7 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda
It’s funny how when talking about natural cleaning products, the ingredients all lie in various aisles throughout the grocery store. You’ll find vinegar in the oils and salad dressings aisle, lemons in the produce department and baking soda, the most surprising of all, down the baking aisle sitting pretty between chocolate chips and pastry flour. Yet, this versatile box of dusty powder doesn’t just add fluffiness to your pancakes and banana muffins. No, it can do much more magic than that. Here we present seven ways you can use baking soda in your daily cleaning regimen.
Removing Stains from Food Containers
Plastic food containers can harbor a lot of stains and stink. Don’t want your containers to remind you that you had spaghetti and meatballs a week ago? Shake a bit of baking powder onto the bottom of said culprit, let sit for a minute and then scrub away with a wet sponge. The baking soda will lift the odor and the stains all in one shot and you’ll be left with a sparkly clean container once again.
Unclog Drains
Ah, yes. No one likes to shower in a tub that’s starting to look like the girl from The Ring is about to emerge through the drain! Not only is standing in ankle-deep sudsy water annoying, it also defeats the whole purpose of “clean” as you’ll end up heading out of the bathtub with legs that are just sub-par below the ankle. Get rid of that gunk by dumping a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by another cup of vinegar. Watch it all fizzle as you stand by and observe like a fourth-grade star at the science fair. The mixture will eat away at anything draining the clog. Of course, if you have any serious drain issues you may need to get physical and pull some of that gunk out via hand, but this will help in releasing it and making the job much much easier. If you smell any funky odors being released from the drain, squeeze a lemon right down it followed by some hot water to give it a fresh smell.
Baking Soda
Mold and Mildew Remover
While a clogged up drain might taunt you with the possibility of turning into a horror movie scene, a tub with mold and mildew creeping up the tiles and walls might actually take it one step further and plunge you into horror-land every time you shower. Never fear, baking soda is here! Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and baking soda and spray the affected surface. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes. Grab a toothbrush and start scrubbing away at the spots. If you need to, sprinkle some more baking soda to help lift away the stains.
Chemical Free Oven Cleaner
That scrumptious casserole you made a month and a half ago that deliciously bubbled over the sides and onto the bottom of your oven? Yes, we’ve got a solution for that mess. Oven cleaners can be harsh with their heavy chemicals and strong scents and if you’ve got small kids running around, you really don’t want to run the self-cleaning option on your oven which raises the temperature to extremely high levels to incinerate the stuck-on stuff. Instead, try making a paste of baking soda with some lemon or lime juice and spreading it inside the oven. Let it sit for 2-3 hours or overnight and then wipe with a wet microfiber cloth. The baking soda and lemon juice will have worked together to loosen up the sticky bits and make it easier to wipe.
All Natural Magic-Eraser
Your kids are wonderful little people that have amazing artistic abilities. While you’re not looking, though, they may decide that their choice of canvas is your wall. The perfect medium for you get rid of their pretty little artwork is, of course, baking soda. Dab some onto a wet sponge and scrub away to reveal perfectly stain-free walls again.
Remove Grease Stains from Clothes
If you’re anything like me, the food experience is not just limited to your mouth…your clothes also get to experience it. Your favorite shirt does not deserve to display the cheat meal you had a week ago at the carnival. Pre-treat the stain with a paste of baking soda and water and leave on for 10-15 minutes, then stick it in the washing machine. To boost the power of your laundry detergent further, add half a cup of baking soda to your washing machine when loading it up. No one will ever know that you cheated on your New Year’s resolution with a deep-fried Mars bar.
Freshen Up Your Sink
We’re pretty big coffee drinkers around here. If you’re anything like us, you may experience the well-known brown spots in your sink that result from pouring coffee down it over and over again. A super easy trick to get rid of them, and add a fresh smell to your kitchen, is up our sleeve. Place a few drops of lavender essential oil into half a cup of baking soda. Store in a tightly sealed container. At the end of the day, sprinkle the mixture into your sink and let sit for 30 seconds before using a sponge to rub away the stains. Rinse with warm water and step back to observe a sparkling clean sink free of stains or odors.
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