Annie Bond, of Care2, and I have a lot in common, and one is our love affair with baking soda. We both use it for cleaning, among other things. She said in one of her website articles that if she didn’t have a box of it around, she’d make a special trip to the store 5 miles away, just as she would if she were out of a mainstay such as milk. I would do the same.
What do I use so much baking soda for? Here are my top 10 uses of baking soda for cleaning in the home:
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (it’s pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and absorbs odors from the air. Look at all it can do:
1. Drain cleaner: Pour one cup down the drain followed by three cups of boiling water.
2. Chemical smells out of clothes: Soak clothes for two to three hours or overnight, in one cup of baking soda. Agitate the machine occasionally. Repeat if necessary. Wash as usual. (This method is great for removing the new smell out of clothes.)
3. Cat urine: Alternate sprinkling baking soda, which will neutralize acid odors, with white distilled vinegar.
4. Dog odors and urine: Sprinkle with baking soda. Let set for a few hours before sweeping up.
5. Silver polish: Make a paste of baking soda and water, scoop some onto a clean, soft rag, and polish the silver. Rinse and polish dry.
6. Soft scrubber: Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl and add enough liquid soap or detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop onto a sponge and clean the bathtub or tiles. Rinse.
7. Scouring powder: Simply sprinkle baking soda into a sink and scrub.
8. Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Squirt with enough water that the baking soda is damp. Let set overnight, making sure the baking soda is damp before you go to bed. In the morning, simply scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge. Rinse.
9. Refrigerator deodorizer: Place an open box in the back of the fridge. It will “absorb” odors, which means that it will draw odors to the baking soda molecules.
10. Cutting board deodorizer: Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse.
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