Hack Your Way to a Clean Home with Baking Soda

Clean Produce

When you bring fresh produce in from the grocery store, always give things a good wash before eating or preparing them. Before putting things away, fill your sink about half full with warm water and add some baking soda and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. This solution should clean off the protective wax and make taking those stubborn stickers off your fruits and veggies much easier.

Control an Ant Infestation

As the weather warms up, you may notice an abundance of ants around the outside of your home. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, those pesky little insects may have already found their way inside. To rid your home of ants, inside and out, simply sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda directly onto an ant hill as well as around any doors and windows they may be slipping through.

Deodorize Closets & Drawers

If you’ve opened up your closet and been hit in the face by mysterious musty odors coming from within, don’t worry. Baking soda can help reduce those odors and leave your closets and drawers smelling fresh all week. Fill a small jar or bowl with baking soda, and then place it at the back of your closet or just inside the offending drawer. This will help catch and absorb odors before they can settle into your clothing.

Deodorize Carpets & Upholstery

Carpets and upholstered furniture can very easily trap and hold onto some pretty stinky odors. To bust those odors where they sit, just shake some baking soda onto the fabric and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly strong and stubborn. Once it has had time to work, simply vacuum up the baking soda to reveal a fresher-smelling home.

Clean & Polish Silver

Has your hand-me-down silverware and cutlery seen better days? It’s probably time for a cleaning and polishing. There are many handy products for this, but you can keep things simple and just use baking soda. Just create a paste with 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Rub the paste thoroughly onto the silverware with a clean and soft cloth. Rinse the paste with warm water and dry it with a fresh cloth before putting everything away.

Clean Mildew

Bathrooms can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew. If you notice mildew starting to make your tile look dingy and dirty, here’s your fix. Mix together a paste of lemon juice and baking soda. Brush this on the grout lines with a toothbrush, paying close attention to particularly grubby areas. Let that sit for about 20 minutes then wipe it off.

Clean & Degrease BBQ Grills

Warmer weather is coming, so it’s time to check in on your grill and make sure it’s ready for grilling season. If the grates have seen better days, don’t worry, we know how to help. When you’re cleaning, sprinkle some baking soda around the grill grates and scrub with a brush. You can spritz some water or vinegar onto the baking soda for an added boost against stubborn grease and grime. Rinse it off thoroughly and wipe the grates clean.

Deodorize Trashcans

Trash cans can be the source of some truly upsetting odors, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. As food and personal waste gather in the bin, sprinkle a little bit of baking soda between layers to control the release of those pesky odors. Your kitchens and bathrooms will stay blissfully odor free and inviting until trash day comes.

Clean & Unclog Drains

Remember in school when you could make a volcano out of baking soda and vinegar? Well turns out that reaction now has a more practical use and you finally have an excuse to recreate it. Just pour half a cup of baking soda followed by half a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it fizz up and then pour a pot of hot water down the drain to flush it. It may not be the most effective drain cleaner, but it helps in a pinch and can deodorize at the same time!

Deodorize & Brighten Laundry

Did you know that there’s a way to keep your laundry looking bright and smelling fresh every time you wash them? The secret is baking soda. Add half a cup of baking soda to each load you wash combined with your regular detergent. This can also help remove stubborn lingering odors from clothes.

Degrease Cookware

Have your pots and pans seen better, less greasy days? Not to worry, we have the grease-fighting solution. Let your cookware soak in some hot water to loosen things up, then sprinkle some baking soda around the surface. Let the baking soda sit on the wet cookware for a few minutes, then use a scrubbing sponge and some elbow grease to wash away that stubborn stuck-on grease.

Exfoliate Skin

If you notice that your face and body could use a good scrub to reveal softer and brighter skin, try baking soda! Mix together 3 parts baking soda with 1 part warm water to make a paste. Gently rub the paste onto your face with a circular motion to scrub away dead and dull skin. Rinse it off thoroughly and finish with a generous amount of your go-to daily moisturizer. You can also apply the paste to your heels and elbows to smooth and soothe the skin.

Deodorize Litter Boxes

Our furry feline friends deserve clean spaces, and our homes deserve to be rid of that annoying ammonia smell coming from their litter boxes. When you start to notice that particularly sharp odor coming from your fluffy little friend’s box, just sprinkle in a generous amount of baking soda then mix it in. Make sure you’re also cleaning your pet’s litter box a few times a week to stay on top of stubborn odors.

Absorb & Clean Oil Spills

Have you noticed a couple of stray spots of car oil around the garage and on your driveway? While stubborn and unsightly, there is actually a pretty simple way to remove them. Just sprinkle a bit of baking soda over the stains and then scrub the area with a stiff-bristle brush. Add a little more ad then leave this to work for a few minutes before giving it one last good scrub and rinsing the area with water.

What to Avoid with Baking Soda

Even though baking soda is basically a miracle in a box, there are a few places around the house that you should be careful to avoid cleaning with baking soda:

• Use caution if you’re cleaning aluminum pots and pans as baking soda can create warping and other damage to the surface of the cookware.
• Never use it for cleaning antique silver and gold as the baking soda can damage and further tarnish the pieces. This is also true for pieces that are gold-plated.
• Avoid cleaning marble or quartz countertops and ceramic cooktops. Baking soda can cause both of these to corrode and damage the surface beyond repair.
• You should never use baking soda to clean wood floors or furniture, especially unsealed or untreated wood. Baking soda can cause warping and discoloration on wood that cannot be fixed or repaired without having the fully replace the wood.

FAQs

What not to mix with baking soda when cleaning?

What are the benefits of baking soda for cleaning?

Outside of cooking uses, baking soda is incredible at removing tough stains, eliminating foul odors, and cleaning difficult spots like ovens, microwaves, and grout.

Can baking soda damage carpets?

Baking soda is completely safe to use on carpets and upholstery and non-toxic so it is safe to use around kids and pets. It is a great product to deodorize and treat stains on most surfaces.

How often should I cleanse with baking soda?

Depending on the surfaces you’re cleaning, baking soda can be used once or twice a week. Surfaces like carpets and rugs can be deodorized with baking soda several times throughout the week. If you’re using baking soda to scrub your cookware you should avoid doing this more than once every few weeks to avoid daamging the finish. Just be aware of how powerful and abrasive baking soda can be while cleaning before you use it all over the house.

Will baking soda scratch glass?

Baking soda is so mild that it won’t scratch your glass windows or cooking surfaces at all. Even though it is an abrasive material, it is safe to use on most smooth and shiny surfaces, but remember to do your research before using it to clean every surface in your home.