How to Clean With Baking Soda

A box of baking soda is one of the most useful things you can have in your arsenal of cleaners. More effective than many commercially-produced cleaners, it's also non-toxic and inexpensive. Use it on everything from your bathtub to your laundry.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Use it as a scouring powder. This is the classic use for baking soda. Just sprinkle some in your sink or bathtub. Moisten a cleaning cloth with a little water and scrub away. It will take some elbow grease, but the soap scum and dirt will come right off with no scratching. Rinse away the residue.

2. Clean drains the non-toxic way. Keep drains flowing by mixing equal amounts baking soda and vinegar, at least ½ cup of each. Pour it down your drains, let sit for a few minutes and rinse it down with a kettle of boiling water. You will prevent many common drain problems if you make this a regular part of drain maintenance.

3. Degrease dishes and stovetops, and clean ovens. Baking soda is an effective degreaser. Sprinkle it on the grease and rub with a dry cloth. The baking soda will absorb the grease and you can now simply rinse it away.

4. Polish with baking soda. Silver polishes up beautifully with a little baking soda and a damp cloth or sponge. Stainless steel and chrome can also benefit from the same treatment. Polish softly to bring out the shine.

5. Freshen laundry and remove stains by adding ½ cup of baking soda after the washing machine fills. Even strong odors will be removed with this method. You can also apply baking soda mixed with a little water or vinegar directly to a stain to help lift it.

6. Absorb odors. Sprinkle in garbage cans and cat litter boxes to keep your home smelling fresh.

Tips & Warnings

• There is no real difference among baking sodas, so just buy the cheapest variety-or buy from a company you want to support.