Electrodry Awards Best Baking Soda Uses

It’s without a doubt one of the home’s best natural cleaners and can be used for a variety of tasks and chores.

Baking soda’s alkaline formula makes it superior at cutting through grime and its deodorising properties make it the ideal weapon for neutralising funky smells.

But what’s the best way to use it?

Introducing Electrodry’s Awards for the Best Baking Soda Uses around the home ...

 6th Place: Treating Vomit Stains

This is a handy trick when disaster strikes and one I’ve used before for the kids.

Method:

• Sprinkle baking soda generously on the stain, add a few drops of essential oil if you have it, cover it up with an old towel, and let it sit overnight.
• When you lift the towel, the vomit will be nothing but clumps of powder that can be easily vacuumed. Baking soda’s odour-neutralising properties will remove that stench, too.

5th Place: Soaking Cloths and Sponges

Method 1: Dissolve a few tablespoons in a bowl of warm water and let your sponges and cloths soak overnight. Let them air dry and they’ll smell like new!

Method 2:

• Soak the cloth or sponge in water, then microwave in a microwave-safe bowl on high for a minute. Let the cloth or sponge cool down for 20 minutes in the microwave, before squeezing it out.
• Place on top of an empty dishwasher shelf and run a long, hot cycle (with nothing else in the unit).

You should be swapping out your cloths once a week.

4th Place: Stinky Drains

Bad-smelling drains can be really unpleasant in your kitchen. Luckily, the fix is easy.

Method:

• Pour a couple of tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and run cold water for 30 seconds. Pour another two tablespoons of white vinegar into the drain. Cover the drain with a wet cloth for about 10 minutes then rinse with hot, not boiling, water.
• The one-two punch of the vinegar and baking soda is what makes this work so well. Baking soda will eliminate nasty drain odours while vinegar flushes out the pipes.

3rd Place: Keeping Carpets and Mattresses Clean

Coming in third place is a combination of tricks. Baking soda can do a really great job of freshening up funky-smelling fabric; use it on your mattress, carpet, or upholstery.

Method:

Sprinkle a liberal amount on your fabric, let it sit for at least 20 minutes and then vacuum up.

2nd Place: Grout

Clean grout is hard to maintain, but this trick will certainly help.

Method:

• Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda and a squirt of dishwashing detergent with around 500mls of water to create a paste with a toothpaste-like consistency.
• Apply it to your grout lines and let it sit for around 20 minutes before wiping it off. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the lines before giving them another wipe.
• You may need to mop the floors afterward as the baking soda can make floors a little gritty.
• This works so well because the mildly abrasive properties of the baking soda help lift dirt from the porous grout.

Winner: Shower Screen!

This baking soda use is the first place for a reason – the results are seriously impressive!

Baking soda does a great job of shifting soap scum because when combined with water, it effectively dissolves dirt and grease.

Be gentle while cleaning. Baking soda is mildly abrasive so being too rough may damage the glass. Here’s what you do.

Method:

• Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 small squirt of dishwashing detergent, and 1 cup of water in a bowl to form a slightly runny paste. You may need to adjust measurements to get the consistency right.
• Apply to the screen with a non-abrasive brush or sponge and let it sit for 20 minutes. Scrub, rinse, and wipe down with a soft towel or dry microfibre cloth.