This household staple has a variety of handy uses, a lot more than its usual job of sitting in the refrigerator keeping bad odors away. It can even clear backed-up drains, with a little help from vinegar.
THE GREAT CLEANER IN A LITTLE BOX
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has many traditional health applications—antacid, mouthwash, deodorant—but it is also an effective cleaner and scrub. A similar substance, sodium carbonate, was used around 3500 BC as a soap-like cleaning agent—and to help make mummies! Baking soda was created in 1843 by British chemist Alfred Bird, whose wife had an allergy to yeast. It is made of two minerals, nahcolite and trona, which are refined into soda ash (calcium carbonate), then into sodium bicarbonate. Most of the raw materials come from the United States.
Remove Stains from Plastic Containers: Wipe your food storage containers with a clean sponge sprinkled with baking soda. For tougher stains, soak the containers in a solution of 4 teaspoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water.
DIY: Easy Dishwasher Detergent
Deodorize Your Kitchen: Baking soda is a powerful deodorizer that will absorb strong food odors. Just as it will deodorize your refrigerator, baking soda can do wonders for your garbage can. Pour a layer of baking soda into the bottom of your trash can to fight any lingering odors.
Clean Kitchen Surfaces: Sprinkle baking soda onto a clean, damp sponge or cloth and clean as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. This method is safe on all kitchen surfaces.
Tip: For a deeper clean, make a paste with baking soda, coarse salt, and liquid dish soap to scour tough grime. Give your surfaces a wipe with a cloth dampened with distilled white vinegar and water to remove any streaks left by the baking soda.
Clean kitchen surfaces
Clean Your Coffeepot: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 quart warm water. Rub the mixture in and on your pots to remove stains or to eliminate bad tastes from your coffee- or teapot. In the case of tough stains, let the mixture sit for a few hours and then rinse.
Clean your coffeepot
Clean Silverware: Create a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Apply this with a lint-free cloth; let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse.
Tip: Avoid using paper towels to apply the mixture, as they can scratch your silverware.
Clean silverware
Degrease Ovens: To effectively clean your oven, simply add a teaspoon of baking soda to a damp rag or sponge to wipe away any food or grease remnants without using harmful chemicals. For stubborn messes on your pots and pans, add a sprinkle of baking soda to whatever pan you’re cleaning to dissolve stuck-on grease and add more abrasive scouring power.
Scrub Your Veggies: Baking soda is a food-safe way to remove any dirt or pesticide residue off fresh fruit and vegetables. Just sprinkle some baking soda onto a damp cloth, wipe your produce, and rinse.
Remove mildew: Scrub your tub, tile, sink, and shower curtain with a damp sponge and baking soda for a healthy way to keep your bathroom clean.
Unclog a Drain: Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain and follow with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to re-create your science class “volcano” project in your kitchen or bathroom. Cover with a wet cloth to contain the reaction. Wait 5 minutes and then flush with hot water to clear the drain. This method will work on any mild clog.
Shower Curtain Cleaner: Wipe shower curtains and plastic liners with a damp cloth or sponge sprinkled with baking soda and rinse to remove grime and soap scum.
Cat Litter Deodorizer: Cover the bottom of your cat’s litter box before filling it with litter as usual to naturally deodorize it. After adding the litter and after each time you clean out the litter, sprinkle extra baking soda on top for a deodorizing boost.
Septic Care: If your home has a septic tank, you’ll know that maintaining it is very important and any issues with the tank can be problematic and costly to repair. Flushing 1 cup of baking soda per week will keep your septic system functioning well and maintain a good pH balance in your septic tank.
Clean Smooth Surfaces: Sprinkle baking soda onto a clean damp sponge or cloth and clean kitchen sinks, surrounds, counters, and the refrigerator exterior. Rinse thoroughly, and wipe dry.
DIY: All-purpose Floor Cleaner
Tip: For a deeper clean, make a paste with baking soda. Using a sponge or cloth, rub the mixture onto the surface you want to clean. Let it sit for 15–20 minutes and then wipe with a cloth to scour tough grime.
Deodorize Musty Upholstery: Children and pets can make it hard to maintain your furniture, particularly larger items such as sofas. For upholstered furniture pieces that don’t have removable covers, try using baking soda as a way to keep them fresh. Sprinkle any fabric surfaces in your home with baking soda. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum.
Tip: You can use this method on your mattress as well as your pets’ beds.
Remove Crayon from Walls: Don’t want to repaint every time your kid moves his crayon from paper to the walls? Scrub lightly with a damp sponge sprinkled with baking soda to remove crayon or pencil marks from most surfaces. As baking soda is lightly abrasive, test this method on an unobtrusive area of the wall to ensure that it won’t damage the finish of the paint.
Buff Out Water Rings: Make a paste of one part baking soda to one part water. Apply this to any water rings left on your wooden surfaces and gently buff the stain away.
Carpet Cleaner: Many carpet cleaners contain chemicals that are harmful to children and pets—baking soda is a natural way to keep your home clean while keeping your family healthy. Sprinkle your carpet thoroughly with baking soda; let it sit for 15–20 minutes, then vacuum. For a deeper clean, spray the stained area with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water. Wait up to an hour, or until the surface dries, then scrub the baking soda loose and vacuum.
Clean your carpets
Brighten Your Laundry: Add a cup of baking soda to your laundry load to brighten whites and colors alike. When combined with liquid detergent, baking soda will help balance the pH levels to give clothes a more thorough clean. Use one cup of baking soda alone in your laundry for a gentle way to clean and soften baby clothes.
Deodorize Sneakers: Sprinkle some baking soda inside your shoes (and your gym bag) to minimize odor. Leave until your next wear, just be sure to shake out the excess before you put them on.
Deodorize sneakers
Remove Stains: Make a thick paste of baking soda and water (4 tablespoons baking soda with 1/4 cup water). Rub the paste into the stain, let it sit for an hour, and launder as usual to remove perspiration stains. This mixture is also effective for removing rust stains and fresh grease stains. For general stain removal, let the baking soda mixture sit for 3 hours before washing. For fresh coffee and wine stains, soak the area in white vinegar and dab with a clean towel, then sprinkle baking soda over the stain and rub with a clean, soft toothbrush before laundering in cold water. For oil stains, add a drizzle of dish soap over the baking soda before brushing the stain and laundering in cold water.
Improve Your Linen Closet: Place an open box or bowl of baking soda in your linen closet to fight musty smells in your sheets and towels.
Tip: This also works for your bedroom closets!
Bakings soda
Freshen Your Hamper: Sprinkle baking soda into the bottom of your clothes hamper to keep odors away; over time, a cloth hamper can absorb the odors of what it contains.
Clean Your Iron: To ensure that you do not leave lime stains or marks on your light-colored clothes, give your iron a clean using white vinegar and baking soda. Soak a piece of paper towel or clean cloth with vinegar, then sprinkle baking soda over the cloth. Place the iron on the cloth and move in circular motions (make sure the iron is turned off). Once it’s clean, turn the iron on and set it to steam setting to remove any baking soda from the iron’s holes. Repeat this process until your iron is clean.
Clean your iron