My husband and I are in the midst of packing and cleaning so that we can move in two weeks. As many of you know, moving is not a light task to be completed. Instead, it is a fully involved ordeal that requires hours of sorting, wrapping, taping, and giving things away or sending to the dump. Moving out of a rental home also requires thorough cleaning with the anticipation of receiving one's security deposit back. The cleaning part is what this post is about. I don't like to use harsh chemicals in cleaning, both for health and environmental reasons, so I instead rely heavily on things like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice. Here are 10 ideas for cleaning with baking soda:
- Cover the bottom of a scorched pot with baking soda and a little water, boiling until the burned area comes off or is soft enough to scrub off.
- Sprinkle baking soda on a wet cloth or directly to a surface to provide a gentle abrasive (that won't scratch) with odor control qualities for cleaning out your refrigerator.
- Sprinkle baking soda directly onto your carpet and let sit for 15 minutes before vacuuming. This will help absorb any odors in the carpets. I've read that this shouldn't be tried in very humid environments, though, as you may not get all of the soda back up.
- Use baking soda on a toothbrush to scrub crayon and pencil markings off of walls.
- I have read, but not tried, that water stains left on wooden floors can be removed by letting a sponge soaked in dissolved baking soda water sit on the spot for a while.
- Stains on porcelain can also be removed by dampening and covering with a layer of baking soda to sit for a while before scrubbing.
- Still functioning drains can often be unblocked by pouring some baking soda down the drain followed by white vinegar or boiling water.
- Another read but not tried (yet) cleaning tip: mix some baking soda and vinegar in a plastic baggie, then attach the bag to your shower head so that the head is soaking in the bag. Leave for one hour and *whola* the scummie stuff is gone.
- Deodorizing can also be done on furniture by sprinkling them with baking soda and allowing to sit for a while before vacuuming up. The added bonus is that the odors within your vacuum bag will be neutralized in the process, too!
What other cleaning uses are there for baking soda?
I add a little baking soda as a booster to our laundry sometimes. It gets things extra clean and is color safe. I've read that it really only acts as a booster if your detergent is liquid (ours is). I haven't done anything for comparison sake though so I'm not sure on that.
ReplyDeleteI still use it for my teeth when we haven't made the grocery store in three weeks. Works good. Brings back childhood memories. Makes my teeth feel good and helps with the sensitivity.
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