Baking Soda Hacks For House Cleaning

Laelia Yang February 09, 2021 | 07:39

Baking soda is a natural cleaning option that brings amazing results. Here are 15 awesome baking soda hacks for your home that KnowInsiders recommends for you!

Baking Soda Hacks. Photo: vneconomy.vn

Is baking powder the same as baking soda?

Baking powder and baking soda are different things.

Both are leavening agents that look exactly the same, but they are slightly different.

Baking soda needs an acid AND a liquid to activate and help baked goods rise, but baking powder only needs a liquid to become activated.

Baking powder, therefore, isn’t as strong as baking soda, if you were substituting baking powder for baking soda, you'd need to use three times more baking powder than baking soda.

On the other hand, baking soda and bicarbonate of soda are the same things.

They are both formally known as NaHCO3 or sodium bicarbonate.

People in the UK and Australia tend to call it bicarbonate of soda but Americans usually say baking soda, according to Express.

15 baking soda hacks for your home

1. Cooktop Cleaner

No matter what type of cooktop you have, it’s probably one of the most difficult surfaces to clean in your entire home. And since it’s pretty easy to scratch a glass cooktop, it’s not like you can attack stains with a harsh cleaner or sponge. If you’ve resigned yourself to the mess that is sticky black spots all over your cooktop, rest assured that help is on the way. Simply sprinkle baking soda all over the surface, then gently rub it into a paste with a warm, soapy cloth. Let it sit, and then rinse with warm water, Little Things noted.

2. Wall Cleaner

Photo: hgtv.com

It’s hard to fully grasp the level of wall scuffs you’ll deal with in your life until kids enter the scene. And trust us, it’s a lot. Luckily, there’s an easy and inexpensive way to deal — you guessed it: baking soda. Mixed with water and formed into a paste, baking soda will effectively remove most wall stains. Got permanent marker art? Sadly, you’ll probably have to bring out the big guns. But those everyday scuffs and marks that seem to accumulate out of nowhere won’t stand a chance against baking soda, craftsyhacks conducted.

3. Clean carpet and mattress

Baking soda is great for removing stains and bad odors, so it’s the perfect tool for cleaning mattresses and carpets.

Of course, you may want to do a deep clean which involves getting these surfaces wet and using a cleaner, but baking soda will freshen them up and get rid of nasty bacteria lurking in the material. Smear a solution of baking soda and water on any stains and sprinkle the rest of the tub all over the mattress or carpet. Leave it to sit overnight or for as long as possible and then hoover up the remains or wipe away the pasty solution with a damp cloth.

You can clean the inside of shoes in the same way, Express cited.

4. Pet Bed Cleaner

Photo: godfreys.com.au

Is your pet's bed smelling a little funky lately? We get it. Pet beds can certainly be challenging to keep clean, and the smell often seems to permeate your whole house. Keep things fresh by giving your furry friend’s resting places a shake or two of baking soda on the regular, following with a thorough vacuum session., reported livesimply.

5. Unclog Slow Drains

Before you go the chemical route to clear a slow-moving drain, try baking soda and vinegar. Pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, then heat up a cup of vinegar and pour it on top of the baking soda. After approximately 10 minutes, flush with a pot of boiling water. Lastly, rinse it with hot water. Your drain should be clog-free; no chemicals necessary. (Don't use this solution on a clogged drain.)

6. Deodorize and Freshen Garbage Cans

Photo: mom4real.com

Sprinkle baking soda (you can mix it with a few drops of your favorite essential oil if desired) on the bottom of a trash bin to keep odors away. Discard and refresh the baking soda every few weeks. If you don’t want to sprinkle baking soda in your trash can, sprinkle the powder in a small, short cardboard box first and then place the box in the bottom of your trash can, wrote acrazyfamily.

7. Scour a Ceramic Stovetop

Baked-on food residue tends to build up on cooktops no matter how hard you try to keep them clean. Luckily, a paste of warm water and baking soda spooned onto the surface will help loosen the residue. Let it sit for several minutes, then scrub to remove the gunk. Finish by spritzing with glass cleaner, then wipe dry.

8. Washing Machine Cleaner

Photo: mollymaid.com

If your clothes are coming out of the wash smelling less than fresh, it might be time to clean your washing machine. Today’s washing machines require much more frequent cleaning than you might think, especially if you have a front-loading model. Luckily, baking soda makes a perfect natural cleanser for the inside of your machine. Start a large, hot load (without any clothing, of course!) in your washer and add both baking soda and vinegar to power away buildup and smelly mildew, according to livesimply.

9. Flawless Floors

Especially if you have pets, you may find that smells cling to the carpet. Give carpets a refresher with simple, basic baking soda.

Baking soda can deodorize your carpet and neutralize odors. Grab a box of baking soda and sprinkle it liberally over your carpets. Allow the baking soda to sit as long as you can. Leave it overnight for maximum power. Once you’re ready, vacuum up the baking soda as best you can. You’ll find that your carpet feels completely new, and the smells are gone. Check out more carpet cleaning tips here!

10. Clean Sponge

Photo: businessinsider.com.au

We use sponges to clean things all over our houses, so it’s no wonder they absolutely stink sometimes.

Instead of constantly throwing away and buying new sponges, you can clean your existing ones with baking soda. Soak the sponge in a sink or bucket full of about a liter of water and at least four tablespoons of baking soda. Leave it to sit for a while and then let it dry naturally- it should no longer smell.

11. Hairbrush Cleaner

You just got over an illness, and you need to sanitize your toothbrush. Avoid harsh chemicals and use baking soda and vinegar instead.

Just like your hair, your brushes need regular cleaning to avoid product buildup. Luckily, the solution is super simple. Just remove any excess hair from the brush, then soak it in a solution of baking soda and water for an hour, according to littlethings.

12. Jewelry Cleaner

If you’ve got dirty or tarnished jewelry, try gently rubbing with a thick paste of baking soda and water to get that shine back. Baking soda is a great way to polish silver and gold jewelry, and you can even use it on your diamonds! Just be sure to avoid using baking soda on delicate gems like pearls or opals, since it can scratch their fragile surfaces.

13. A Brighter Bowl

Photo: fantasticservicesgroup.com.au

Those blue toilet cleaners not only smell awful, but they’re made with terribly toxic ingredients. Avoid this by using the natural cleaning power of baking soda to clean and deodorize toilets.

To attack your toilet bowl with baking soda, sprinkle a cup of baking soda around the inside of your toilet. Follow this up with a cup of vinegar. Then, clean something else for 20 or 30 minutes while the mixture works. Use your usual toilet brush to scrub the inside of the bowl like you normally do. Flush, and enjoy a clean, white bowl.

Pro tip: Use vinegar and baking soda to clean the rest of the toilet, too. No chemicals needed!

14. Pretty-Up Tarnished Silver

Line a pan with aluminum foil and place silver pieces on top of the foil. Next, bring a pot of water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add baking soda into the hot water and stir. Once the chemical reaction kicks in, the water will become foamy. Next, pour the baking soda mixture over the tarnished pieces, and let them soak for about 10 minutes. This reaction causes the tarnish to change back to silver, while the sulfur attaches itself to the foil. Give the chemical reaction time to do its thing! When the pieces are ready, remove them with tongs, then rinse and dry each piece with a clean towel. Lightly buff each piece to a gorgeous sparkle, according to hgtv.

15. Freshness is in the Air

Photo: simplemost.com

This one is fun. Choose your favorite essential oil, whether it‘s lavender, vanilla, or orange.

Make your own DIY air freshener with a cute Mason jar. Fill the jar up to about halfway with soda.

Drop-in 10 drops of essential oil. Cover the jar with a breathable fabric.

You can dress these up with different colored fabrics. Tie a ribbon around the top so they look nice.

The baking soda absorbs odors. The oil adds a natural, fresh scent that isn‘t chemical-based or overwhelming.

Baking Soda Fun Facts

The reason why soda really helps for cleaning a sink or a fridge is that it is a mild alkali which means that it can react with acids without causing damaging reactions.

The crystalline structure of baking soda when it is used as a paste provides a gentle abrasion that helps to remove dirt without scratching sensitive surfaces.

Soda is eco-friendly and safe to use in your home.

Because of the deodorizing properties of baking soda, it can be used against the unpleasant cigarettes’ smoke. If there is a smoker in the house, put baking soda in the bottom of each ashtray to keep away the smoke smell, according to springcleanlondon.

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