5 Magnificent Ways to Clean with Bi-Carb Soda Around Your Home

We’re loving natural cleaning solutions at Electrodry at the moment. There are a few ingredients that seem to keep popping up in most DIY recipes I’ve come across, including vinegar, lemons and surprisingly vodka!

But the one item I’ve been most impressed with is Bi-Carb Soda. This handy little product packs a cleaning punch and can be used in every room of the house for an array of tasks. Check out some of my favourite uses for this powerhouse powder.

Why is Bi-Carb Soda such a powerful cleaner?

As a mild alkaline, Bi-Carb Soda (or Baking Soda – yes, they’re the same thing) reacts with water to break down grime. It’s a gentle abrasive too, so is able to target grit and stains unlike a lot of commercial cleaners. Best of all it’s a non-toxic option and for about $3 from your local supermarket, sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

5 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda

1. Freshen up your mattress

Sprinkle some Bi-Carb Soda on your mattress, let it sit for about 20 minutes or so at least before vacuuming up. You can do the same for your upholstery, too. The Bi-Carb Soda effectively draws out moisture and dirt from your mattress and can be neatly vacuumed up in clumps afterwards. Bi-Carb Soda’s deodorising properties also remove odours from your mattress, great after a long and sweaty summer of sleep.

2. Unclog your drain

Arm yourself with Bi-Carb and white vinegar to de-clog the drains around your home. Pour a couple of tablespoons of the powder down the drain, and run cold water for 30 seconds or so. Pour another two tablespoons of white vinegar into the drain. Cover the drain with a wet cloth (something like a Chux will work fine) for about 10 minutes then rinse with hot, not boiling, water.The Bi-Carb helps to eliminate drain odour while vinegar will do a great job of flushing out the pipes.

3. Clean and brighten up your bathroom

A simple mix of water and this awesome product (a couple of tablespoons per 500mls should do it) can create some magic on your tiled surfaces. Put an old toothbrush or scrubbing brush to work on your grout to get a great result. Check out some of Bi-Carb Soda’s other uses here.

4. Kitchen cleaning solution

For dirty Tupperware containers with stubborn stains, sprinkle a little Bi-Carb Soda onto a sponge and scrub away. No luck? Add warm water and a couple of tablespoons of Bi-Carb into the container and let it soak for half an hour or so. You can also mix 2 tablespoons of Bi-Carb Soda with 500mls warm water for a fantastic kitchen cleaning solution that will work wonders on your benchtops, the inside of your fridge and your appliances as well!

5. Brighten up clothes

Add a cup of Bi-Carb Soda to your next load (with your regular washing detergent) and see what happens. It’ll not only brighten up both your colours and whites, it will also target clothing odours. This works because Bi-Carb regulates the PH levels in the washing machine water – basically, it makes your detergent work even more effectively. For stubborn clothing stains, you can do a pre-soak with a tablespoon or two of the powder with warm water. Shine up your iron too with a mix of Bi-Carb and water too, using a white cloth to gently remove starch build-up and any scorch marks from the plate.