Top 10 Cleaning Uses for Baking Soda!

It would blow your mind just how many things you can clean using simple baking soda.Yup, that little box of white powder that sits in your fridge can do a lot more than sit, in the fridge. So, what the heck is this baking soda stuff anyways?

According to Wikipedia:

“Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). The natural mineral form is nahcolite. It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs.

 Since it has long been known and is widely used, the salt has many related names such as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda. In colloquial usage, its name is shortened to sodium bicarb, bicarb soda, or simply bicarb. The word saleratus, from Latin sal æratus meaning aerated salt, was widely used in the 19th century for both sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. The term has now fallen out of common usage.”

In other words, it’s a type of salt that is made by mixing two naturally occurring and very safe compounds together: sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide.

It is so versatile that it has uses in cooking, cleaning, medicine, personal hygiene, and putting out grease fires.

So, just for you, my dear, dear friends – I have assembled a list of 10 great cleaning uses for baking soda!

10   Scrub away marks on your wall.

To do this, simply make a 50/50 paste of baking soda and water and find any scuff mark or crayon art on your painted wall, gently rub in and wipe away.  You’ll see the marks are gone!

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9 Use it as an underarm deodorant. 

Simply apply a pinch under dry arms and even the worst body odour will be trapped and dominated by baking soda.  Don’t believe me, try it!  Just be sure to do it well after you have shaved, or else the granules can cause irritation (it did for me).

8  Clean and even unclog your smelly sink.

When mixed with vinegar, baking soda can cut through almost anything.  Add a cup of baking soda to any drain, let it sit for an hour.  Then, boil 2 cups of vinegar and dump it down the drain, run hot water and your drain will not smell anymore, it’s pretty fantastic.

7  Clean your grout.

I made a video about this one awhile back!

Just take some baking soda, sprinkle it on a grout line, spray with water and leave the baking soda to sit for 10 or so minutes.  Then, scrub the grout clean using a cleaning toothbrush, or even using a regular toothbrush. Wipe away the remaining powder and voila, the cleanest grout on the block.

6   Add abrasion to any cleaning solution.

 Adding baking soda to any other cleaning solution creates abrasion and replaces products like VIM and Comet.  Think about using the 50/50 mix of vinegar and dish liquid, throwing some baking soda on top of that and having a product that could battle almost any store-bought product. Here’s our video on making your own cleaning products!

5   Deodorize the kitty litter.

If you have a litterbox, you understand how painfully smelly it can get!  If you want some great maintenance tips and a no-foolin’ litterbox routine, check this blog post out.  To deodorize the litterbox, simply sprinkle some baking soda into the litter box every time to change it to ensure that everything is kept smelling fresh and clean.

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4  Clean your non self-cleaning oven.

If your oven doesn’t clean itself, give the inside a quick spray down with vinegar, toss baking soda overtop and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Start scrubbing and you’ll see that no caustic products are required here, baking soda will take care of this tough job on its own.

3  Wash build-up out of your hair.

If you are a hair product junkie, every couple of weeks try this trick.  Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your shampoo (I place some in a tissue and add it in after I’ve squeezed out the shampoo) and proceed to wash your hair with baking soda.  It scrubs out all the gunk from products and clarifies the hair.  The results are amazing!

2   Deodorize your carpets. 

If you have a ‘smell’ when you walk in to your home, it’s likely because your carpets (which are like sponges), absorb a lot of dirt, dust, dead skin cells, odours and the like.

If you take a box of baking soda and sprinkle it over your carpets, then vacuum it up 30 minutes later, your room will be deodorized.  Your vacuum will also get a clean treatment as a bonus!

1   Baking soda is a great laundry booster.

It helps brighten and deodorize clothing.  The next time you do a load of laundry, add in a cup of baking soda and see if you notice the difference.  I love this trick!

There you have it – 10 of the 46,972 ways you can clean with baking soda – you’re welcome.

If you have any top secret uses for baking soda – share them below!!!

For more DIY cleaning tricks check out our article on 3 DIY Cleaners That Will Make Your Home Smell Great!