do is head to a sink to wash our hands with the Antiseptic Foaming Soap. This is a normal routine for us but I’ve been even more careful about staying on top of it now that we are dealing with COVID-19.

Our bodies and minds

With my daughter being home from school we have maintained her normal 7-period school schedule, and luckily her first period is P.E. Each morning we start our day with a healthy breakfast and then do a 30 minute workout. We are currently doing Beachbody’s Morning Meltdown 100 with Jericho Matthews.

Image source: Google

Doing a workout each morning has been so good for, not just our bodies, but also our mindsets. Each day is started by doing something that’s good for us, and helps to keep our bodies healthy, so if we do end up coming in contact with the virus, our bodies are strong and ready to fight.

My daughter’s fourth period is Bible so it has also been nice each day to take 30 minutes, find a quiet spot in the house and get grounded in the Word. She has a box she likes to climb into, and I like to curl up with a blanket to read, pray, refocus and get re-grounded in the Lord.

Taking 30 minutes to have quiet time has been so helpful in keeping our mental attitudes strong and to keep the fear at bay. There is so much chaos and fear all around us right now and I think the 30 minutes of quiet time with the Lord, or even just a good book, is just as important as the 30 minutes we spend working out.

Last but not least, the other thing we are doing to keep our bodies strong is to take our vitamins. We are usually good about taking daily vitamins but the last couple weeks we have upped our game! Each day we all take a pile of vitamins. My daughter likes to keep track so I know that I take 10 each morning–everything from Vitamin C, D, Multi, Echinacea, Lysine, to other immunity boosters.

I’m also trying to get vitamins from spending time in the sun. The other day it was chilly outside, but sunny, so I put on a bathing suit top and sat out on the back patio and FaceTimed with a friend. Taking vitamin pills is good but soaking up the sun and eating nutritional food is equally important. Vitamins are important because the healthier your body is, the harder it will be able to fight against any type of cold or virus.

I hope this has been helpful and will give you some good tips for keeping your home clean during COVID-19, and keep your family safe and healthy. My prayer for everyone right now is that we will not succumb to the fear, but that we will look to the Lord to give us strength and protection each day. Blessings.

Helpful links

• If you are interested here are the links to Dr. Annie’s experiment results for Homage Essentials Co. (formerly Pyoure) hydrogen peroxide and the Zylast Hand Sanitizer.
• Homage Essentials Co. website
• Zylast Direct website
• Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes (for when it comes back in stock)
• At home workouts – Beachbody
• How they are using Hydrogen Peroxide to clean N95 masks for reuse

* Disclaimer – I have included a couple affiliate links for these products, if you buy through the link I get a small commission but you don’t pay a cent more than you normally would. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!

Other helpful cleaning posts

6 Uses for Hydrogen Peroixide

How to Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in Your Home

Top Tips for Cleaning Your Home with Natural Products

The post Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean During COVID-19 appeared first on Ask Anna.

Now let’s explore the final four dirty spaces that we are going to slay with our spring cleaning!

How to Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places In Your Home – Part 3

What You’ll Need:

• Plain 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• All Purpose Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
• Fragrance Free Liquid Castille Soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes

#7  Bathroom Faucet Handles

Finally, something from the bathroom!  Although I’m still a little shocked that it’s the bathroom faucet handles on the top 10 list and not the toilet seat or handle.  (This is a pleasant surprise for me actually.  I’m in the middle of potty training my daughter.  Now, watching her touch all over the toilet seat and handles makes my stomach a little less queasy, although it still makes me cringe.)

To thoroughly clean the faucet handles, make sure to first remove any soap scum and debris.  Second, generously spray the handles with a solution of equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and water.  Let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then rinse or wipe thoroughly.

To save some time you can also use hydrogen peroxide wipes or an all purpose peroxide cleaner.

#8  Kitchen Counter Top

And, here’s yet another surface from our kitchen.  I’m starting to see a pattern here.  It seems that the kitchen is the dirtiest place in the home, just from the sheer number of appearances on our top 10 list.

Fortunately, since countertops are hard and smooth and normally don’t have many cracks for bacteria to hide in, cleanup is relatively easy.  Remove all crumbs and debris, and spray generously with a solution of equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and water.  Let it sit for 2 minutes and rinse.  To save time, wipes or a food grade hydrogen peroxide based cleaner can be used here as well.

#9  Bathroom Door Knob

Interestingly, the bathroom door knob made it on the list, but not the toilet handle.  My best guess as to why this is the case is because a lot of us don’t flush the toilet directly with our hands but use our elbows and feet instead.  A door knob, however, is much harder to manipulate with an elbow or foot (although I actually was able to twist a door knob once with my two elbows!), so damp hands are more prone to come in contact with it.  Plus, the sheer fact that door knobs are much less likely to be cleaned at all, help explain why they accumulate germs and rank as high as they do on this list.

To clean the bathroom door knobs, wipe them with hydrogen peroxide wipes, paying special attention to the crevices of the knob.  Hydrogen peroxide wipes are great because not only do they contain peroxide, they physically remove grime and bacteria from the surface, much like washing does.

#10  Stove Knobs

Finally we close out our top 10 list with stove knobs – yet another item from our favorite germ-infested room – the kitchen.  I must admit, when I clean my counters and stove, a lot of times I forget to clean the knobs.  And when handling raw produce and meat, it’s easy to see how these can turn into breeding grounds for all sorts of bacteria and microorganisms.

Here again, hydrogen peroxide wipes are phenomenal and convenient (make sure to choose the food grade variety).  Just wipe the knobs down, paying special attention to any crevices.

Phew!  That was fun!  Hopefully this series has given you some tips that will help you along with your spring cleaning this year!  Any other areas that you think should have made it to the top 10 dirtiest places list?  Let us know in the comments below!

And if you missed the first 2 posts, you can start the series by clicking HERE. Happy Spring Cleaning!!!

Raven

Pyoure

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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The post Part 3 – How To Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in your Home appeared first on Ask Anna.

Now let’s explore three more surprisingly dirty spaces that could use a thorough spring cleaning!

What You’ll Need:

• Plain 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• All Purpose Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
• Fragrance Free Liquid Castille Soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes
• White Vinegar (optional)

Now, let’s get this party started!

#4  Coffee Reservoir

Coffee reservoirs were found to have the second highest concentration of yeast and mold (dish rags had the highest).  I must say, that this one surprised me.  It makes sense that a coffee reservoir would harbor germs because it’s constantly dark and moist, but I didn’t realize just how nasty it really is.  When I think back on just how much coffee I drank from my former office’s free, but never-cleaned pot and brewer, I shudder.

While researching in preparation for writing this article, I did a bit of digging to see just what information is out there on the internet as it relates to cleaning a coffee pot.  Every single article I found only mentioned running vinegar through the brewer, which is woefully inadequate for disinfecting purposes.  Since vinegar is not very good at killing germs by itself, you’re going to need something with a little more oomph to get the job done (click here to read an article about an experiment that tested vinegar’s bactericidal properties).  However, when you use vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide, it creates a very powerful disinfectant.  But keep in mind that you cannot combine the two in the same bottle – you have to use one, and then the other.  The order of use doesn’t matter; you just can’t use them together at the exact same time.

Here’s how to use vinegar and peroxide to clean your coffee maker.  If you’re able, wash the reservoir out with hot soapy water (if not, then skip this step).  Next, fill the reservoir with half 3% peroxide, and half water.  Let it sit for about 30 minutes.  Run that peroxide solution through your coffee maker and discard.  You’ll probably notice that the water you’ve run through the machine fizzes and looks like seltzer water as the peroxide continues to kill germs.

Next, fill the coffee reservoir with half white distilled vinegar and half water, and run it through your coffee maker.  It is important to use distilled vinegar for this step because it will remove any mineral deposits in your maker in addition to working with the peroxide to disinfect.

Finally, run clean water through your coffee maker.  I did this about two times to make sure I got all of the vinegar and peroxide out of my machine.  But definitely make sure you don’t leave any peroxide behind.  Peroxide is a very strong oxidizer and can rust the internal metal parts of your coffee maker if it is left to sit for too long.  This is why I like to do the peroxide first, so that it’s sure to be cleared out with the vinegar and clean water passes.

#5  Kitchen Sink

Fortunately, the germ counts for kitchen sinks dropped by nearly half from the coffee reservoirs in the study.  But make no mistake, this area still needs a thorough cleaning!

To clean, wash the sink thoroughly to remove any food residue and generously spray it with 3% hydrogen peroxide.  Let it sit for about 30 seconds before rinsing. Pyoure’s hydrogen peroxide cleaners remove food and contain peroxide, so they are a great one-step alternative.

For under-mounted sinks, pay extra attention to the area where the sink meets the countertop (circled in the picture below):

This gap is an ideal place for bacteria to accumulate because its propensity to catch old food and moisture.  For this area I highly recommend gently scrubbing out the crud and old food with a dish brush, and then spraying 3%  peroxide in the crevice.  Let the peroxide sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing.  If I see the peroxide foaming excessively while sitting, that lets me know that there is a large amount of bacteria present and I usually repeat the application a couple of times.

#6  Pet Toys

Here’s another pet item that made it to the top 10 list: pet toys.  Since pets primarily play with their toys via their mouths and paws, you can totally see just how icky they can become after a while.

Interestingly, pet toys were found to have the highest overall concentrations of staph in the study.  Staph is a family of bacteria that cause all sorts of nasty diseases.  Although it does generally coexist peacefully on the skin of our pets and ourselves, if left unchecked, staph multiplies quickly and can wreak havoc on our bodies.  The bacteria themselves, in addition to the toxins they produce, can cause boils, food poisoning, abscesses, and toxic shock syndrome, just to name a few.

To safely disinfect your pet toy, wash the toy thoroughly in warm soapy water and rinse.  Next, let the toy soak in a solution of half 3% hydrogen peroxide and half water for 30 minutes, and rinse thoroughly. Remove as much excess water as you can, and let the toy air dry. (Added bonus: this cleaning reduces dust mites on soft toys too!)

And we’ve made it through the top 6 dirtiest places in our home!  Stay tuned for the final four items to Spring Clean! How’s your cleaning coming along so far?  Let us know in the comments below!

In case you missed the link at the top, click HERE to learn how to clean the top 3 dirtiest places in your house.

Raven

Pyoure

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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The post Part 2 – How To Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in your Home appeared first on Ask Anna.

And with the entrance of spring comes the yearly ritual of spring cleaning, but if I’m being honest, I really don’t enjoy cleaning. Although the feeling of accomplishment I get after things are clean is absolutely wonderful and highly addicting, the process of cleaning is something that just doesn’t come easily to me. Add in there the fact that I can’t function in a dirty environment, and you’ll get a glimpse of the complicated and tormented relationship I have with cleaning. Because of this constant internal tension, I am always on the lookout for quick, efficient, and easy ways clean my house, especially for the heavy-duty type of cleaning required in the spring.

One of the things that helps me when I have a long cleaning to-do list is to start with and spend the most of my energy on the items that will make the biggest impact. Sometimes the things are easy, and sometimes they’re hard, but they’re always things that I will see the biggest difference when completed.

So I have applied this logic and created a 3-part series for Spring Cleaning the Top 10 filthiest places in the home. This list is based on the NSF’s 2011 study on the dirtiest places in the home. Keep in mind that this list is in descending order, so it begins with the places research has shown to be the most disgusting and germ-laden. Focusing on these areas will definitely give you the biggest impact to the overall cleanliness of your home.

How To Spring Clean The 10 Dirtiest Places In Your Home – Part 1

What You’ll Need:

• Plain 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• All Purpose Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
• Fragrance Free Liquid Castille Soap
• Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes

Other Helpful Tips

If you see excessive bubbling and foaming when you soak items in hydrogen peroxide, it might be wise to continue soaking or washing that item in a fresh solution of peroxide. The bubbling means that the peroxide is working, but it also means that it is getting “used up”. Refreshing the solution ensures that there is plenty of peroxide to finish the job.

Now let’s hit these germs hard, shall we?

#1 Dish Sponges and Rags

In the NSF study, dish sponges and rags were found to have the overall highest household concentration of yeast, mold, staph, and coliforms.  Coliforms are particularly nasty because they’re part of a family of bacteria that include E. Coli and Salmonella.

Cleaning dish rags and sponges is ridiculously simple and easy.  First, make sure that all the food particles are gone.  It might be easiest to wash them in the washing machine, but hand washing will suffice.  Next, soak those bad boys overnight in straight 3% hydrogen peroxide, and rinse thoroughly in the morning.  You’ll probably notice your sponges and rags foam like crazy when immersed in the peroxide, especially if you don’t routinely clean your kitchen using the sponge or rag with a disinfectant.  But not to worry, the excessive foaming means that the peroxide is killing lots of germs!!!

#2 Toothbrush Holder

It’s no surprise that the toothbrush holder is second on the list of the germiest places in the home since the toothbrush is used to clean what is arguably the germiest place on our body – the mouth.  The mouth has been found to have around 615 different types of bacteria, some of which have been linked to ailments such as heart disease, kidney disease, and even arthritis.

Because oral health has been linked to our overall health, it’s extremely important to keep these germs in check by routinely cleaning not only the holder, but toothbrushes too.

To thoroughly clean the toothbrush holder, wash it first in hot soapy water to remove all of the gunk and debris that may be sitting in the bottom or collecting around the sides.  Next, fill it to the brim with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and let it sit for an hour.  Rinse it well and let it air dry.  I highly recommend doing this at least once a week.

To deep clean your toothbrush, hold it under running hot tap water for at least 30 seconds.  It’s important for the water to be as hot as you can get it, so be careful not to scald yourself during this step.  Next, fill a cup with enough 3% hydrogen peroxide that will completely immerse the toothbrush bristles.  Soak the toothbrush head down in the peroxide for at least an hour.  Since toothbrushes are notoriously filthy, you may want to consider increasing the peroxide strength if you have a stronger version available.

Next, rinse the toothbrush in your hottest tap water for about 20 seconds.  (If you increased the peroxide strength in the previous step, be sure to rinse thoroughly or you risk frying your gums next time you brush!)  Rinsing your toothbrush in super hot tap water not only washes away the dead bacteria, but it also helps the toothbrush to dry more quickly.  The faster your toothbrush dries, the fewer the opportunities bacteria will have to grow on and between the bristles.

For everyday maintenance, I highly recommend a holder that is less prone to collecting germs and aids in killing the multitude of pathogens that collect on toothbrushes.  UV toothbrush sanitizes are great at killing germs, and they do it in a way that doesn’t use dangerous chemicals.  Toothbrush sanitizes like this one are great because they automatically expose toothbrushes to the UV rays for the optimal amount of germ-killing time.  Plus, they keep toothbrushes protected from other bathroom sprays and germs.

#3 Pet Bowl

Next on the list of germiest places is the pet bowl.  In the NSF study, pet bowls were found to have the highest percentage of E. Coli present, than any other household surface.  No surprise here since pets routinely clean their bodies, including their paws and genitals, with their tongues, and then use those same tongues to eat and drink out of their bowls.  And if your pet bowls are anything like mine, no matter how often I change the water, there always seems to be a curious layer of slime resting at the bottom (yuck!).

To thoroughly clean your pet’s bowl, wash the bowl in hot soapy water, being careful to remove all traces of food and residue.  For this step I actually had to use a scouring pad to get all the crusted filth off the sides of my cats’ bowls.  So depending on how often you deep clean your pet’s bowl, this step may require a bit of elbow grease.  Next, fill the bowl to the brim with straight 3% hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for an hour.  Rinse it thoroughly and fill it with fresh water or food.

That wasn’t so bad, now was it?  Or maybe I’m the only one that needs a little self-encouragement!  LOL! Stay tuned for Part 2 of the series – you won’t believe what else is and is not on the list!

Raven

Pyoure

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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The post Part 1 – How To Spring Clean the 10 Dirtiest Places in your Home appeared first on Ask Anna.

It’s a new year and the spring cleaning season of 2017 is quickly approaching.  As you may already know, hydrogen peroxide is the age-old cleaning secret that is quickly gaining mainstream acceptance in a lot of households.  And it’s truly no surprise since peroxide is not only a powerful disinfectant, but it’s safe for our waterways and families.  Peroxide is well known for its ability to safely break down into water and oxygen when it’s finished killing germs.

So here are 6 new awesome uses for hydrogen peroxide that will come in handy for your spring cleaning, and help you tackle new areas you may have never thought of!

6 New Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Although hydrogen peroxide from the drug or grocery store can be used, I highly recommend purchasing the food grade variety.  Peroxide sold in most stores have to remain shelf stable for long periods of time, so various stabilizers are added.  Most of the common stabilizers are toxic, so play it safe and stick to the unstabilized food grade kind.
• Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
  • Pyoure 7% Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Concentrates are what I use exclusively in my own home because they are non-toxic, feature food grade peroxide, and they smell absolutely fabulous.

#1 Decontaminate Spice Bottles

Did you know that your kitchen contains more germs and filth than your bathroom?  I know, my mind was blown by this little factoid too.  Research has shown that food preparation areas contain more bacteria and fecal matter than a bathroom faucet.  Areas that are most prone to contamination are surfaces that are porous, moist, and warm.  Surfaces that are smooth, nonporous, and cool are safer, but not altogether immune from a bacterial invasion.

One place in the kitchen that is immensely overlooked for routine cleaning I’ll bet 100% of the time is the spice rack.  We constantly grab those bottles amidst touching raw meats and other foods, but when was the last time we disinfected them?  If you’re like me, then probably never.  Because these bottles have porous paper labels, live in dark cabinets near warm stoves, and are in frequent contact with a variety of raw foods, they are ideal candidates for becoming bacterial incubators.

But have no fear, decontaminating your spice bottles with hydrogen peroxide is quite simple!  Wipe the bottles thoroughly to remove any visible dried food and grime.  Then generously spray 3% hydrogen peroxide, making sure that the labels and any other surface that comes in contact with your hands is completely covered.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing.  The peroxide might lighten the labels, so you might want to consider making new labels if this happens to the point where you can’t read the writing.

To cut down on cleaning time you can use Pyoure’s Fragrance Free 7% Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Concentrate.  This product is great because it contains non-toxic, powerful detergents that easily remove any stuck on food, plus food grade hydrogen peroxide that can be used full strength.  The fragrance free version is safe to use on food surfaces.

#2 Disinfect Mouth Guards

Hydrogen peroxide is the best kept secret for sanitizing pretty much anything that goes into your mouth, including mouth guards, night guards, retainers, and dentures.  Soaking these appliances in 3% peroxide overnight is an inexpensive, yet highly effective method of disinfection.

Hydrogen peroxide is superior to Listerine for this purpose because it contains no harsh alcohols, which weaken plastics over time and can make oral appliances unsafe.   Peroxide is also much safer than effervescent denture tablets, which contain persulfate.  Persulfate is a chemical that can collect inside porous dentures, cause severe allergic reactions, and send you to the emergency room if accidentally ingested.

#3 Disinfect Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups

When disinfection is necessary, but maintaining the strength of the container is crucial, hydrogen peroxide is your best bet.  This is especially true for delicate items that are prone to collect bacteria like baby bottle nipples and silicone straws, but are not recommended to be boiled because the heat could weaken or alter the material.  Since hydrogen peroxide doesn’t use toxic chemicals to disinfect, it’s perfect for using around babies.  And unlike high-end UV sterilizers, hydrogen peroxide is very affordable.

To disinfect baby items, wash the containers thoroughly by hand to remove any visible traces of food or soil.  Soak overnight in a mixture of equal parts water and 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide.  Rinse well and dry.

#4 Test “Clean” Laundry

Ever wonder if your washing machine is really getting your clothes clean, or if it’s just neatly distributing the germs throughout the wash?  Or what about if that dime-sized amount of laundry detergent is actually cleaning your extra large load of laundry?  Here’s how to test it: generously spray 3% hydrogen peroxide on a sample of so-called “clean” clothes from a laundry load, and let it sit for a minute.  If you see visible foaming, there are lots of bacteria present and that laundry load needs to be rewashed.  If you don’t see foaming, hold your ear up to the sample and listen carefully.  If you hear a crackling, that’s a sign that there are in fact bacteria present and that load could probably use a thorough rewash.

To make sure your laundry is free from bacteria the first time you wash, I highly recommend using a solid form of hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, in the wash.  Sodium percarbonate is found in several cleaning powders with the words “oxy,” “oxi,” or “oxygen” in the names.  One of my absolute favorites to use in my laundry is Pyoure’s Oxygen Laundry Booster.  It not only contains sodium percarbonate, but it has several other ingredients that safely enhance the effectiveness of your laundry detergent to get clothes super clean.  Plus, they come in a wide variety of unique fragrances like White Tea & Ginger and Bamboo Verbena that will leave your laundry smelling amazing.

#5 Clean Under Fingernails

Fingernails have been widely known to be a hotbed for disgusting bacteria, fungus, and yeast because of their hard to reach crevices and frequent contact with basically everything that is touched.  Studies have shown that these unchecked fingernail germs directly correlate to the types and quantity of germs found on the rest of your hands.  So, when clean hands are a must, go grab hydrogen peroxide to help you wash.

To safely clean under your nails, first wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water.  Then, gently scrub under your nails with either a nail brush or toothbrush.  Next, spray 3% hydrogen peroxide under your nails and let it sit for at least 30 seconds.  Finally, rinse and repeat if necessary.

Also, be sure to spray peroxide on whatever tool you used to clean under your nails with to keep germs from breeding in the bristles.

#6 Disinfect Stinky Shoes

According to the CDC, hydrogen peroxide has the tremendous ability to kill a wide variety of bacteria, yeast, fungi, viruses and spores.  This ability is especially useful for eliminating embarrassing shoe odors, which can be caused by a combination of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.  Simply douse the inside of your shoes with 3% hydrogen peroxide and let air-dry.  Complete coverage is the key, so use plenty of peroxide and make sure the shoes are basically dripping wet.  (Added bonus: germs love the bottoms of shoes, so spray the bottoms with peroxide too!)

These are just a few of the countless ways you can use hydrogen peroxide in your spring cleaning this year! For more tips, and things you can clean with Hydrogen Peroxide, check out these posts:

• Why Pyoure Hydrogen Peroxide is my Go-To Cleaner
• How to Spring Clean every room in your House with Hydrogen Peroxide
• Green Cleaning with Hydrogen Peroxide

Raven

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The post 6 New Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide appeared first on Ask Anna.