By Nicole MillardHave you ever thought of cleaning with bicarb soda? It truly is magical stuff!
Here are some magical ways you can use the humble bicarb soda (sodium bicarbonate, baking soda) to clean and deodorise your house!
In the Kitchen
1. Cleans your chopping boards
Wooden and plastic boards can be refreshed by giving them a scrub with a paste of a tablespoon each of bicarb, salt and water. Rinse the boards afterwards.
2. Cleans your dishes
Add a couple of tablespoons to the sink with your dishwashing liquid or add in to your dishwasher with your normal tablet or powder to cut through grease and grime. Deodorise your dishwasher by sprinkling some bicarb in the bottom between washes.
3. Removes stains from your kitchen bench top
Make a paste of 2 parts bicarb to 1 part water and apply to stains on your bench tops, gently rubbing in a circular motion, then wipe clean.
4. Deodorises your fridge and pantry
Just sit an open box of bicarb or some in an open jar in the fridge or pantry for up to 6 months to absorb food odours. Discard it down the sink to give the drain a quick clean and freshen up.
5. Deodorises your garbage and recycling bin
Wipe the inside of your bin with a damp cloth sprinkled with bicarb, then rinse. Once dry, you can sprinkle a little bicarb in the bottom to keep it smelling fresh.
6. Cleans dirty saucepans and Tupperware
A sprinkle of bicarb, topped with hot water and an overnight soak will get burnt food off saucepans and funky smells and stains off plastics.
A sprinkle of bicarb, topped with hot water and an overnight soak will get burnt food off saucepans and funky smells and stains off plastics.
7. Cleans stainless steel sink
Wet your sink, sprinkle baking soda over the surface, scrub, and then rinse before lining the sink with vinegar-soaked paper towel for 20mins. Use a soft toothbrush with a bicarb paste to scrub sink rim and caulk. Your sink will sparkle.
8. Takes out coffee and tea stains
Put teapots, coffee plungers, pots and mugs in sink with 1 part bicarb to 4 parts water. Soak for 15 minutes and rinse.
9. Polishes silverware (and jewellery)
Make a paste by mixing bicarb with a little water and dip with a soft toothbrush and polish the silver or jewellery gently before rinsing clean.
In The Bathroom and Laundry
10. Boosts your laundry detergent
For whiter whites and brighter colours, add ½ cup (top loader) or ¼ cup (front loader) bicarb to your wash, you may also need less detergent as bicarb softens the water.
11. Absorbs bad odours
Instead of using air freshener, grab a dish or jar (decorate if you like) fill with ½ cup bicarb and a few drops of essential oil and sit it near the toilet. Replace every three months, tip it down the sink to give the drain a quick clean and freshen up.
12. Whitens your tile grout
Make a paste of equal parts lemon juice, vinegar and bicarb and scrub grout with a soft toothbrush then rinse.
13. Cleans the toilet
Sprinkle with ½ cup bicarb, let sit for 30 minutes, spray with vinegar to moisten, then scrub and flush.
Pets’ and Children’s Stuff
14. Cleans dull baby bottles
Just add 3 tablespoons to a full pot of boiling water. Boil bottles for 3 minutes.
15. Takes out smell in shoes
Sprinkle some bicarb inside each shoe and leave overnight. Shake out excess powder in the morning and the smell will be gone.
16. Cleans stuffed animals
Sprinkle bicarb onto stuffed animals. Let it sit for 15 minutes then dust off.
17. Deodorises sock/underwear drawers
Put bicarb and a few drops of your favourite essential oil in a muslin cloth and secure with an elastic band. Your draws will smell lovely for months.
18. Removes crayon on the walls
Remove by sprinkling a wet sponge with bicarb and wiping walls.
19. Removes odours from the sofa
Sprinkle with bicarb, leave for a few hours and vacuum out.
20. Deodorises your pets and their environment
Litter trays just need a sprinkle of bicarb to absorb odours. Stinky animals just need a sprinkle with bicarb then brush out their fur.
What do you use bicarb for around your home?
