Why Baking Soda is Your Home's Best Friend
The secret's out. Baking soda is a pantry staple with superpowers – it's also cheap, non-toxic and cleans like a dream
Fluffy pastries and scrumptious cookies might be the first things that come to mind when you think of baking soda, but this ingredient is far more than a baking staple. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a powerful cleanser that should be a mainstay in your kitchen pantry and cleaning arsenal. This inexpensive, all-natural ingredient is neck and neck with vinegar as one of the most non-toxic and versatile household cleaning agents.
Bedroom, living room and hall
- Before you vacuum the carpets or clean your upholstery, sprinkle them with baking soda and let it sit for 15 minutes to remove any odours.
- Deodorise your wardrobe by placing an opened box of baking soda on a shelf.
- Clean children’s toys with the aforementioned basic mixture and a sponge. Rinse and let them dry.
- Deodorise stuffed animals with a light dusting of baking soda; let it sit 15 minutes, then dust or vacuum it off.
- Freshen shoes with a light dusting of baking soda on the inner soles.
Kitchen
- Use the basic mixture and a sponge to clean all kitchen surfaces.
- Rid your fridge or pantry of odours by placing an opened box of baking soda on a back shelf.
- Dust your stainless-steel sink with baking soda and scrub for a sparkling shine.
- Deodorise rubbish bins and recycling bins with a sprinkling of baking soda on the inside. Every now and then, rinse the bins with 1 cup of baking soda dissolved into about 3½ litres of warm water.
- Get your silver sparkling with a paste made from 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water.
- For stubborn stains on plastic storage containers, soak for 15 minutes in 4 parts baking soda and 1 part warm water. Scrub, rinse and dry.
- Rid your fruits and vegetables of dirt and insecticides by washing them in a sink full of water and ¼ cup of baking soda, then rinse.
- Remove baked-on residue on pots and pans by sprinkling on baking soda. Add warm water and a little dishwashing detergent, let soak for 15 minutes and wash clean.
- Extinguish small cooking fires by sprinkling baking soda directly onto the fire.
Laundry
- Brighten your clothes by adding 1 cup of baking soda to the wash.
- For extra-fluffy sheets and towels, add ½ cup baking soda to the rinse cycle.
- Banish stains with a paste made from ¾ cup baking soda and ½ cup of warm water. Apply to the stain, rub and launder. For the toughest stains, let the paste sit for one or two hours. (Always check for colour fastness.)
- Freshen babies’ burp cloths by sprinkling on baking soda, rubbing it in and washing as usual.
Bathroom
- Clean floors with a bucket of warm water and ½ cup of baking soda.
- Use the basic mixture to clean your bathroom surfaces or sprinkle dry baking soda on tough-to-clean stains.
- Clean hairbrushes and combs once a month by soaking them in warm water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- Deodorise and clean the toilet with a sprinkling of baking soda on the inside of the bowl; scrub and flush.
- For rust stains in the shower, sink or toilet bowl, pour in 1 cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda. Scrub and rinse.
Outdoors
Read more:
7 Tricks to Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh
10 Things Every Cleanliness Freak Can Relate to
Tell us:
Do you have any other clever cleaning trick? Share your tips in the comments section below.
- Before storing your outdoor furniture for the winter, clean it with baking soda and a wet sponge.
- Clean grime and mildew off pool toys with the basic mixture.
- Blast oil and grease stains in the garage or driveway by pouring baking soda directly on them. Scrub with a wet brush and rinse.
Read more:
7 Tricks to Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh
10 Things Every Cleanliness Freak Can Relate to
Tell us:
Do you have any other clever cleaning trick? Share your tips in the comments section below.
All you need is ¼ cup of baking soda dissolved into 1 litre of warm water to tackle many household cleaning chores.