Baking Soda Cleaning Tips!
Stovetop A Mess?
Generously sprinkle baking soda around the
top of stove then spray hot water (boiling hot if possible) over it all–-enough
to dissolve baking soda without making it run all over. Let soak for about 30
minutes then scrub clean.
Crusty Roasting Pan Fix:
Clean crusty roasting pans by
sprinkling pan generously with baking soda, pour hot water over top about an
inch or two deep and soak for a couple hours. Try boiling for a few minutes
first if the mess is bad.
Coffee Mug Stains:
Remove stains from coffee mugs by wiping
mug with a wet cloth then rub the inside of the mug with baking soda. If the
stains are stubborn, soak overnight in hot water and baking soda.
Bathtub Miracle Paste:
Make a cleaning paste with baking
soda and bleach then apply to wet sponge to scrub off grime when wiping the tub
down.
Sink Scrub:
Clean a stainless steel sink by sprinkling
baking soda around the sink and scrubbing it down with a damp sponge.
Remove Grey or Black Cutlery Markings On China:
Dab a damp
sponge in baking soda and rub the marks gently.
Remove Sticky Goo Left Behind By Stickers & Labels:
Use
a mix of baking soda and water (mix into a paste). Rub gently into the goo,
then wipe off with a warm wet cloth.
Microwave Cleaner:
Got the grungy microwave blues? Clean it
up quickly & easily by adding a couple teaspoons of baking soda to a bowl
of water and place in microwave. Heat for 3 – 5 minutes, depending how hard the
crud is really stuck on. When microwave stops, keep the door closed to give the
moisture and steam the heated bowl of water generated to have time to work.
Remove bowl (careful, it’s hot) and take a moist, warm cloth to the inside of
the microwave. The crud bits should wipe off easily. The added baking soda will
act as a deodorizer. If you’re brave, you can use the hot baking soda water to
clean the insides of the microwave, but be careful–it is HOT water. Use a thick
sponge and make sure to keep water away from your fingertips. You could also
add a splash or two of cold water to bring the temperature down.
Crockpot Cleaner:
Soak crock in warm water and baking soda
before scrubbing for easier cleanup. Or you can make a paste from baking soda
and water, apply to stain and let set for a few hours. Spritz with water then
scrub the paste to remove the stains. This also help remove sauce stains.
Thermos Cleaner & Freshener:
Put a large teaspoon of
baking soda in thermos bottle, fill with boiling water and cap closed for a few
hours. All adhering material loosens, comes off and sweetens the bottle.
Luggage Freshener:
Musty trunks and funky smelling luggage
pieces can be freshened up by sprinkling baking soda inside, closing the case
and then let sit a day or two. Remove the baking soda with a vacuum.
Refrigerator Freshener:
After cleaning the refrigerator,
keep it smelling fresh with an open box of baking soda or an open
bowl/container filled with baking soda.
Homemade Air Freshener Spray:
Mix 2 cups hot water with 1/8
cup baking soda and 1/2 cup lemon juice, shake to dissolve and spray in the air
as needed.
Stained Enamel Cookware:
Apply a baking soda/water paste to
stains and let sit for an hour. Fill with water (leaving paste inside pot),
stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the baking soda and bring to a boil. Boil
for 15 to 20 minutes, rinse then wash as usual.
Cast Iron Cookware Scrub:
Use baking soda as a scouring
powder when trying to clean or remove rust from cast iron cookware.
Wood Stains:
Try removing water stains on wood surfaces by
making a paste with baking soda and a few drops of water. Rub into stain then
wipe off. You can also try salt instead of baking soda.
Clean Freezer Tip:
After you’ve thoroughly washed the
freezer with soapy water and all food particles have been removed, do a quick
rinse wipe with a solution of baking soda and warm water (about 2 TBS of baking
soda per quart of warm water). This helps remove the soap residue as well as
freshens things up. Wipe everything down inside with a clean cloth to dry.
Floor Scuff & Stain Remover:
Mix baking soda and water
to make a paste, apply paste to wet sponge and scrub out the scuff marks.
Clogged Drain Flush:
Remove as much water as you can from
the backed up sink. Toss 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour a cup
of household vinegar down the drain, plug the drain with the sink stopper then
let sit for half an hour. After about 30 minutes, unplug the sink and pour a
kettle full of hot water on top.
Teapot Stain Buster:
Fill a teapot with boiling water,
squeeze the juice from a wedge of lemon (1/4 lemon) and toss in the peel, add
1/8 cup of baking soda. Soak overnight, wash well in the morning.
Fido Smelling A Little Off?
Make a doggy deodorizer by
mixing 1/2 cup baking soda with 2 cups water then soak 1 bandana (sized to fit
dog). Dry bandana in the sun then tie around Fido’s neck to help keep the odors
at bay.
To Remove Odor From a Vase:
Pour a solution of water and
baking soda into the vase and let stand for several hours. Wash clean and odors
should be gone, if not simply repeat the process.
Smelly Ashtrays Fix:
Mix equal parts white sand and baking
soda then pour mixture into ashtrays. This helps diffuse the odor from cigar
and cigarette butts and it also helps mask the smoke in the air.
Grease Buildup On Range Hood:
If the grease buildup inside
the hood is especially thick, first make a thick paste of baking soda and
water. Take a cloth wet with hot, soapy water and then scrub the grease with
the paste in a circular motion–-then wipe off as much as the grease as possible
then rinse the cloth in a bucket of hot, soapy water. Reapply baking soda paste
on the cloth and repeat until most of the grease has been removed. Once the
majority of grease buildup has been removed–-wash the unit with hot, soapy
water to remove all traces of the baking soda paste and then clean with
degreaser if needed.
Musty Books Fix:
For books that got damp or are musty,
sprinkle baking soda on the pages and allow time to air out. If there’s mildew
on the paper you can rub the baking soda into the spots and lay out to bleach
in the sun.
Cleaning Cake & Pie Pan Edges:
Dip a raw potato into
baking soda to scrub the rusted corners and edges of cake and pie pans. You
could also try using baking soda with a few drops of lemon juice.
Mattress Freshener:
When stripping the beds down for
laundry, freshen up the mattress by sprinkling a thin layer of baking soda
directly on top of the mattress. Leave sit for a few hours then vacuum the
powder up.
Cheap & Natural Carpet Freshener:
Sprinkle carpets with
baking soda and leave sit for a few hours then vacuum up. Your carpets will
smell noticeably fresher.
Remove Plastic Melted On An Iron or Toaster:
Simply heat the
iron on low until the plastic has softened, yet the iron is not too hot to burn
you. Unplug and use a soft bristle brush (first wet in soapy water) to scrub
the plastic off. If the plastic won’t come off, try gently rubbing in a paste
of baking soda and water. You don’t want to scratch the plate, so do this
carefully. Same method applies for removing plastic from toaster.
Dish Rack Freshener:
Spruce up dish racks by occasionally
scrubbing them with a paste of baking soda and water. Removes stains and odors.
Windshield Bug Scrub Recipe:
Mix 70/30 (approx) Baking Soda
and Liquid Dish Detergent until you have a paste. Dab a wet sponge into the
paste to get a good glob of it then scrub the windshield. Rinse off well.
Liquid dish detergent isn’t recommended for use on car paint, so keep this
recipe for the windshield only.
Oven Cleaner:
Clean a dirty oven by sprinkling the inside
with water then covering with a mixture of 1 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup salt.
Spray again with water, leave overnight and wipe clean in the morning. Oven
Cleaner: A paste of baking soda and hot water or sprinkle the soda on a damp
sponge and wipe.
Freshen Lunchboxes & Bags:
Sour smelling lunchboxes and
bags can be cleaned out by opening the lunchbox and sprinkling a heavy layer of
baking soda on both sides. Lay open overnight and then wash in hot water with
dish soap.
Hard Water Laundry Fix:
Hard water giving you dingy laundry?
Try adding baking soda to the wash as a laundry booster, suggestions for baking
soda are to start with 1/2 cup per load.
Freshen Linen:
Mix dried, ground herbs with 1/2 cup baking
soda to freshen bedding.
Fishy Smell:
Fish or onion odor can be removed from utensils
and dishes by adding a teaspoonful of baking soda to the dish water.
Garbage Pail Deodorizer:
Mix 4 teaspoons Eucalyptus oil with
4 cups of baking soda. Store in an airtight plastic container. After cleaning
garbage can, sprinkle a handful of baking soda mixture on the bottom (once
dry).
Blood Stain Removal (Laundry):
Blood stains, if fresh, may
be removed by washing in cold water. If hard and dry steep for a few hours in
cold water, to which add a pinch of baking soda. Washing and bleaching will
finish the process. Never put blood stains in hot water.
Tile Grout Shine:
Clean and brighten tile grout by mixing 3
cups baking soda and 1 cup water. Use to scrub grout clean with a sponge, leave
for a few minutes then rinse clean.
Slippery Sidewalks:
If you sprinkle a generous amount of
baking soda on icy patches on walkways, it’s much easier on the cement than
salt and makes a slip free zone.
Curling Iron Cleaner:
Clean the gunk off of curling irons by
scrubbing it clean with a paste made from baking soda and water.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner & Freshener:
First drizzle 1 cup
baking soda into the toilet. Top with 1 cup vinegar. Allow to fizz for 10
minutes then use a toilet brush to scrub toilet clean.
Funky Dishwasher:
Freshen things up by sprinkling a layer of
baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher. Close it and let it sit overnight.
The next day take a damp sponge and scrub the powder into the inside walls and
door of the dishwasher. Remove most of the powder then run a full cycle on
empty to remove all traces of the powder. Another method to freshen up the
dishwasher is to toss in a cup of baking soda to an empty dishwasher then run
it on the rinse cycle.
Deodorant Stains Fix:
To prevent deodorant stains on your clothes,
apply baking soda to your underarms after applying deodorant.
Marble & Granite Stains:
Remove a stain from marble or
granite countertops by first spraying the stain with water then covering it
completely with a paste made from baking soda and water (to the consistency of
sour cream). Cover with plastic wrap then allow to set for at least 24 hours,
the baking soda will dry and pull up much of the stain.
Crayon On Walls:
Remove crayon scribbles from walls by
making a paste of baking soda and water then use it to gently scrub the marks.
You could also just sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and rub.
Crusty Casserole Dishes:
Have a casserole dish that just won’t
come clean? Try filling the dish with boiling water and 2 or 3 tablespoons of
baking soda. Let sit until the water has cooled and you should be able to scrub
the dish clean with no problem.
Vacuum Bag Freshener:
Make vacuum bag sachets filled with
baking soda and dried herbs. Slip these fragrant sachets into your vacuum bag
and enjoy the pleasant fragrance when you vacuum the floor.
Easy DIY Air Freshener:
Keep a room fresh with bowls of
baking soda and dried flower buds.
Brass Cleaner:
Bring out the shine in brass by cleaning it
with a wedge of lemon first sprinkled with baking soda, this will provide a
gentle abrasion for cleaning.
Taken from www.tipnut.com