21 Cleaning Hacks Using Baking Soda

Read on to know the different uses of baking soda. Check out the article we found over at Cordless Vacuum Guide.

Baking soda has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients you’ll find. Aside from being an ingredient for making cakes, it can be used to make homemade cleaning solutions that remove stains, grime and odor plus much more.

The best part is it is non-toxic. Unlike a lot of the chemical based cleaning products you’ll find in the market right now.

Personally I put a small box of baking soda in the fridge just to keep the bad odors at bay.

A lot of people have found lots of uses for baking soda for cleaning different parts of the house. In fact you can combine it with stuff like peroxide and vinegar to make a potent non-toxic cleaner.

Surprisingly when you combine it with the right ingredients, minimal elbow grease is needed to remove build-up and stains as you’ll find out later on. And added bonus is it isn’t chemical based so there are harsh odors that can cause dizziness and vomiting.

I’m not only talking about cleaning appliances or removing stains, baking soda has been used by people for personal hygiene which is on the top of the list.

Use #1

Teeth Whitener

I saw my brother-in-laws toothpaste during the family vacation and it uses baking soda as its main ingredient. To be more specific, it was Arm and Hammer’s Advance White toothpaste. It turns out that sodium bicarbonate (the other name for baking soda) is a mild abrasive that when mixed with equal parts water removes surface stains from teeth that will make them appear whiter.

Scientists however warned against using Dr. Oz’s mixture of strawberry and baking soda because strawberry contains citric acid that could potentially erode teeth.

Combining it with lemon isn’t a good idea to clean teeth because of the high citric acid content of lemon. Also baking soda does not deep clean teeth remove stains it just removes surface stains.

Use #2

Shampoo or Conditioner Replacement

A lot of people have found success using baking soda in place of shampoo or a conditioner. To use it as a rinse, dilute half a cup baking soda into a cup of warm water. Use this mixture after washing with shampoo.

To use it as a conditioner, mix in half a cup of baking soda into a cup of conditioner.

In the no shampoo or the no-poo technique, baking soda is used as a replacement for shampoo and vinegar as a conditioner replacement.

Take note that baking soda has a high pH rating of 9.0 so it potentially dry-out your hair – not the product you want to use when your hair is dry and frizzy. The high pH rating does have a positive effect as it helps people who have oily hair and in removing hair spray build up.

Use #3

Cleans Oral Appliance

Oral appliances like mouthpieces, braces, retainers and dentures needs to be cleaned in order to remove odor and food particles that get trapped. The last thing you want is spraying these things with chemical cleaners.

Arm & Hammer recommends dissolving 2 teaspoons of baking soda into a cup of water and soaking oral appliances in it. This will help loosen any food particles plus it removes odor.

Use #4

Facial Cleaner

Not only can baking soda clean your teeth and dentures, adding 2 teaspoons of it with a teaspoon of water makes a chemical free facial wash. Adding in 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of warm water and 2 teaspoons of oat flour makes an exfoliate cream.

Use #5

A Produce Wash

If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, particularly if you like eating them raw, washing is an important step. This step is a necessity because it removes dirt, contaminants and pesticides from the surface of produce.

You can buy a veggie wash but that costs extra $$$.

A cheaper option would be using a mixture of water, baking soda and vinegar. For leafy greens you can soak them into this mixture and for smooth skinned veggies like apple, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it around six times, leave it for a minute then rinse.

Tip: Avoid using soap or detergent to wash produce because it’ll get absorbed and will affect the flavor.

Use #6

A Grill Cleaner

One of the toughest things to clean at home is the grill, yes the mainstay of every weekend barbeque but with the right ingredients and a little elbow grease you can kiss that burnt-on gunk good bye.

There are two ways to do it.

One is soaking the grates in mixture of vinegar, baking soda and water overnight then rinsing it the next day.

You can also hose down the grill, sprinkle baking soda over the grates and parts that need cleaning, leaving it on for a few minutes then scrubbing it down with scotch-brite.

Use #7

Remove Burned Residue off Pots and Other Cooking Utensils

One of the toughest items to clean in the kitchen is burned residue on stainless steel pans. Save some elbow grease with vinegar, baking soda, water and a scourer.

The steps include filing up the pan with water and adding a cup of vinegar then bringing it to a boil. Then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes then empty the pan. The burned residue should be soft enough to remove with the scourer.

If there are stubborn marks left, make a paste with equal parts baking soda and water then apply it on the marks. You can use this paste on the outer part of the utensil if there are burn marks that need cleaning.

Use #8

Unclog Kitchen Drains

Unclogging drains can be tricky, I’ve experienced a couple of drain clogs in my lifetime and it is stressful. You can unclog it a couple of ways. First, you can use a plumbing/sewer snake to break the clog. Or use a combination of vinegar, baking soda and boiling water for less severe clogs.

The latter is great as maintenance to prevent build up that can lead to clogging.

The steps include pouring boiling water down the drain then follow it up with half a cup of baking soda then let it sit for a few minutes. Follow it up with a mixture of one cup vinegar and one cup boiling water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes then finish up with another pot of boiling water.

Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water helps prevent build-up of sludge by loosening them up and them flushing it off.

Use #9

Remove Stains from Coffee Cups and Mugs

Coffee drinkers can relate with this, over time coffee stains will build up on mugs and carafes and no matter how much you scrub with dishwashing detergent it won’t come off. If you’re frustrated, why not try to sprinkle some baking soda at the bottom of the mug or carafe then add a bit of water then scrub.

Use #10

Take Away Odor from Smelly Sponges

Sponges take a beating and when you don’t rinse them properly overtime it’ll start to smell and accumulate bacteria (no so good for your health). If you want these things to last a little longer and be less smelly, try soaking it in 4 tablespoons of baking soda + a quart of water. Don’t forget to rinse it well afterwards.

Use #11

Cleans Cast Iron Cookware

When cleaning cast iron cookware, there is a bit of nuance involved. First, it always has to be hand washed – avoid putting it in a dishwasher. Second use hot water and baking soda then scrub it with a steel wool to deep clean. Third, make sure to dry it well because if you don’t, rust may form.

Use #12

Removes Stains from Pans and Cookware

Anyone of does a lot of cooking knows how much abuse cooking utensils take and overtime stains and grime build up. Cleaning it with detergent and a lot of elbow grease won’t cut it, you’ll need something that will dissolve the grime and do the work for you.

Well good news, there’s a miracle cleaner out there that will bring back your kitchen utensil’s former glory (well almost). No I’m not talking about a new product but it’s something widely available – baking soda and peroxide – to be more specific 1/4 cup of baking soda and enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste.

Use #13

Remove Stains and Odor from Plastic Containers

We use a lot of plastic containers to store food and one of my pet peeves is how hard it is to remove stains, especially from foods with colored sauces like sweet and sour fish. One handy ingredient to have that will remove these stains is baking soda. Make a paste from equal parts water and baking soda then apply it on stained containers. Let it sit for a few hours then wash afterwards.

Use #14

Oven Cleaner

Oven is another area in your kitchen you want to avoid harsh chemical cleaners because that’s where you cook food. An alternative to store bought chemical cleaners is vinegar and baking soda. The process involves sprinkling baking soda then spraying vinegar over the sprinkled layer of soda. After 30 minutes scrub it with a scrubber.

Use #15

Microwave Cleaner

On microwave it’s a bit different but the ingredients are still the same – baking soda and water. Add two tablespoons of baking soda in a microwave safe bowl then add a cup of water. Put the bowl inside the microwave oven for about 2 to 3 minutes (don’t cover it). The steam from the water/baking soda mixture will both deodorize and loosen up caked on stains inside the microwave.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Use #16

Remove Grease Spills  on Any Surface inside the Kitchen

Cooking fried food will leave a lot of grease residue on the oven, countertop and the kitchen floor. Wiping them off with water and a damp rug won’t cut it. Try sprinkling some baking soda on a sponge then wipe down any greasy surface, follow it up with a clean damp cloth.

Use #17

Cleans Dishwasher Parts

Dishwashers do need some TLC, once a month you’ll have to get down on your knees and give it a thorough washing. Use baking soda paste and warm soapy water to clean the filter and its parts. This combo can also be used to clean the area around the drain.

Use #18

Whiter Clothes

Baking soda can be mixed with liquid laundry detergent as a booster that will result in “whiter whites” and bring out the natural color in colored fabric. Adding this also increases the potency of bleach. On top-loading washing machines add half a cup of baking soda and a quarter of a cup on front-loaders.

Use #19

Removes Perspiration Stains

One of the hardest to remove stains on fabric is perspiration stains. No amount of scrubbing with conventional detergent will remove it. A cheap solution for this is scrub a paste made from 4 table spoons of baking soda and water then letting sit for an hour. After soaking it in the baking soda mixture, let it go through one cleaning cycle in a washing machine (21).

Use #20

Deodorizes Sports Gear

Active people who play a lot of sports can have smelly laundry at the end of the day. When you throw sweaty clothes inside the laundry bit without properly air drying chances are it will smell bad.
o remove odor from any washable gear like jersey’s, shorts, etc. you’ll need to soak it (preferably inside the washing machine) in a solution that has laundry detergent, water, baking soda and/or vinegar (add this if it’s really smelly) for a few hours

Use #21

Removes Blood Stains

My wife has actually stained a bed sheets quite a few times when she got her period on days she didn’t expect it. The default cleaner would be a bleach but it has a strong odor. A milder alternative would be rubbing one part baking soda and two parts cold water using a cloth, letting it sit for 30 minutes then remove residue with a dry clean cloth.

Next Article: How Can Combining Baking Soda and Lemons Save Lives?

Read full article: 51 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda