No doubt vinegar is an awesome cleaner but baking soda is equally useful! Try any of the following baking soda cleaning hacks to simplify your cleaning tasks!
Keeping your house clean and free of bacteria and any harmful build-up usually means that you need to buy several cleaning products. These products are full of chemicals that can be quite harmful if you are not careful and make a potential toxic hazard if used incorrectly. As DIY and home products gain popularity, it has been found that many basic ingredients can be great cleaning agents as well because of their original chemical composition. Vinegar is quite popular in this regard, but we have a better ingredient for you to work with: baking soda. While vinegar is suitable for cleaning, it still has a strong odor and can be harmful to your health if not used properly. Baking soda cleaning hacks are equally beneficial as vinegar and cheap as well!
Baking soda, a common ingredient used for baking, is an effective cleaner with deodorizing properties. It is an exfoliant and is a quite versatile product that you can use for cleaning a number of surfaces and stains. Baking soda can replace those harmful cleaners without any chemicals and is non-toxic to humans, baking soda can help replace those harmful cleaners. The chemical composition of baking soda is basic, with a pH of 9, and it helps dissolve the organic matter, making it easier to clean. Further, it is a gentle abrasive, making cleaning scratch-free. Here we list down some baking soda cleaning hacks that you can try to easily complete your daily chores in the household!
Baking Soda Cleaning Hacks
1. Cleaning Kitchen Sink
If you have a lot of grease or dirt built up in the kitchen sink, baking soda can be a quick way to clean it up. Just sprinkle baking soda over the sink, and use a sponge to scrub it. You can repeat this step many times until you get the shine and cleanliness you need in your kitchen sink.
2. Bathroom Tub and Sink
Like how it helps clean the kitchen sink, you can use baking soda to clean any tub or sink build-up as well. Sprinkle it and use a sponge to scrub it off. Clean with water afterward for a clean, shiny tub with no chemicals.
3. Oven Cleaning
Baking soda is a handy hack for cleaning the oven. There can be a lot of grease and oil build-up in the oven after you cook anything. To get rid of it easily, make a paste of ¼ cup of water with ¾ cup of baking soda. Apply this paste to the inner walls of the oven and leave it for a few hours. After one or two hours, wipe the area with a soft fiber cloth or a sponge. Let the oven dry completely before you shut it. This will clean all the grease residue from the oven and leave it smelling fresh.
4. Fresh Carpets
To eliminate the annoying smell coming from the carpets, use baking soda as it has potent deodorizing properties. Sprinkle baking soda over the carpet, and leave it for a few hours. Vaccum it later and it will effectively eliminate the foul smell from the carpet, leaving it smelling fresh as ever.
5. Deodorize Trash Cans
Another great use of the deodorizing properties of baking soda is for the trash cans. If you don’t have time to clean trash cans every now and then, you can use baking soda to mask the foul odor. You can either DIY a trash can tablets with baking soda or add some baking soda after every few layers of garbage to neutralize the odor and avoid the foul smell from garbage accumulation.
6. Remove Foul Shoe Smell
An instant hack to get rid of foul smell from shoes is to sprinkle a little baking soda on the inside and wipe it off after a few minutes. Make sure to remove all the baking soda before wearing the shoe as it might ruin your socks.
7. Ceramic Floors
With time, the ceramic floors and tiles can have marks on them, which are not easy to clean with the regular floor cleaners. Make a mixture of ½ a cup of baking soda in a bucket full of warm water and use it to mop the floors. This can help reduce the stains instantly. You can include this as a daily habit to never let dirt and dust accumulate on the ceramic floors or tiles.
8. Cleaning Washing Machines
There can be a lot of build-up of limescale, soap, or mould in the inside of machines, which can turn into a foul odor and can easily transfer to your clothes. Fill a little amount of water and throw ½ a cup of baking soda in it. Run a normal wash cycle to remove the build-up of soap or detergent. You can even add a little bit of white vinegar for accelerating the process.
9. Freshener for The Laundry
Apart from cleaning the washing machines, you can use baking soda to freshen up the laundry and give a natural scent to the clothes. Add ½ a cup of baking soda in the wash cycle along with lukewarm water. This hack can essentially be beneficial for towels, bedsheets, curtains, etc.
10. Unclogging The Drain
A helpful hack with baking soda and vinegar combined, pouring 1 part each of baking soda and vinegar followed by hot water can help in unclogging the drain or just be used to clean it.
11. Cleaning the Kitchen Countertops
Baking soda is a gentle abrasive agent and you can use it as a clean the kitchen countertop. Baking soda will not only clean the kitchen countertop but will also aid in getting rid of harmful bacteria. Sprinkle baking soda on the countertops and leave it as is for about 10 minutes. Next, gently rub it with a wet cloth to remove the stains or any oil or grease splatters.
12. Shine Roasting Pans
Cookware can get dirty with constant use and is not easy to clean with simple dishwasher liquids. Try using baking soda for this purpose. Wet the cookware and generously sprinkle baking soda over it. Let it sit for at least an hour, then scrub it off with tissue paper. Clean under cold water to get a shiny clean utensil.
13. Removing Stains from Kettles
An easy way to clean kettles is by using baking soda as a cleanser. Fill the kettle with water and add a tablespoon of baking soda. Boil it for 10 minutes and then wash it off. This will help in getting rid of any scale build-up.
14. Deodorize the Fridge/Closet
Leaving a small open packet of baking soda in the closet or the fridge can help neutralize any odor and give a fresh and natural scent. Make sure to replace it every few months.
15. Freshen Up the Mattresses
Use baking soda to get rid of the old smell from the mattress or any odor from spills. Sprinkle it directly on the bed and vacuum it up after 30 minutes. This will make your mattress fresh and free of odor.
16. Clean Hair and Makeup Brushes
Soaking the brushes in a mixture of baking soda and water can help get rid of all the dirt and any bacteria that may be present. You can do this regularly to keep the hair and makeup brushes clean and bacteria-free.
17. Keeping Ants and Bugs Away
If you have issues with ants or bugs, then sprinkling a little baking soda on the doorways or windows can kill the ants. It helps keep them away and prevents them from coming back again.
18. Whiten the Teeth
Once in a while, adding a pinch of baking soda to the toothpaste can whiten the teeth and remove any yellow stains. Besides, it will help in freshening up your breath.
19. Remove Sticker Marks
The residual sticker gum can be annoying to remove and can leave scratches if you use any sharp object to get rid of it. A paste of water and baking soda can effectively remove the residue from stickers from any surface.
20. Clean Microwave
A quick way to get rid of microwave stains is by microwaving an uncovered cup of water with 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda for 3-4 minutes. The vapors help soften the stains, which you can easily wipe with a wet cloth.
21. Remove Odor from Luggage
If you take out your luggage after a long time, it is easy to have a weird odor coming out of it. Especially true if you live in humid areas as the bags can have bacteria build-up, which can spoil your clothes. Before packing, sprinkle baking soda and leave it for a few days. Vacuum it out, and then pack your stuff.
22. Clean Tea and Coffee Stains
Use the baking soda as an abrasive to clean tea and coffee stains from any surface. First, wet the stain and then sprinkle the baking soda over it. Wipe it off using a damp cloth after gently scrubbing it. You can repeat this process multiple times until the stains are gone for good.
23. Crayon Marks on the Wall
If you have an artistic kid who likes to draw on the walls instead of paper, then baking soda is an easy way to get rid of these marks. Take baking soda and gently scrub off the marks with a slightly damp cloth. Remember to do a patch test before as it depends on the kind of paint that’s used on the walls.
24. Clean Brass Items
It is easy to get dark black marks on brass cookware or other items. Take a lemon, and sprinkle baking soda on it. Rub this gently over the brass surface, giving a shiny look.
25. Get Rid of Water Bottle Odor
Adding drinks in the water bottle that leave any odor can be challenging to get rid of later. A quick hack to remove any existing odor is by sprinkling baking soda in the bottle and fill with water. Leave it overnight and rinse it well before using.
26. Freshen Toilet Bowls
Sprinkle baking soda generously in the toilet bowl, and wait for about 10 minutes. Use a brush to scrub off the stains and flush. This will help in freshening up the toilet bowl and removing the stains.
27. Get Rid Wooden Cutting Boards’ Smell
It is easy to have a strong permanent odor sticking with the cutting boards with time, and a quick way to get rid of it is using baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda and gently scrub it with a bit of water. Rinse it for a fresh and odorless cutting board.
28. Disinfect Dishwasher
It is essential to clean your dishwasher to remove any bacteria and residual odor from constant usage. To disinfect and freshen it up, sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and run a cycle. Wipe it off afterward for a clean and disinfected dishwasher.
29. Polish Silverware
Remove the dullness of silverware by using baking soda to clean and polish them. Make a baking soda and water solution and use it to scrub the silverware for a shiny appearance.
Precautions
Baking soda is an effective cleaner with many valuable properties. You can use any of these baking soda cleaning hacks to ease your cleaning chores. However, it is important to use it carefully as different surfaces might react differently to it. Make sure not to use it on aluminum or marble surface as it may leave stains. Further, be careful while using it for your laundry, mattresses, etc. Do a patch test to identify any unnecessary reactions.
