What’s a house without baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate)? It is one of those things we always buy in bulk to make sure we never run out of it. It is not only adding magic to your cookies and pastries but can be used for so much more. And it is all-natural and cheap!
Discover how baking soda can help you to go green!
Baking Soda As An Eco-Household Cleaning Product
- To clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces, dissolve ¼ cup of baking soda into 1 quart of warm water and use as a normal cleaner.
- To clean floors, add ½ cup baking soda to a bucket of warm water.
- Clean and deodorize your toilet. Sprinkle some baking soda on the inside of your toilet, scrub, and flush.
- Remove stains on plastic containers with a paste made from 4 parts baking soda and 1 part of warm water. Apply the paste and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Scrub and rinse with water afterward.
- Get your silver sparkling with a paste made from 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water.
- Remove rust stains from your sink, shower or toilet with one cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda. Scrub and rinse.
- Odor remover: sprinkle baking soda on your carpet, stuffed animals, shoes, etc. and let sit for about 15 minutes to remove any odor. Or place an opened box in your closet, fridge, etc. to tackle bad smells, when dusting is not possible.
ALSO READ: Go Green Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Tabs
Laundry Made Easy With Baking Soda
- Brighten your clothes. Add 1 cup of baking soda to the wash to brighten your clothes.
- For fluffy, soft sheets and towels, add ½ cup baking soda to the rinse cycle of your washing program.
- Remove stains with a baking soda paste. Add 6 tablespoons baking soda to ½ cup warm water. Rub the paste on the stain and launder as normal. For tougher stains let the paste sit for an hour or two. Make sure to check the paste doesn’t fade the colors of the fabric, so dab it on an invisible test spot first to see what happens.
ALSO READ: How To Make Natural Bleach For Your Laundry
Pesticide And Dirt Removal For Fruit and Veggies
To remove dirt, bacteria, and pesticides from your fruit or veggies, wash them in a full sink with ¼ cup of baking soda and rinse with water afterward.
ALSO READ: How to Remove Pesticides from Fruit and Vegetables
Scroll down for more benefits and uses.
Beauty and Health
- Minty non-fluoride baking soda toothpaste for whiter teeth. Combine 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 drop peppermint or spearmint, and a few drops of tap water. Mix until paste-like texture and use as regular, store-bought toothpaste.
- All-natural deodorant. Like mentioned above, baking soda has the ability to kill bacteria and remove body odors. Place about a teaspoonful of baking soda in your hand, and add enough water to make a soft paste. Then rub on your underarm. Check out my previous blog post on how to make your own all-natural deodorant stick with your favorite fragrance.
- Gentle facial and body scrub for daily use. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water, add essential oil(s) to your liking. Make gentle, circular movements to exfoliate your skin and rinse with water afterward. (click here for more all-natural body scrub recipes)
- Hairspray remover. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda along with your shampoo to remove styling products from your hair.
- Detox bath. Add ½ cup of baking soda and a few drops of essential oil(s) to your bathtub and soak for 20-30 minutes. You could add Epsom salts to enhance the effect. (click the link for more detox bath recipes or discover how to make your own bath salts with baking soda)
Baking soda has a fantastic cleansing ability as well as anti-fungal properties. It gives your skin a soft touch and soothes irritated skin.
Outdoor Uses
- To clean grime and mildew, dissolve ¼ cup of baking soda into 1 quart of warm water.
- Remove oil and grease stain in your garage or driveway. Pour baking soda directly on the target area and scrub with a wet brush and rinse with water.
- Weed killer, pour baking soda directly into cracks on sidewalk or patios to kill weeds or prevent them from growing.
- Clean garden dirt from your hands by rubbing and scrubbing your wet hands with baking soda.
By now you can see why we buy baking soda in bulk…. and how it helps our family to go green. Actually, there are plenty of other natural uses of baking soda for you to discover.
Do you use baking soda at home? What’s your favorite use? We would love to hear your experiences in the comment box below. Your feedback and thoughts are much appreciated.
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
This is very interesting! What a diverse product!!! Thank you for writing it up.
You’re welcome!