21 Uses for Baking Soda

21 Uses for Baking Soda

There are so many uses for baking soda. I like to keep a lot of it around the house for many reasons. Not only is it super cheap, but I love to do things myself. There are so many damaging chemicals in today’s household products. Baking soda is pure and natural. As an added bonus, it’s also effective. Which is also important when doing things on your own. Here are 21 uses for baking soda that tend to be my favorites:

1. Clean the oven
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.

2. Make your own carpet freshener
Sprinkle the baking soda on your carpet and let sit at least 15 minutes, then vacuum as usual. You will love the results!

3. Use it as an Antacid
Baking soda is a safe and effective way to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and acid indigestion. The instructions are on the baking soda package.

4. Clean Your Mattress
Remove your bedding completely and place in the washer. Sprinkle the entire box of baking soda evenly over your mattress. Let it penetrate and really soak in for about 30 minutes, absorbing any smells or oils that may be lingering. Vacuum with a handheld attachment throughly. Viola! You have a much cleaner mattress.

5. Make your own hand cleanser
Skip all of those harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt. Baking soda will neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Just rinse clean.

6. Make a soft surface scrub
For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks simply sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse completely and wipe dry. If you are in need of extra cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid dish soap—let it sit then scour off.

7. Deodorize your garbage disposal
Keep lingering odors from resurfacing and to deodorize your garbage disposal, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize the acid and disgusting odors for a fresh drain.

8. Freshen your closets
Place a box of baking soda on any shelf to keep your closet smelling fresh! Add some essential oils for a long last fragrance.

9. Deodorize your cat box
Sprinkle the bottom of the litter pan with baking soda and fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, sprinkle some baking soda on top of the litter between changes.

10. Scrub your fruits and vegetables
Baking soda is the food safe way to clean all of the dirt and residue off fresh fruit and vegetables. Just sprinkle a little on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse.

11. Get softer towels
Some detergents and fabric softeners just don’t do the trick! Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to your next load of towels and you will instantly feel the difference.

12. Deodorize a funky-smelling hamper
Sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of the hamper or over your dirty clothes to keep them fresher until laundry day.

13. Add shine to tarnished silver
Combine three parts baking soda with one part water and rub onto silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry.

14. Unclog the kitchen drain
Pour in 1 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup hot vinegar to quickly push those pesky clogs out of the way.

15. Clean your toothbrushes
Soak your toothbrushes in a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda and ¼ cup water; let brushes stand overnight for a thorough cleaning. Save money!

16. De-ice your sidewalks
Scatter baking soda on your icy sidewalks. It works great and it’s not as corrosive as salt.

17. Say goodbye to split ends
Mix a little baking soda into your conditioner and lather on your hair as usual. This will help keep it healthy and resistant to split ends. Or try an olive oil treatment as well.

18. Soothe your tired feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub. RELAX!

19. Clean your microwave
Put a small amount of baking soda on a clean damp sponge to gently clean the inside and outside the microwave. Rinse well with water. As an added bonus it never leaves a harsh chemical smell.

20. Make iced tea better
Use a pinch of baking soda in a gallon of freshly-brewed iced tea to take out the bitterness and prevent cloudiness.

21. Gently clean baby clothes
Your baby’s skin requires the most gentle of cleansers and it’s not that easy to find without a ton of harsh chemicals. Baking soda works on odors and as an awesome stain fighter. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization. Also, check out this homemade natural laundry soap for your little one’s clothes.