Are flies ruining your would-be wonderful outdoor evenings? There might be something in your medicine cabinet that can help.

Get rid of aphids, fungus gnats, and other soft-bodied pests you find on your plants with a spritz of hydrogen peroxide. Combine one part hydrogen peroxide with four parts water in a spray bottle and spray the infested plants, including under the leaves. If possible, make sure the spray comes in direct contact with the aphids.

Hydrogen peroxide, a useful all-purpose disinfectant, is found in most medicine cabinets in the developed world. But in remote villages in developing countries, where it could play an important role in health and sanitation, it can be hard to come by.

When water is split electrolytically, the result is typically hydrogen -- and 'useless' oxygen. Instead of oxygen, you can also produce hydrogen peroxide, which is required for many branches of industry. This, however, requires certain reaction conditions.