It’s great for baking chocolate chip cookies and also to solve the stomach ache after too many of them. However, baking sodas real claim to fame is its incredible ability to freshen and clean even the filthiest corners of your home. The environmental pollutants from cleaning products are extremely harmful to your family and the environment, so why not switch to a cheaper, more sustainable option?
Here are our top 12 ways to use baking soda.
1. Foul smelling fridge
After letting the aforementioned left overs have their run in the back of the fridge, it could probably use some freshening up. Baking soda will absorb strong food odours so they don’t linger or change the taste of neighbouring foods.
2. Unrinsed fruit and Vegetables
Mixed with water, baking soda can remove dirt and the waxy coating on produce.
3. Stubborn grease
You can get the chicken fat off the baking tray without ruining your last sourer! Dial up your dish detergent's power with baking soda ad scrub away.
4. Musty upholstery
Deodorize your cushion and upholstery around your house by sprinkling surfaces with baking soda, letting it sit for 15 minutes, and then vacuuming it up.
5. Crayon covered wall
So the grandchildren found the pefect blank canvas for their flower art? Keep calm, take deep breaths and simply scrub lightly with a damp sponge sprinkled in baking soda. This actually works for a lot of wall stains
6. Clogged drain
Remember making DIY volcanos in school? Clear a stubborn drain by pouring a 1/2 cup of baking soda down it, followed by a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover with a wet cloth to contain the science project-like effects. Wait five minutes and then flush with hot water.
7. Dirty patio furniture
Patio furniture seems to age about ten times as fast as humans do. Before you pull yours out for alfresco dining season,give them a wipe-down with baking soda and water. And before you put them away at the end of summer, place baking soda underneath the cushions or inside their storage bags to keep them fresh.
8. Garbage can
Place some baking soda in the bottom of your can to fight the pungent odour.
9. Oil spill
Don’t accept oil spills on your garage floor as a part of life.Pour on a little baking soda and scrub with a wet brush to make it disappear.
10. Dank linen closet
Just like in the fridge, an open box of baking soda placed near your sheets and towels can fight musty smells.
11. Jewellery
When your sterling silver stops shining, get rid of tarnish by making a paste (three parts baking soda to one- part water). Apply it with a lint-free cloth (not a paper towel, which can scratch), and rinse.
12. Tupperware containers you’ve given up on
Leftovers will always find a way to leave their mark (especially if you’ve left them in there for a day or seven too long).To freshen your plastic containers, wipe with a clean sponge sprinkled with baking soda. For particularly tough stains soak them in a solution of four tablespoons of baking soda and a quart of warm water.
Article created in partnership with Over60