More Baking Soda Uses About the House and Home

Here are a few more baking soda uses for homes and families.

Baking soda is the most extraordinary cleaning agent!

It can just do so much. It is a pity it is not generally available in the larger amounts needed for cleaning and deodorising.

One of the great things about it is that it is very safe and user-friendly.

Washing soda, by comparison, is safe and is a very good cleaning agent but it's not quite as easy to use as baking soda and some hand protection is advisable when using it.

Sodium bicarbonate is the main ingredient in baking soda. It is a safe, natural cleaner, which has been in use for generations.

These baking soda uses are just the tip of the iceberg! As baking soda is such a good and gentle abrasive I'm sure you will find your own uses for this wonderful safe chemical. Please use the Add Your Tips! page if you have baking soda uses you would like to share!

Where to buy baking soda

Baking soda for cleaning is available in a few outlets and online. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is available from Amazon. Suma in the UK stock baking soda and some independent wholefood and health food shops sell it.

Stains

Baking soda can be used to remove juice, wine, and coffee stains.

Clean stained cups with a little powder on a scouring pad.

Sprinkle it on carpet spills and vacuum away the stain. (Salt also works well for some spills, especially red wine.)

Felt tipped pen stains

Baking soda is great for getting felt tipped pen stains off walls (those little darlings - get them to dip a rag in a solution of baking soda and rub those pretty drawings away!) This works on wood, too and works for some other kinds of ink.

Other baking soda uses include using it to clean suede and as a substitute for dishwasher powder.

Deodorising tips

One of the best baking soda uses: it deletes horrible smells in no time!

There are lots of ways you can use baking soda for deodorising.

Use it to freshen flasks and plastic storage boxes. Fill the item with water, add a teaspoonful or two of baking soda and let the mixture stew for ten or fifteen minutes. The boxes and flasks will smell fresh and ready to go.

This works for lunch boxes and water bottles too. It also works well with stainless steel flasks but be careful with other metals.

Soft toys

Freshen up soft toys with a shake of baking soda. Put the toy in a cloth bag - a pillowcase is ideal. Shake in a spoonful of soda. Shake the bag for a minute or two and then shake the toy free from the powder. It should come back smelling fresh and new.

You can also reduce if not completely eliminate some of the more unpleasant new smells from items - plastic food items again, for example.

New kettle smell

I tried it for new kettle smell - but it did not seem to do the job for some reason. I expect that the chemicals used in manufacturing were just too potent. The kettle in question was a stainless steel one but the unpleasant smell seemed to be coming from the plastic lid. Nothing seemed to shift it and in the end I just took it back to the shop for a refund.

Cats and dogs - keeping odours at bay!

Try baking soda for eliminating cat litter smells and for getting that "doggy" odour out of carpets and rooms where the pets have been. Much as we love our pets, we all know this downside of the felines and canines in our lives! This tip can make them a lot nicer to know:

Sprinkle a little baking soda in the cat tray among the cat litter. This should help reduce smells and even make the litter last a little longer than otherwise - though you will still need to remove damp and soiled litter regularly.

Carpets can be revitalised with baking soda. Vacuum first to remove surface dirt. Sprinkle soda across the surface. Let it sit for a few hours and then vacuum the soda away. The smells should be gone too. For really soiled carpets and rugs, rub the soda in with a stiff brush for best results.

Easy wash day tips

Baking soda is also excellent for use with washballs in your washing machine to prevent and dispel bad odours. Just add a spoonful to the wash via the detergent drawer. See baking soda for cleaning for more details and for more on its properties.

Teeth whitening

Baking soda can be used to whiten teeth. It is gently abrasive. It will effectively remove tea and coffee stains.

Don't combine it with strawberries (sometimes recommended) and especially don't combine it with lemon juice (another common idea). Lemon juice is far too strongly acidic and will break down your tooth enamel. Strawberries are also acidic.

A little bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) used once or twice a fortnight should be quite safe. (After all, it is included in many toothpastes and a good many tooth-whitening products.)

Mix it in with regular toothpaste or use it alone. Check with your dentist to be sure.

See here for a recipe for homemade toothpaste

Baking soda for your hair

Some people use baking soda as an easy way to clean their hair between washes. You comb it in and then brush it out again. The point is that it will remove dead skin and excess oils. 

I've not tried this. If you do try it, it might be wise to test a small area first, in case of adverse reactions. It might also be best to keep the powder off your scalp as far as possible.

If you have experience of using baking soda for cleaning your hair, please add your experiences at the Add Your Tips! page (on the nav bar). Thank you!

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Baking soda uses - some reading

The Royal Guide to Spot and Stain Removal has lots of stain removal tips using simple household ingredients in a cheap and compact little book.

Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of (Lansky, Vicki) is a comprehensive book on baking soda uses around the home. It is well laid out and easy to find the tips you want. This book should save you a small fortune on other more expensive cleaning products!

Green Housekeeping is good choice if you want to learn about many green ways you can improve your household, as well as green cleaning basics.

There are also more suggested books shown on the sidebar, right.

More baking soda uses:

Baking soda for burns

This is one I have only read about - no opportunity has presented itself to try it, for which I am thankful!

Bathe the affected part in a solution of baking soda and water. For sunburn a half a cup in a bath of warm water is enough. Other burns, use proportionately.

Always make sure that any burns which are not minor are seen by a health professional.

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