Another post on how we’re cleaning up our cleaning products!

IMG_0474

This one is all about baking soda.  Baking soda is one of those oh-so-versatile products that can be used throughout the house – not just when making bread. Smile

IMG_0468

One of my favorite ‘conventional’ cleaning products is Comet.  You know, the greenish/blueish powder that scrubs, whitens, and blasts away soap scum?  I love that stuff solely because it is SO effective.  But my problem with Comet is it’s really harsh.  This page on the US Department of Health and Human Services has a list of potential health effects caused by Comet.  My hands always burn when I clean with Comet without gloves on. Bottom line is that Comet is not something you want to inhale, leave on your skin, or ingest. 

 

This is why I love baking soda.  It’s almost as effective as Comet but it’s natural and pure.  Sure, I may have to put a little extra elbow grease in when cleaning with baking soda, but the benefits far outweigh this drawback.  I wouldn’t freak out if I caught Henry ‘taste-testing’ my box of baking soda!  Also – it’s super cheap!

IMG_0477

When I use baking soda for cleaning, I usually add a little bit of water to the powder to make a paste.  It’s easier to apply when it’s a paste.

 

Here’s how I use baking soda around the house:

 

To clean soap scum off our glass shower and bathtubs.

To clean and brighten our kitchen sink.

To remove grim from around faucets and in tile grout.

To clean caked-on food off the oven.

To scrub away scruff marks on the walls.

The brighten up dirty sneakers (also – if you shake some inside the shoe, it helps remove odor).

To shine up our stainless steel dishwasher (no scratching!).

To keep the cat’s litter from getting too stinky (I used to simply mix in a few tablespoons every time I changed the box).

To boost our laundry detergent – I shake about 1/2 cup in and it helps blast the stink away from dirty workout clothes and smelly toddler pajamas.

To boost our dishwasher detergent – I add in tablespoon or two and then run the dishwasher as normal.

To deodorize reusable water bottles that have taken on a funky smell despite numerous washings.

To get rid of toilet stains.

To clean out the inside of the microwave.

To freshen mops. I don’t regularly use my traditional mop (I love my Swiffer – see below!), but we have an old one that I use for the first pass of big messes. When it starts to get stinky, I soak it in a solution of 1/2 baking soda, 1/2 water for an hour or so and then wring it out.

Although I have not tried this myself, I have heard that baking soda + vinegar can be used as a drain cleaner. 

And last, but certainly not least, my friend shakes baking soda onto her carpet, waits 15 minutes or so, and then vacuums it up.  She says it helps remove carpet stink.

IMG_0417

If you missed the first post in this series, check out:  Make Your Own Swiffer Sweeper Pads + Solution.

 

How do you use baking soda around the house?  Let’s create a list of awesome baking soda uses!

{ 42 comments }

 

  • Anna November 18, 2013, 4:13 pm

    Rub baking soda on body after swimming in chlorinated water! My favorite trick when I swam in college–then my classmates didn’t say “You smell like a pool!” every day. I am also convinced it helped shrink the pores on my nose haha.

  • Heather November 18, 2013, 4:20 pm

    Wow, you really do a lot of cleaning! How often are you running through that list?

    • Caitlin November 18, 2013, 4:33 pm

      Oh man. Lol I do clean a lot but a lot of those tasks are once a month items.

  • Melissa November 18, 2013, 4:25 pm

    I use baking soda to clean, as well, but these are a lot of innovative uses for it! I didn’t realize all of this could be done with it.

  • RH November 18, 2013, 4:33 pm

    It also makes a great exfoliant for skin. It’s the only product I wash my face with and my cheeks are always super smooth!

    • SuperCutePetContest November 18, 2013, 10:48 pm

      I was going to say the exact same thing! Baking soda to exfoliate and then a bit of coconut oil for moisture.

    • Amanda November 19, 2013, 5:05 pm

      This is actually horrible for your skin. Baking soda is too far off from your skins natural pH and is quite harmful to your skin.

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun November 18, 2013, 4:33 pm

    I used baking soda to help get stains out of clothes and I use it on my fridge to keep down the smell! It has so many different uses!

  • Mandy @ Eat Pray Grow November 18, 2013, 4:42 pm

    I’m going to be cloth diapering, and I hear it helps to keep some baking soda in a shaker by the pail and sprinkle a bit in every now and then. It’s worth a shot, right?

  • Sarah T November 18, 2013, 4:50 pm

    I use baking soda to clean my jewelry! It doesn’t scratch and always leaves them shiny and sparkly.

  • Aerevyn November 18, 2013, 4:51 pm

    You can use baking soda and white vinegar as a gentle drain opener.

    My most recent find was for cleaning silver! Line a bowl or the sink with aluminum foil. Place your tarnished items right on the aluminum foil. Add a few tablespoons of baking soda and table salt, cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes. You can take the items out of the water, and the tarnish will wipe off easily. You’ll be able to see the tarnish transferred to the foil. It’s cool.

  • Aishah @ Coffee, Love, Health November 18, 2013, 5:14 pm

    I use it to clean the coffee pot- works wonders! I love it. Thanks for sharing even more great ideas 🙂

  • Traci November 18, 2013, 5:22 pm

    I’ve been meaning to try using it to clean jewelry and was just reminded to again after seeing someone mention it in the comments. I love baking soda to clean off the stuff that gets on my tea kettle from other cooking that I do. It’s the only thing that works!

  • Ivana November 18, 2013, 5:31 pm

    I have heard that people use baking soda for many things, but I had never tried it. This is really helpful. Thanks!

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs November 18, 2013, 6:24 pm

    Great tips! It’s nice to fins something that’s not too harsh, but actually works! 🙂

  • Laura @ She Eats Well November 18, 2013, 6:50 pm

    I use it to clean my Lululemon yoga mat!

    • Joe January 7, 2014, 12:52 pm

      I got some scuffs on my lulu yoga matt. Any particular way to apply it to make sure they come out?

  • Katie sB November 18, 2013, 6:56 pm

    I’m really enjoying these posts. You’ve really inspired me to use greener cleaning products!

  • Verna November 18, 2013, 7:01 pm

    LOVE baking soda! I sprinkle it all over my sink and the pour a little vinegar around the edges and scrub it clean. I’ve used it on the carpet too and love that, really seems to freshen a lot!

  • Jaye November 18, 2013, 7:23 pm

    Grout Cleaning
    7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup vinegar – throw in a spray bottle and spray your floor, let it sit for a minute or two… then scrub!

  • Sarah November 18, 2013, 8:42 pm

    It definitely works as a drain cleaner- plus it would be super fun for Henry to watch the volcano explode! Chase the foam with some boiling water for extra drain cleaning.

  • mindy @ just a one girl revolution. November 18, 2013, 9:43 pm

    I’ve tried the baking soda/vinegar combo for drains and haven’t had luck with it.

    • Autumn November 18, 2013, 11:10 pm

      When you mix the soda and the vinegar the solution is neutralized and it won’t work as a drain cleaner. I alternate baking soda, let it sit for 10 min then pour boiling water down the drain. Then I do the same with the vinegar. Works great.

  • Alexa November 18, 2013, 10:13 pm

    I use it to clean my yoga mat. Works like a dream come true 🙂

  • Beks November 18, 2013, 10:30 pm

    I’m addicted to baking soda and white vinegar as cleaners. I even make my own baking soda infused laundry detergent, and use white vinegar as fabric softener. No vinegar smell at all! 🙂

  • Kellie November 18, 2013, 10:47 pm

    I use it to clean my face. I use about a 1/2 tb mixed with my face soap and it really helps clean out my pores.

  • Alex @ Kenzie Life November 18, 2013, 11:04 pm

    These are great tips! I really need to use it on one water bottle I have that isn’t as fresh and clean as I want it to be! Do you mix it with water or anything and let it stay in the bottle for a little bit?

  • Christi November 19, 2013, 7:36 am

    I use baking soda regularly to scrub stubborn spots from my glass baking dishes.

  • Abby November 19, 2013, 7:47 am

    This is a great post, thank you! I’ll be trying some of these. We are very fortunate to be able to hire a cleaner once a month. I watch several kids 4 days a week so it was a bit of a need. It has made a world of difference! I seem to clean more because I want to keep everything clean. It’s also nice because they don’t use any harsh cleaning products and it doesn’t smell like bleach or cleaning products after they are done. Have you heard of Shaklee? They have a product called Basic H. I can buy a gallon of it and it lasts for 2+ years, so many different uses as well. Thanks again for the great post!

  • Laura November 19, 2013, 8:30 am

    I never realized how much you could clean with baking soda! I’ve just used it to remove odors in the fridge, etc. I will definitely try these tips!!

    http://www.sneakersandspatulas.com/2013/11/18/sunday-brunch-with-family/

  • Suzanne @ hello, veggy! November 19, 2013, 8:57 am

    I love clean cleaners 😉 Here is my fave recipe: http://helloveggy.com/2013/11/12/diy-natural-purpose-cleaner/

  • Jenna November 19, 2013, 9:04 am

    The absolute best for helping de-skunk a dog [or any other stinky smelly dog issue].

    1 L hydrogen peroxide + 1/4 c. baking soda + 2 Tbsp dish soap. Mix. Pour over dry dog [ie. don’t pre-wet] thoroughly lather and rinse.

    My dog has been skunked 14 times this year alone – I buy baking soda by the 2 kg box!

  • Ali November 19, 2013, 10:17 am

    Thanks for posting these! I have been making a huge effort to get the toxic cleaners out of our house lately and start making my own. I make an all-purpose cleaner with 1 part vinegar, 1 part water and essentials oils. I love it and I think it works really well.

  • jen November 19, 2013, 12:40 pm

    when my glass stovetop is still warm after a cook-fest (I don’t use any chemicals, so no soft scrub or stove top cleaner), I sprinkle the top with baking soda and spray with vinegar. then I lay damp cloths, or paper towels, leave on for 2 mins, and wipe up. my stove tops looks like new!

  • Kimberly November 19, 2013, 2:33 pm

    I’ve used baking soda to keep my carpet fresh (and it works!) but I’ll have to try the baking soda/white vinegar combo to clean our drains!

  • kaitlyn November 19, 2013, 2:58 pm

    this was amazing! i have been trying to get the soap scum off my tub for while now. my roommates castille soap leaves the worst residue. and this worked in seconds. you’re right about the elbow grease. but it is so totally worth it!!!! thanks 🙂

  • Wendy November 19, 2013, 5:00 pm

    Thanks for the great tips! I used to swear by Comet, but switched to Bon Ami – which contains only 3 ingredients and is much less of an irritant than the former. It works great. I’ll have to try using baking soda, even more natural. 🙂

  • Ashley // Our Little Apartment November 19, 2013, 9:26 pm

    YES! I wrote a whole post about my cleaning supplies (uh, lame much?), but we also use baking soda as deodorant along with coconut oil, cornstarch, and some essential oils. It works SO well.

  • Cathy November 20, 2013, 12:47 am

    These ideas are great! I didn’t realize there were so many different ways to use baking soda! We’ve been trying to go more natural in our cleaning as well.

  • Micki November 20, 2013, 2:18 am

    OH MY GOSH! I needed this post, Caitlin… YOur SO smart about thrifty housekeeping! I never knew that bicarbonate was a safe alternstive cleaning agent! Thank you! Can’t wait to try out some of these cleaning ideas once I get laid and can go grocery shopping again. Thanks again, girl 😉

  • Mini Clean June 21, 2014, 8:03 pm

    I have read the comments and wow! I didn’t know that baking soda can be rub in skin after swimming. Interesting!

  • Sheryl Scott March 4, 2015, 8:00 am

    I clean my oven with a paste of baking soda and white vinegar and it works so well! I must say that I clean almost the whole house just using baking soda and white vinegar! Thanks for that you share my visions of cleaning! Creekmouth Carpet Cleaners Ltd.

Healthy Tipping Point