20 Uses of Baking Soda for Household Cleaning
There are several uses of baking soda for household cleaning. In this regard, it’s useful for removing stains from cups, cleaning bathroom floors and ceramics, and removing grease from pots and pans.
In addition, it has applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. And even for cooking at home, from savory dishes (to soften grains) to desserts (as a leavening agent in cakes). Read on and we’ll tell you more.
What’s baking soda?
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a substance known by various names: sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, soda carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate. Furthermore, in the 19th century it was called Vichy salt, after a French town famous for its thermal baths.
This white crystalline compound is slightly alkaline. It’s a mineral found in nature or produced synthetically — the most common.
Moreover, baking soda is water soluble, although it tends to be abrasive. Furthermore, you can purchase it in drug stores or supermarkets, in sachets or containers, whose concentration is 100 percent (each gram of powder is a gram of sodium bicarbonate).
Main uses of baking soda
The uses of baking soda regarding cleaning your home are centered around eliminating stains and grease buildups. Here are some of the other things that baking soda does:
- First aid: To treat acid burn
- Personal hygiene: Including toothpastes and mouthwashes
- Increase alkalinity, making it an excellent element to add to pool water
- To put out fires, especially type C (those created by electricity)
- It has antiseptic properties when applied as a mouthwash for throat infections and in the prevention of cavities
It’s a good leavening and softening agent in cooking - Insecticide (it’s ideal for killing cockroaches) and fungicide
These are just some of the most common uses of baking soda. However, there are many others for household cleaning, as we’re about to see.
Applications of baking soda for household cleaning
You can make a solution of baking soda and water or mix it with lemon juice, vinegar, or salt, to reinforce its cleaning action.
Furthermore, it does a good job removing dirt and grime and also for polishing surfaces. Stick around and learn about the many ways to use it.
1. Wash pots, frying pans, and plates
Add a few tablespoons of baking soda to your soap to wash normal plates to help eliminate grease easily. If the grease or food is really tough, let it soak in water with your detergent and baking soda. Then, add a little to a damp sponge to remove the rest without scratching.
2. Clean the sink
The metal parts of the sink shine like new again with the help of baking soda. Spread it with a sponge in a circular motion. Finally, rinse with warm water.
3. Baking soda for household cleaning: clogged pipes
Is your drain not flowing? Pour half a cup of baking soda and then some vinegar in it, the reaction will generate foaming, and then add some boiling water.
4. To polish surfaces
You can use it to clean tiles, bathtubs, drains, etc. Pour a little on a damp sponge and then rub the surfaces. For best results, make a paste with baking soda and your regular cleaning soap. Apply and let it sit for five minutes; then, rinse it with water.
5. Baking soda for household cleaning: the microwave
Sprinkle a damp sponge with a little baking soda and wipe it all over the inside. Then, take a damp rag and remove everything. Rinse the sponge, wring it out well, and go over everything again. This is ideal for removing stubborn food debris and deodorizing the appliance at the same time.
6. Clean the oven
The oven also tends to accumulate food debris and sauces. To remove them, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom, trays and racks. Sprinkle with water and let it work overnight. In the morning, scrub and remove with a sponge: the dirt will come off easily.
7. Clean walls and furniture
To remove paint and pencil stains, rub the baking soda on the surface or wall with a damp sponge. Let it act for a few minutes and if you think it’s necessary, repeat the procedure. If you’re satisfied with the results, just allow it to dry.
8. Use baking soda to clean the floors
Dissolve half a cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Mop the floor and then go over it again with a clean mop. Your floor will be clean and sparkly, as if you had polished it with a machine.
9. Clean the shower curtain
Shower curtains often have scale and soap residue on them when they’re not washed weekly. To get rid of this type of grime, remove the curtains, place them in a basin, sprinkle a sponge with baking soda, scrub the curtain, and rinse.
Another option is to take the curtains and put them in the washing machine. In the first cycle, instead of laundry detergent, add baking soda. And in the second, add your usual detergent.
10. Baking soda for household cleaning to polish metal cutlery
Sodium bicarbonate is excellent for polishing metal instruments and, above all, cutlery. Mix three parts of baking soda with a part of water and, with the help of a sponge, cloth, or old toothbrush, rub until all the dirt comes out and the piece is clean and shiny.
11. To polish gold and silver
To make silver shine just make a paste with a spoonful of baking soda and vinegar. Add a little at a time to attain the right consistency. Polish the objects with this mixture and the help of a clean and dry cloth. Wait a few minutes and remove the paste with another clean cloth or a rag.
12. Use baking soda to polish stainless steel
On pots, pans, trays and various surfaces, including refrigerator handles, you can rub with a damp sponge and baking soda, and then with a clean cloth. You’ll notice the difference.
13. Baking soda for household cleaning: remove stains on clothes
Baking soda mixed with a little lemon juice helps remove those stubborn stains on clothes, especially on white or light-colored clothes. If the stain is stubborn, apply the baking soda directly with a sponge and let it soak for a while.
14. Clean coffee mugs and tea cups
It also removes stains on the cups you use the most. To do this, fill them with water and add a pinch of baking soda, stirring a little to dissolve. Let it soak for half an hour. Then, wash it as usual.
Also read about 9 Great Ways to Eliminate Stains
15. Strengthen liquid detergent
Baking soda is great at balancing the pH level of water, which helps to leave clothes cleaner, fresher, and brighter. Thus, just add 1/2 cup to the liquid detergent of each load.
16. Remove oil and grease stains
Just as it can help remove coffee and tea stains, it can also remove fresh oil and grease stains. Just sprinkle a little baking soda on the stained garment (previously moistened), let it act for a while, and clean with a brush.
17. Use baking soda for clean and fresh sponges
Prepare a concentrated baking soda solution and submerge the sponges to remove the dirtiness and odors. It’ll help you to extend the life of these items and, at the same time, keep your home cleaner.
18. Baking soda for household cleaning: clean other sources of odors
To eliminate unpleasant odors, place a container of baking soda inside the refrigerator, in cupboards or garbage cans. In addition, you can freshen smelly sneakers and shoes by sprinkling some baking soda inside them.
19. Cleaning other surfaces
You can clean most surfaces, remove bad odors and eliminate mold, dust mites and humidity with baking soda thanks to its cleaning action. It includes fabrics and surfaces of sofas, mattresses, carpets, and pillows. To do this, spread the baking soda for half an hour and remove with a vacuum cleaner or a brush, as appropriate. Finally, repeat as many times as necessary.
20. Baking soda for household cleaning and getting rid of smelly hands
You can even use it on your skin or hands to get rid of strong odors, such as gasoline or cooking fish. Just wash them with a solution of baking soda and water. Note that you have to make sure it dissolves well, so as not to hurt your skin. Then, use your soap as normal.
There are many other uses for baking soda for household cleaning
It’s important to keep in mind that baking soda is a substance that, while it has many uses, on a day-to-day basis, it shouldn’t be used for anything other than household cleaning.
When it comes to personal care, there are less aggressive and more suitable options for your skin and hair. Finally, if you have any doubts about this, remember that you can consult your doctor.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Huacasi-Supo V, Jinéz-Mamani W, Durand-Zea E, et al. Efectos del colutorio de bicarbonato de sodio sobre el pH salival y la microflora oral. Vive Revista de Salud. 2021; 4(11): 141-149.
- Normas Oficiales Mexicanas SCT2. Norma oficial mexicana, detección, identificación, prevención y sistemas contra incendio para embarcaciones que transportan hidrocarburos, químicos y petroquímicos de alto riesgo. Diario Oficial de la Federación Fecha de publicación: 21 de Diciembre de 1998. NOM-025-SCT4-1995.
- Navarrete N. Prevención de quemaduras por ácido tricloroacético durante el tratamiento de condilomas acuminados: neutralización con bicarbonato de sodio. Rev. chil. Dermatol. 2005; 21(2): 145-146.
- Velázquez Peña, S. Desinfección del agua a través de métodos electroquímicos. Ciencia Ergo-Sum. 2017; 24(2): 145-151.