In my last post about cleaning products, I mentioned the plethora of cleaning products I have in my house. Each product has a different cleaning purpose, so in order to clean each area of my house I need LOTS of products.
A cheap cleaning product that cleans MANY areas around your home and can replace nearly all of those bottles? Baking Soda.
I've never personally used baking soda for cleaning, but after finding this list of ways to clean with it, I am converted. (Also, it's completely non-toxic).
Cleaning the Kitchen with Baking Soda
1. Use in the refrigerator, freezer, or cupboard to keep odors away.
2. To clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water.
3. To clean silver, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
4. To remove scuff marks or grease spills from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and then wipe with a warm, damp cloth. This is even safe for no-wax floors!
5. For burnt-on food in the bottom of pots, sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.
Cleaning the Bathroom with Baking Soda:
1.To remove stubborn stains from most surfaces, use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or wipe clean.
2. Hairbrushes and combs can be cleaned in a baking soda solution.
3. To avoid clogged drains, pour 1/4 cup baking soda down weekly. Rinse through with hot water.
Cleaning the House with Baking Soda:
1. To remove scents from a carpet, sprinkle with baking soda. Let stand for at least fifteen minutes, then vacuum. Repeat as needed.
2. To quickly clean pets and remove "wet dog" odor, sprinkle with baking soda and brush out their fur.
3. Clean children's toys using 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Submerge in this mixture (or wipe with a cloth dampened in it), then rinse with clear water.
Doing Laundry with Baking Soda:
1. Replace half of each measure of laundry detergent with baking soda to keep clothing fresh.
2. To remove grease stains, either add baking soda to the wash load or pretreat the stains with a baking soda paste.
3. Baking soda increases the effectiveness of chlorine bleach. Add 1 / 2 cup to your laundry, along with the usual amount of bleach.
Cleaning Outside the House with Baking Soda:
1. Baking soda can be used to help clean up grease spills.
2. To remove burnt food from the grill, sprinkle with baking soda, then soak. After several hours, the charred pieces will come loose easily.
3. Lawn furniture can be easily cleaned with a rinse of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water.
With Baking Soda available in large quantities at Sam's Club or Costco for only a few dollars, you can replace nearly all the cleaning products in your house for next to nothing.
Who's willing to try it with me?
8 comments:
It warms my heart to see you being so green :)
I've been cleaning with baking soda for years! I totally love it. Especially now that my kids are old enough to clean bathrooms etc.--the more non-toxic the better.
So I just learned a new use for baking soda: cleaning cooked on spray oil on pans. I had sprayed my muffin tins with cooking spray (don't do this) and I was left with some sticky oily residue that wouldn't wash off. Cue baking soda. Take a pile of baking soda, a damp cloth and scrub--it removes the sticky residue!
Also, baking soda is the best to get hard water stains off of shower doors. It works better than any other cleaner (soft scrub, etc.)
My absolute favorite cleaner is as follows:
21 oz water
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp bleach
Mix together in a spray bottle and clean away.
It's supposed to be super antibacterial, though I have no science to back it up and don't remember where I heard that. But it's dirt DIRT cheap and my house is sparkling so I have no complaints.
Also, straight vinegar in a spray bottle will get rid of hard water stains as well.
Vinegar isn't antibacterial, as it's not acidic enough, but bleach sure is.
And the BEST way to clean the nasty gunk I get in my bathtub is a combination of dish soap, baking soda, and water. Works like a dream.
I use baking soda occassionally to clean certain areas, but is it a disinfectant? I'm all for using it to clean the dirt off my kitchen counters, but if it isn't sanitizing them then I still have to use another cleaner. Any thoughts?
Learned a few new tricks, thanks. I really like to have baking soda handy when frying. Not only is it great for soaking up the grease (like you said), but it is a great fire extinguisher.
Another use that people might not know about or remember is that a baking soda paste on bug bites and rashes helps relieve the itch. Also, baking soda sprinkled in the bath water is very soothing. (I like to rinse it off, but I don't think you have to.) Yes, some of the new products work better, but when you need something in a hurry it's baking soda to the rescue.
When my roommates and I moved out of our apartment in Massachusetts, we could NOT get the floor of the shower clean to save our lives. It had these really fine-grained slip-resistant strips on the bottom of it. We tried every combination of chemicals (some safe, some decidedly lethal) and NOTHING worked. Finally, in frustration I dumped a box of baking soda on the floor and went to town with a scrub brush. Wouldn't you know that with just a little elbow grease that shower was cleaner than when we moved in?
Ever since then, I've definitely been in the baking soda boat. I have used it many times on our carpet to get rid of the smell of dog. It's great to add a cup to the laundry when I'm washing my husband's smelly farm clothes, too.
Go baking soda!
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