If you’re anything like me, you brush those pearly whites after every meal—no exceptions! I mean, c’mon, there’s just something so satisfying about running your tongue over squeaky clean teeth. Nevertheless, sometimes bingeing on sugary snacks is JUST as satisfying. Those are the times when you need to bring in the big guns: baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

You heard that right— the things that clean wounds and keeps your fridge smelling fresh will also do wonders for your mouth. This particular mixture is our absolute favorite because it’s a) made from common household items, b) cheap to make, and c) it contains absolutely NO hidden chemicals or additives, something your commercial stuff certainly can’t say!

To make your very own plaque-busting mouthwash, you must first gather together the necessary ingredients. You will need:

• 1 TBSP baking soda
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ cup of drug store hydrogen peroxide (1-3% only)
• 1 cup cold water
• ½ cup warm water
• toothpick
• toothbrush

Before you go haphazardly combining all of these ingredients together, please be sure that you follow this recipe TO A “T”!

As the experts over at Intelligent Dental stress, “Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mouthwash can be a god-sent or it can be a bane.” If you know anything about this chemical mixture, then you know that too much of it is not necessarily a good thing. That’s why you will want to be sure that you stick to the formula on this one!

Also, since swallowing this mouthwash can be harmful, be sure to keep this away from the kiddos.

1. To get started, first combine both your salt and baking soda in a small container.
2. Run your toothbrush under some warm running water, then swirl the bristles around in the baking soda-salt mixture.
3. Brush your teeth normally, and spit out the homemade paste when finished.
4. Now’s the time to move on to the best part—the mouthwash! This step is really simple. All you need to do is combine the ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide with the ½ cup of warm water and swish around in your mouth for about a minute or so.
5. To remove as much of that sticky tartar as possible, use a toothpick on the hard-to-reach areas and rinse the excess away with cold water.

Repeat this up process to twice a week, but remember, this DIY dental routine isn’t meant to replace your daily flossing and brushing. Just think of it as a fast, fun, and economical way to make residual plaque a thing of the past. See, we said it would be easy!

Now that you’ve whipped up your own batch, take some time to learn about even more homemade dental care tips. Just check out Healthy Food House’s article here. This will seriously make you re-think your oral care routine!

What do you think of this DIY mouthwash? Have you ever made this concoction before? Do you have a favorite mouthwash recipe of your own? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!