Baking soda cleaning hacks
When most people hear ‘baking soda’, they associate it with cooking, or maybe creating vinegar volcanos.
However, one of the many benefits of baking soda is its ability to clean and deodorize. There are a variety of household items that can be easily washed using this product.
From the kitchen to the bathroom and laundry to pet products, here are the top 25 cleaning hacks that involve baking soda.
What Can You Clean At Home With Baking Soda?
1. Freshen-up Rugs, Carpets, and Animal Beds
Every day, you are constantly treading dirt, dead skin, crumbs of food and odour into your carpets, so, naturally, they need a quick freshen-up every once in a while. Simply sprinkle baking soda (and, optionally, a few drops of essential oil) over the carpet, rug or pet bed, wait for half-an-hour and then give it a quick vacuum to restore that crisp carpet smell.
2. Freshen Mattresses
Similarly, you can quickly restore your mattress to a ‘brand-new’ quality by again, sprinkling baking soda, waiting 30 minutes, and then vacuuming it. Just make sure you don’t do this whilst the sheets are still on, or it could cause them to rip or stretch!
For other tips to clean your mattress read how to clean a smelly and stained mattress.
3. Deodorize Garbage Cans
We all know what it’s like to take out the trash and have the overwhelming stench of bin juice overtake us. However, if you leave a small amount of baking soda at the bottom of the bin, it can absorb the moisture and keep your experience with the trash as odourless as possible. Just make sure you remove the baking soda every month and replace it with fresh powder.
4. Removing Stains From Tea and Coffee Mugs
Ever wondered how to remove those horrible looking stains from your tea or coffee mugs? Well, by creating a paste of equal parts baking soda and vinegar, you can easily scrub those dirty brown marks right out and be left with mugs looking as good as new!
5. Natural Drain Cleaner
The environment is one of the hottest topics in the press today and people all across the world are ever-increasingly trying to be as eco-friendly as possible.
If you are someone who is joining this environmental campaign, and you want to swap out chemical drain cleaner for a more natural approach, then you can easily unclog your drains by using half a cup of both baking soda and vinegar.
Just be cautious that pipes made of materials such as plastic can be easily eroded and may melt, so only follow this procedure if your drains are constructed with metal.
6. Cleaning the Walls
For those parents out there who are constantly plagued with crayon drawings and pen marks on the walls, this hack will help to remove any stains your little ones have made. Use a generous amount of baking soda and a wet cloth to scrub any marks from the wall.
7. Fight Grease
Particularly in the kitchen sink and the bottom of the oven, baking soda can be used to remove those grimy marks which have been left from countless roasts and fry-ups. By sprinkling baking soda over the surface where the grease has built up and gently polishing with a dampened cloth or scrubbing brush, you can quickly and easily get rid of those grubby stains.
For natural ways to clean the oven check how to clean the oven with and without baking soda.
8. Freshening the Coffee Machine or Dishwasher
If your coffee machine or dishwasher is on its last legs and you want to keep it going just a bit longer without getting a funky limescale taste, then try running an entire cycle (or making an entire pot) using just baking soda to get a cleaner or tastier product. Then make sure you repeat this with water to remove the bitter soda taste.
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7 Tips to clean the dishwasher
9. Polishing Silver
Baking soda can also be used if you are looking to clean up any silverware, such as cutlery. Sometimes, this can become stained, scratched, or just blackened and in this case, you can soak it in a solution of three parts water and one part baking soda. Afterward, you will want to polish the silver with a clean cloth just to get that extra clean finish.
10. Cleaning Pet Feeding Bowls
Sometimes, having pets can bring on pests such as fleas and although baking soda will not remove the problem, it can tame it. By sprinkling a small amount of baking soda in and around pet bowls, it will kill any unwanted pests falling from your animal’s fur, which means they cannot get into the food.
11. Deodorize the Washing Machine
Do your clothes smell bad after washing them? Perhaps is time to deodorize your washing machine! An easy way to do it is with baking soda. Just pour 3 tbsp of baking soda in the detergent compartment before the washing cycle starts.
12. Polished Bathtub and Tiles
Clean and polish your bathtub and/or tiles by adding a tbsp of baking soda to a soft damp sponge. Rub the sponge in circular motions all over the tiles and bathtub, including the taps. Rinse the bathtub and dry. If used to clean tiles, dry them with a cloth.
13. Shiny Cutlery
To keep your cutlery shiny, place it on lukewarm water, and add a tbsp of baking soda. Leave it for a while and rinse with warm water. Dry it as usual.
14. Cleaner Dishes, Saucepans and Pots
Easily remove grease from pots, pans, and dishes by adding 1 tbsp of baking soda to your liquid dishwasher. If the food has stuck to the utensils let them rest in water with this mixture.
15. Clean Microwave
Sprinkle a damp sponge with baking soda and clean inside the microwave, including the glass plate.
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Other ways to clean the microwave using natural ingredients.
16. Kitchen Sponge
Baking soda is great to eliminate bad smells in sponges. Place the sponge in soapy water and add two tbsp of baking soda. Leave it for a few minutes and rinse it.
For more kitchen hacks check these natural cleaning tips.
17. Shower Curtains
If your shower curtains have mold, rub them with a damp sponge and baking soda.
18. Linens and Closet
For linens that smell dump, leave a container with baking soda close to them. For the closet, place a container with baking soda inside.
If your laundry smells bad after washing, have a look at how to make your laundry smell good and fresh.
19. Cutting Boards
Scrub your kitchen cutting boards with baking soda and water to eliminate bad odor.
20. Fresh Flowers
Got fresh flowers? Make them last longer by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the water.
21. Scrubbing the Grill
In the summer, when the weather is hot, it can be difficult to keep up with the task of cleaning the grill after barbeques. However, you can clean the grill with ease by scrubbing it with a paste made of baking soda and lemon juice.
22. Brightening the Colour of Clothes
If your washing machine is not quite what it used to be and some of your clothes are turning a dull, grey colour, then you can turn to baking soda to brighten them up again. Add 6 tablespoons of baking soda to the laundry detergent before starting the wash for a crisper coloured load. This works best with white but can help to make blacks and colours more vibrant too!
23. Brightening Sneakers
Not only clothes but also white sneakers can be freshened by using baking soda. Just sprinkle the powder over the stained or greying areas and leave for half an hour. Then, you can either wipe the soda straight off or you can scrub with water if any tough blemishes won’t leave.
24. Natural Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
If dandruff is becoming an uncontrollable problem for you, then you can try massaging baking soda and water into your scalp instead of using a shampoo. Just be aware that this can sometimes be painful with a burning sensation and is not a recommended solution for anyone with a sensitive scalp or skin problems.
You may also want to rinse your hair with shampoo afterwards to remove any excess baking soda.
25. Combatting Split Ends
Similarly to the anti-dandruff shampoo, you can attempt to use baking soda to regenerate split ends and soften hair. Simply add a half a teaspoon of the powder to your normal amount of conditioner and leave it to soak under a shower cap for 20-30 minutes.
Split ends? Have a look at how to repair split ends without cutting your hair.
What are your favorite baking soda cleaning hacks?