A while back I wrote about the many ways I use vinegar in our home. And I’ve been saying over and over again that you only need vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and soap for the majority of your cleaning. Well, several people have asked me what I use baking soda for – it’s high time I gave baking soda it’s due!
1. Shampoo Replacement. The number one article here at One Green Generation is A Non-Toxic, Frugal Way To Wash Your Hair Without Buying Shampoo. I explain it all in detail there, and I wrote a follow-up about it here as well. Try it!
2. Deodorant. Another very popular post here is How To Make Your Own Deodorant (A Very Simple Recipe). I encourage you to try that as well – so simple!
3. Air Freshener & Deodorizer. Brilliantly easy, all you need to do is open up a box of baking soda, or dump a pile of it into a bowl, and leave it in an offensively smelling area – your fridge, your closet, your pet area, you car, wherever! (Change it out every 3-6 months.)
4. Carpet and Garment Deodorizer. Just sprinkle a bit over the offensive area and let it sit. A little while later, you can vacuum or shake it out.
5. Counter, sink, and tub Cleaner. Just like using Bon Ami or some other powdered cleaner, sprinkle it onto the surface and rub with a wet cloth. Be careful on delicate surfaces – test it out first to make sure it won’t scratch, though it’s more delicate than most powdered cleaners. To shine the surface afterward, you can spray a bit of vinegar and wipe clean.
6. Jewelry and Silverware Cleaner. You can use a paste of a baking soda mixed with a bit of water (3:1 or so), or if that doesn’t work well enough you can try replacing the water with hydrogen peroxide.
7. Coffee, Tea, Rust, and Hard Water Stain Remover. Scrub with the same 3:1 (baking soda: water) paste, and it should do the trick!
8. Pot and Pan Cleaner. Sprinkle some baking soda onto your rag or sponge, and clean your pots – it will take off many stains.
9. Drain Unclogger. If water hasn’t yet backed up, pour 1 cup of baking soda down, followed by 3 cups boiling water. Repeat if the drain doesn’t clear. If the drain still doesn’t clear, follow with 1 cup of vinegar. This makes it bubble, fizz and usually that does the trick! If this does not work, we usually buy enzymes from the local health food store.
10. Cat Litter Extender. If your cat is persnickety about clean litter, in addition to cleaning the litter daily, you can shake a light layer of baking soda onto the litter and mix it up.
11. Garlic Smell Eliminator. Cutting boards and other surfaces can be cleaned with a thick paste of vinegar and baking soda. Apply this paste and let it sit for 10-15 minutes – it will both clean and deodorize.
12. Bath Softener. If you want to feel extra soft and silky, dissolve 2 cups of baking soda in your bath water. This works well if you have itchy skin from bites or hives also.
13. Exfoliator. I use the same mixture for my hair (above) as a light exfoliator on my face every couple of weeks. It’s quite rejuvenating.
14. Homemade Toothpaste. You can make your own toothpaste by using two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of peroxide. I don’t do this regularly, but I have done it in a pinch.
15. Denture or Retainer Soak. You can soak these overnight in a glass with water and baking soda. It will leave them clean and deodorized.
16. Fill small holes in Drywall. Yes, I have rented many homes and sometimes you find yourself without spackle. Ah, just mix a bit of white toothpaste with some baking soda and fill the holes! Let it dry completely before you paint or anything – but you might find you don’t need to paint!
17. Fire Extinguisher. Great for a grease fire in the kitchen, a car fire, or another small fire. Just sprinkle it over the fire until the fire goes out. Keep it in your kitchen for sure!
18. Shoe Deodorizer. Sprinkle a small amount in your shoe, or put some in an old sock and tie the sock – then stuff it in your shoe overnight.
19. Ant, Roach, and Flea Deterrent. If you have ants or roaches, sprinkle baking soda in the areas where they are coming in the house. If you have fleas on the lawn, sprinkle baking soda around the areas where you and your pets walk by. This helps. I’ve written other tips for organic ant control here. You can try it with snails and rabbits, too!
20. Cook with it. Lots of yummy things. Like pancakes!
Please Pick Up Where I Left Off!
What else do you use baking soda for?
Similar Posts:
- What Eco / Green Household and Personal Cleaning Products Do I Use?
- Ten Household Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide
- A Non-Toxic, Frugal Way To Wash Your Hair Without Buying Shampoo
- Organic Ant Control
- No ‘Poo: New & Improved!
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I have to agree — baking soda, vinegar and peroxide are the trinity of household cleaning products. I love my homemade laundry detergent — a combination of baking soda, borax, washing soda and soap flakes — no nasty ’scents’ — just fresh clean clothes.
You can use a paste of baking soda and water to ease the sting of bee stings. It really does help.
I have to agree with most of these (and I have cleaned this way for years). However I have Very Hard Water and I cannot use BS for my hair. We have been trying to go No Poo for a while, but nothing except a LSL shampoo is working for us. We end up with waxy build up on our crown and cap and all over our bodies (from it running down with the water). In order to do any of the No Poo remedies we are having to use far more water (and gas to heat it) and still not getting clean, so we are still looking, but for those with Hard Water BS is not a good hair product.
I love this post! Thanks.
I use baking soda for many of these purposes, and also as a stain remover for tough stains — with baking soda and a pumice stone, I cleaned off years of rust and who-knows-what off of an old enameled sink I got at a salvage place…now it’s a lovely, clean, and pure white centerpiece of our kitchen, thanks to baking soda!
I can use baking soda as a jewelry cleaner? Excellent. Maybe I’ll finally clean and get rid of some of my old jewelry sometime…
Scour crayon off your walls! Worked better than 409!
Thanks for posting this. There were many news uses that I didn’t know about.
Awesome list! Makes you wonder why we ever invented other products when baking soda and vinegar are so darn versatile – not to mention cheap and eco-friendly.
I use it for teeth brushing, and I put a little in my communter mugs, fill with water and let soak overnight. Nice shiny little commuter mugs. Don’t use it for shampoo (diont use shampoo) or deodorant… I am naturally good smelling :P
Lifehacker just had something – Recharge your towels.
http://lifehacker.com/5362234/use-vinegar-and-baking-soda-to-recharge-your-towels
I haven’t tried it yet, but do believe it would work well.
I use plain baking soda for deoderant only, and I’m pleased to report it works EXCELLENT! It withstands stressful days, bike rides, and intense yoga classes. It doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
The packaging is completely recyclable as well, bonus!
Great tips! Always discover new baking soda uses.
Although it’s good to use baking soda to brush your teeth, you don’t want to do this consistently as it’s abrassive to the enamel of your teeth.
wow..I really like this:) Thank you so much, really usefull!
Jude, I have yet to make my own laundry detergent. I use locally made, fragrance free, condensed liquid soap made out of simple ingredients. But it is one I have meaning to make for a long time!
Owlfan, I’ve done that as well – thanks for the addition.
Tree, It seems some people with hard water are ok with it and others are absolutely not. I wonder if it’s something besides the hard water – very strange. Does liquid soap work, or do you need detergent?
Milkweed, you’re welcome. Amazing what baking soda can do!
Stephanie, : ) have fun with your jewelry!
Going Green Mama, ha – of course!
Beany, good to hear – thanks for your comment.
Green Bean, so true – it wasn’t due to convenience, because it’s more convenient to just use baking soda than to have 5 different cleaners that do the same thing. Marketing, I guess, makes us think we need all 5….
Rob, I’m a huge fan of baking soda as deodorant. Works much better than store-bought for me. Interesting about the towels – I’ll have to try that.
Marisa, I know others here do brush regularly with baking soda. I didn’t realize it was too abrasive.
film pa nett, thanks for reading.
Love your blog!
Another use for baking soda silver polisher: warm water, baking soda, a bit of salt and aluminum foil. Works like magic to bring the shine back to any silver. The silver object does have to be in direct contact with the aluminum foil to work best.
[...] trio of amazingly simple household cleaners. Check out all the things you can do with vinegar and baking soda, if you haven’t [...]
Mix one teaspoon full of sodium bicarbonate powder into the cup full of water. Stir to dissolve the powder completely. The solution is colourless. This solution will be used to clean your nasal cavities.
Getting the right concentration is by trial and error. Too much powder will give a hyperconcentrated sting, while too little power will give a hypoconcentrated sting, similar to the swimming pool experience.
Suck up the solution using the syringe. Tilt your head to one side over the sink, until the top of your head is pointing directly at a wall. Insert the syringe (without a needle of course), into your upper nostril. Gently pump the solution into your nose. After that, straighten your head to let the solution flow out into the sink.
Repeat for the other side, and for a few times.
When you have almost finished the sodium bicarbonate solution, gargle with the remaining solution. Sodium bicarbonate helps to dry up the mucus due to its high concentration.
[...] need to turn on the heat much (increased quality of life!). I do make my own shampoo and household cleaners, because it’s cheaper and easier than looking for a local green brand that [...]
[...] use a lot of products. For example, green cleaners don’t matter when all I use are vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen [...]