Baking soda is such a miracle worker for so many things around the home, especially when it comes to cleaning. Here are 8 things you can clean with baking soda!
It seems like we’re always finding some amazing new uses for baking soda. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is that it doesn’t just kind of work; it’s actually really effective as a cleanser and a natural deodorant.
Sodium bicarbonate is so easy to come across, so inexpensive, and actually, such a lovely addition to your cupboard or cleaning closet when you take it out of the orange arm and hammer box and put it in a pretty glass jar. Better yet, just buy it directly from the bulk foods store and bypass the extra trip to the recycling bin altogether. 🙂 I tackled a new cleaning task recently where the solution to the problem was, once again, bicarb soda. It got me thinking about how many times this has happened, so I decided to gather up a few of my favorite baking soda uses and put them together for a bit of cleaning inspiration.
Remove Stains From Marble
This is truly a bit of a miracle when you think about how often you hear people complaining about how easily marble can stain. A simple poultice comes to the rescue in this very helpful cleaning tip. When baking soda and water are around, anything is possible. Just let it soak until the stain is dissolved and you see the marble start to whiten, then wipe clean to remove any remaining residue.
Get the full step-by-step: How to Remove Stains From Marble
Clean Greasy Range Hood Filters
When was the last time you cleaned the filters from your range hood? Once you realize how surprisingly satisfying this cleaning task can be with the help of a tablespoon or two of baking soda, you’ll never forget to complete this household again. Simple sprinkle baking soda over vent filters, then use boiling-water to release the odor-neutralizing powers of bicarbonate of soda before rinsing those cooking smells away down the drain.
Get the full step-by-step: How to Properly Clean Range Hood Filters
Use Baking Soda as a Dishwasher Detergent Substitute
You’ll want to know this simple cleaning recipe if you ever run out of dishwasher tabs and you need to run a load of dishes. You may even find that you like it better than store-bought detergent, and it’s certainly a more economical choice.
Get the full step-by-step: Baking Soda Dishwasher Detergent Replacement
Effortlessly Polish Heavily Tarnished Silver
This method for polishing silver just melts the tarnish away right before your eyes as the tarnish is reacting with the baking soda; no scrubbing required. Once you know how to clean your cherished silver pieces this way in a hot-water bath, you’ll wonder how you ever did it any other way.
Get the full step-by-step: Quickly and Naturally Polish Heavily Tarnished Silver
Clean and Deodorize Your Vacuum Cleaner
Your vacuum cleaner is a big investment. Baking soda will keep it fresh and deodorized from the inside out once you know how to use it properly for this purpose.
Get the full step-by-step: How to Clean and Deodorize Vacuum Cleaners
Use Baking Soda to Clean Carpets and Rugs
Did your mom ever sprinkle baking soda on the carpeting and area rugs before vacuuming? This is a little upgrade on that old-fashioned trick. Sprinkling baking soda on your carpets, then letting it sit for a few minutes, allows the baking soda to work its amazing deodorizing magic. After just a little while, it will absorb and neutralize any odor issues, leaving your rugs smelling fresh without the need for a single additive.
Get the full step-by-step: Homemade Carpet Cleaner and Deodorizer
Make Homemade Grout Cleaner
This viral grout cleaner recipe has been so popular on Pinterest for a reason. It just works. Just rub the peroxide mixture gently into your grout with an old toothbrush and you’ll be amazed at how clean your grout becomes after wiping away any powdered residue.
Get the full step-by-step: Homemade Grout Cleaner Recipe
The Best Oven Cleaner is Actually Bicarbonate of Soda
Both baking soda and baking powder go into the oven as a leavening agent when you’re making delicious cakes, cookies, and other baked goods, but only one of them will help you with the cleaning process afterward. Commercial oven cleaners can be a little scary and quite irritating to your skin and lungs; they’re also usually not really needed. Instead, use a baking soda solution to dissolve away grime and baked-on messes. After soaking and cleansing, simply rinse everything away with a damp sponge.
Get the full step-by-step: Homemade Natural Oven Cleaner
Clean Bakeware and Silicone Baking Mats
If you use your silpat baking mats often, you know how stained and dirty-looking they can get. If regular cleaning isn’t cutting it, follow these steps to make them shine like new.
Get the how-to: Cleaning Silpat Baking Mats With Baking Soda
Make Your Own Baking Powder When You Run Out
It happens to the best of us: You’re halfway through a recipe only to realize that you’re completely out of baking powder. Luckily, there’s no need to run to the store if you know this clever little trick for making your own baking powder using your trust box of baking soda and other pantry staples.
Get the recipe: Homemade Baking Powder Substitute
Turn Regular Baking Soda into Powerful Washing Soda
If you’ve ever come across cleaning instructions that call for washing soda but have had trouble tracking down a box at your local store or just didn’t want to bother making the trip, you may have found it helpful to know that you can actually make your own washing soda using regular baking soda and a little bit of science.
Get the tutorial: How to Make Your Own Washing Soda
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.