During the ancient times, baking soda was also used for personal care like toothpaste, facial cleanser and body soap. While I am aware of these and other cleaning hacks available online, adding these baking soda hacks to your list is relatively important, too. One, it is economical and convenient. Two, it is environment-friendly, and three (and most importantly) it’s good for your health, as baking soda- if not combined with other cleaning material – is a natural alkaline solution.
Basically, apart from helping your bread and cookies rise when baking, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate (in chemistry term) is an essential alternative in lifting the toughest stains and fighting germs without leaving a harmful chemical smell.
So, if you don’t have time to book a reliable house cleaning service, you better roll up your sleeves now and start writing these 10 surprisingly uses of baking soda.
1. Crayon marks remover (All parents who can relate say, hey!)
Whether you own the house or just renting it out, it is every parent’s nightmare to remove crayon marks on the wall. All you need is a few spoons of baking soda and warm water, enough to make a toothpaste-like texture. Dip a damp rag into the toothpaste and scrub the crayon marks until it’s gone. (Source)
2. Coffee maker, teapots, and mugs stain cleaner
While I know how delightful it is to drink a cuppa, removing the stains is a handful at times. To help eliminate the bitter taste, residue and stains; wash your mugs, teapots, and coffee makers in a ¼ cup baking soda and warm water. Or you may soak them overnight with the said baking soda solution and add a little bit of detergent. Otherwise, gently scrub it by using a damp sponge with baking soda.
Either way, baking soda is your main ingredient to combat these stubborn stains!
3. Kitchen Sink cleaner
Apparently, according to the director of infection control at Long Island College Hospital of Brooklyn, New York, a kitchen sink is dirtier than retrieving something from the toilet and putting it into our mouths! So, to keep your sink clean, please do the following:
- Wet the sink and sprinkle a dash of baking soda all over the kitchen sink.
- Scrub it with a sponge or old toothbrush and rinse after.
For better results: soak paper towels in white vinegar and line them in the sink and soak it for 20 minutes. Also, don’t forget to clean the faucet by using soapy water and vinegar-soaked paper towels. (Source)
4. Oven Cleaner
Oven cleaners are expensive and without proper use, you could destroy your oven! So, for safer and chemical-free oven cleaner, try mixing baking soda and vinegar in scraping off stains.
5. Polishes Silverware
Silverware that hasn’t been used for a while may look tarnished. To prevent it from happening, polish them by using baking soda paste.
6. Grill Cleaner
Don’t let your barbecue sessions be put on hold just because of the residue. While an onion could be a great cleaning hack, baking soda, on the other hand, could do wonders, too! In a plastic metal dish, stir one cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Pour the solution to the grates placed in a large plastic bag (preferably trash bag), close it and leave it overnight. Rinse loosened residue off the kitchen sink or in the trash. (Source)
7. Furniture and Floor Cleaner
Some furniture and floors are sensitive with chemical-based cleaning materials. Also, these chemicals when inhaled are bad for health and may trigger irritability, asthma, etc. Also, floors like vinyl, wood, just to name a few, need proper care.
For cleaning the floor: Mop your floor with a ½ cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Rinse after.
For cleaning furniture: Dampen the sponge in baking soda and lightly rub the surface. Wipe it off with clean, dry cloth, afterwards.
8. Carpet cleaner
Baking soda is a great ingredient for removing vomit, pet accidents, as well as, deodorizing it. As a cleaner: Scrub baking soda gently into the rug with warm water, and brush. Vacuum, when dry.
Tip: Sprinkle your carpets with baking soda, at least once a month. Let it sit overnight and vacuum the next day. The baking soda naturally neutralizes and absorbs bad odors.
9. Oil and Grease Remover
Baking soda has mild alkaline, which is a natural solution to cut grease and oil. Hence, use baking soda to clean up oil spills in the garage.
In addition, if you spill oil in your upholstery, put baking soda on the oil and either scrape it off or vacuum up the residue.
10. Bathtub cleaner
Most often than not, tubs are usually made of fiberglass, acrylic, porcelain, stone, or metal. However, fiberglass and acrylic are sensitive and may leave scratch marks if you use an abrasive cleaner. So, to maintain its natural color and leave a scratch free tub, follow these instructions:
- First, remove all toiletries and wet the bathtub. Sprinkle the baking soda on the wet parts of the tub and scrub it.
- After scrubbing thoroughly, dip a sponge with vinegar and continue scrubbing it. The vinegar works as the disinfectant and works well with baking soda in removing stains and germs.
- Do not forget to use gloves when doing this, as vinegar smell may stick to your hands.
In a succinct manner, baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has been known as the natural cleaner during the ancient times. In addition, Egyptians used it as a facial soap, while others, used it for oral care (toothpaste).
In fact, it was Dr. Austin Church and John Dwight (Arm and Hammer) who started manufacturing and selling the compound – now known as baking soda, during 1846. Yes, it was that long ago and it was 1972, when the idea of keeping a box of baking soda in every household came up, because of it’s surprising uses to clean our houses!
So, whether you are baking some good cookies for your arvo delight or stocking up on your cleaning materials, make sure to grab this gem of a natural cleaning solution- baking soda, without spending too much!
Do you keep a box handy?
Bring back the sparkle
Ah! Cleaning might be the most eye rolling and tedious chore you have to do. There are so many nooks and crannies to get into, and there’s always a spot or two you end up missing. However, you can ensure your house sparkles by hiring house cleaners in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from a company like UrbanYou.
UrbanYou is changing the way Aussies buy home services. Busy people can now instantly connect with trusted service professionals and manage all their property needs through the UrbanYou platform. Cleaning day will be a highlight of your week when you book home cleaning services that come to you at a time and date you need.
So now you’ve freed up your weekend, what are you going to do with all that extra time?
