Effective Ways to Clean Your Home Using Baking Soda

Published July 18, 2024

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, isn’t just for baking—it’s a super-versatile cleaner with tons of uses! Because it’s slightly basic, non-toxic, and abrasive, but not too abrasive, it’s great for freshening stuff up and getting things squeaky clean. This makes it safe to use around kids and pets (unlike most commercial cleaning products). In this post we’ll tell you how to use sodium bicarbonate all over the house—and there won’t be a chemical in sight!

Using Baking Soda to Clean Surfaces

Baking soda is an excellent all-around cleaner for surface-cleaning various things in your house. Its mild abrasiveness lets it scrub dirt, grime, and stains off surfaces without scratching them.

To clean surfaces with baking soda, sprinkle a little onto a damp sponge or cloth and wipe the area. This works well on kitchen counters, stoves, sinks – anywhere oily spots or food residues have built up.

For tougher marks, make a paste by mixing a little water with the soda. Put this on the stain for a few minutes then scrub it off (don’t worry; BS won’t damage most surfaces).

Because sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is slightly alkaline, it can break down fatty substances – plus it neutralizes acids.

General Surface Cleaning

Carpet Deodorizer

If your home has started to smell due to everyday use, spills, or pet odours that have become trapped in the carpet fibres, there’s no need to spend money on commercial deodorizers. Baking soda, a cupboard staple with serious odour-absorbing power, is a natural solution that will leave your carpets smelling fresh and clean – here’s how to use it.

Simply shake the baking soda liberally over the entire carpeted area; give it an extra push into those parts where the whiff is particularly noticeable. Allow it to work its magic for at least 15 minutes (longer for more pronounced smells) then vacuum up. The powder absorbs both moisture and unwanted smells, which are released back into the air as you empty the machine. To put a pleasant aroma back into the room, mix your chosen essential oil with the bicarbonate before scattering it on the floor.

By following these instructions whenever you feel it’s necessary, you can avoid introducing artificial chemicals into your living space via expensive shop-bought products — and keep things smelling nice!

If used frequently — as is often the case with kitchen sinks — stains, soap scum and bits of food may accumulate over time. When this happens, your sink can take on an unsightly appearance while also becoming less hygienic. Baking soda works wonders on sinks because it is mildly abrasive and able to break down organic matter.

To start the process, put regular amounts of baking soda all around a wet sink. Then take a sponge or brush (nylon bristles are safe on all surfaces) and scrub in circles. Pay special attention to the area near the drain and the faucet, places known for collecting grime, gunk and goo.

For extra cleaning punch, mix white vinegar with dish soap and heat it in the microwave until barely hot. The solution fizzes when applied to sinks. This is a great way to remove spots caused by hard water.

Sink Cleaning

Bathroom Scrub

Keeping bathrooms clean is tough because they’re so prone to mildew, hard water stains, and soap scum. But instead of using harsh chemicals, you can turn to an unlikely helper: baking soda.

With its gentle abrasiveness and natural deodorising properties (it doesn’t just mask odours!), this pantry staple can help take on some of the worst cleaning jobs in your home—all while being safer for people, pets and our planet when used as directed.

To make a powerful bathroom scrub from scratch all you’ll need is some baking soda plus a little bit of water: no fancy equipment or obscure product required!

Simply mix the two ingredients together until they form a thick paste-like consistency (similar to toothpaste). Then apply this “homemade soft scrub” directly onto surfaces like shower tiles, and grout lines at the bottom of sinks or tubs.

Next grab either an old sponge with an abrasive side or a toilet brush (depending upon what you’re cleaning) and start scrubbing away.

To maintain a healthy sleeping space, it’s important to freshen up your mattress regularly as they can collect sweat, dust mites and smells over time. Why not try using baking soda? It’s natural, doesn’t contain any chemicals – and it works!

Simply strip the bed then apply baking soda generously all over the surface of your mattress. For maximum effectiveness leave it there for at least half an hour so it can absorb all those oils and odours (if you can leave it longer, great!).

When the time is up, vacuum thoroughly with an upholstery attachment to remove both the soda and any debris or dust from within the fabric. This straightforward cleaning technique could help increase the lifespan of your bed while also providing a fresher environment for dozing.

Mattress Freshener

Odor Neutralizer

Baking soda has long been celebrated for its ability to remove bad odours and as such is a valuable tool in the fight against household stink.

Putting an open box or a small dish of baking soda in different parts of your home can help neutralize any unwanted smells – whether they’re from gone-off food in the fridge, sweaty gym clothes in a bag or something else altogether.

For this to work all you need to do is leave the bicarbonate of soda (its official name) to absorb those nasty niffs; it will do the job of both soaking them up and then making the area smell nice again.

If using it in the refrigerator-freezer compartment we would recommend changing pots or boxes around every couple of months so its effectiveness isn’t reduced over time (you’ll be pleased know this is still pretty cheap). Similarly sprinkling some at bottoms bins liners may also stop bad bin juice aromas developing.

By using baking soda instead of artificial air fresheners you are opting for a simple product with very few ingredients that doesn’t just mask smells but removes them from air: whilst these products simply cover one smell another baking soda’s action means there is nothing left for nose detect once has been used up.

DIY Recipes and Tips

When baking soda is mixed with natural ingredients, it can be used to make DIY cleaners that are very effective. For instance, when you pour vinegar down a drain and then add baking soda, the resulting fizzing action is good for both cleaning off marks on things like sinks and unclogging the drain; or if you mix lemon juice into a paste of baking soda you also get an aromatic scrub for cutting boards. Other ideas include shaking essential oils in with BS and sieving this mixture over an open container: cheap homemade air freshener!

Experimenting further may lead you to create new household uses for bicarbonate of soda (as the soda part is called): perhaps even more pleasant ones than those mentioned here; if so, please share them below!

Conclusion

Baking soda is an amazing multi-purpose cleaner that’s great for keeping things fresh and clean – plus it’s cheap! With no harsh chemicals in sight this white powder (also known as bicarbonate of soda) can’t harm you or the environment.

But what if I told there were people willing to do all those jobs you hate? Professionals who will come round at a time that suits, armed with environmentally friendly products – including bicarb – leaving your house spotless and smelling like a field of lilies.

Day to Day Cleaners offer such a service. So whether you can’t be bothered to make your own cleaning paste or simply haven’t got the time, these guys have got it covered.