24 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda

From Ripples

If you are looking to change from cleaning chemicals to a safer, more eco-friendly alternative to clean your house, then you aren’t going to find another substance that is as effective as baking soda. The great thing is that it isn’t just the efficiency of baking soda that makes it so handy, it’s also the ability to use it on a huge variety of surfaces throughout your household.

The main advantages of baking soda for cleaning are:

  • It’s affordable
  • It’s multi-purpose and multi-surface
  • It’s non-toxic and won’t harm anyone in your household

Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is also used in cooking, as well as some medicines. (It is a well-known relief for heartburn problems).

Having said this; these are some of the best ways that you can use baking soda to clean the different areas in your house:

The Bathroom

  1. Toilet bowls are notorious for their susceptibility to stains and baking soda can solve this. Simply sprinkle baking soda over the inside and rim of your toilet and leave it for a few hours. Then add some vinegar and give it a rinse.
  2. A damp cloth with sprinkled baking soda can also be used to wipe your shower doors and bathroom mirrors clean. It also gets rid of soap scum and other common bathroom stains.
  3. You can also use baking soda to avoid clogged drains by sprinkling a quarter cup with hot water down once a week. Alternatively, if your drain is already blocked, you can use a combination of baking soda, lemon and vinegar to clear them up.
  4. Create a paste of water and baking soda to get rid of the mould and other grit that grows between bathroom tiles. Use a toothbrush or another small tool to get in between the cracks.

The Kitchen

  1. Place a box or small bowl of baking soda in your fridge, freezer or food cupboard and it will remove any unpleasant smells and odours that may start to form there.
  2. Much like above, placing a sprinkle of the substance in the bottom of your dustbin will eliminate odours from your garbage bin.
  3. If you get a grease fire on your stove, simply sprinkle baking soda on top and it will put the fire out.
  4. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth and use it to clean your kitchen surfaces.
  5. A mix of warm water and baking soda will get rid of unpleasant smells in containers and if the odour still sticks, then simply leave it with the mixture overnight.
  6. Create a paste of three parts baking soda and one part water and cover your silver in it. Then rinse it under warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
  7. If you’re struggling to get rid of burnt food that is stuck on the bottom of pots and pans, then sprinkle the bottom with baking soda, add hot water and leave it to soak overnight.

Rest of the House

  1. Sprinkle baking soda on carpets to remove bad smells. Let it soak for roughly 15 minutes and then hoover. Repeat if necessary.
  2. In terms of carpet stains, blot the area as much as possible and clean as you usually would. Once this has been complete, carry out step 12.
  3. Stale smoke smells can be eliminated by putting some baking soda in the bottom of the ashtray.
  4. You can even clean your pets by sprinkling their fur with a light dusting of baking soda and brushing it out.
  5. While we’re talking about pets, add some baking soda to their litter box to prevent nasty odours.
  6. Clean your child’s toy with a mixture of baking soda, water and a damp cloth. Then make sure to rinse with clean water.

The Laundry

  1. Keep clothing fresh by adding half a cup of baking soda in addition to half a measure of detergent to your wash.
  2. Add baking soda either to the wash load or do it before you put on a wash to remove grease stains from clothes.
  3. Put some baking soda in your wash basket to keep it from smelling between laundry runs. This should be done daily.

Outside the House

  1. To remove burnt food from your BBQ or grill, sprinkle with baking soda and leave it to soak. Once left for several hours, the burnt food will become loose and can be easily cleaned away.
  2. Lawn furniture, such as deck chairs and benches, can be cleaned easily with ¼ cup of baking soda in ¼ warm water.
  3. Mildew and dirt can be removed from the kid’s pool by washing with baking soda and warm water.
  4. Dust camping gear with baking soda before packing it away.
  5. If you’re planning on using baking soda for all of these uses (or at least most) but also use a lot for baking, then perhaps you should consider purchasing it in bulk. There is no harm in this as baking soda doesn’t go off as easy as other products.