27 Ways To Use Baking Soda For Cleaning

Baking soda is one of the most useful items in a Southern kitchen. It comes in handy whether you’re whipping up a Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake, dyeing Easter eggs, concocting an egg substitute, cleaning burnt rice out of a pan, or making a science class volcano. Honestly, is there anything baking soda can't do? 

Baking soda is extremely absorbent, which is why it's a great for soaking up oil and grease. It also acts as deodorizer, perfect for sprinkling on stinky gym shoes and freshening up refridgerators alike. Add in vinegar or dishsoap and it becomes a powerful cleaning tool and a DIY disinfectant that can clean everything from chrome to tile and lift stains out of laundry, too. Plus it’s a perfect leavening agent for chocolate chip cookies, buttermilk biscuits, and soda breads. We’d argue that baking soda is so useful, it deserves a better spot in the kitchen, better than being shoved into the back of your fridge.

Here are 27 ways to use baking soda to help clean your home.

Cleaning the Kitchen

Scrub Stovetops

Baking soda is nonabrasive enough to scrub down ceramic or glass stovetops. Make a paste of warm water and baking soda and scrub with a damp sponge. Certainly there are household cleaners out there that are meant for this application, specifically. But knowing that something you already have in your cupboard will do the job means not having to take that extra trip to the store.

Keep A Stainless Steel Sink Shiny

Sprinkle baking soda onto a soft cloth and use some elbow grease to rub into the stainless steel sink and buff it shiny. Rinse well. This same trick can be applied to your favorite stainless steel cookware.

Scrub Cutting Boards

Wooden cutting boards can be tricky to clean, but baking soda can help scrub them clean and deodorize them. Simply sprinkle the board with baking soda, scrub with a damp sponge, and rinse. This is a great way to avoid cross-contamination if you typically use one cutting board for a variety of foods.

Clean The Dishwasher

Sprinkle one cup of baking soda on the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run a short cycle on the hottest setting to clean the interior and kill odors. Don't forget to tackle that pesky dishwasher filter prior to running your cycle.

Keep The Fridge Fresh

This trick is almost as ancient as housework itself! Your Southern mama taught you years ago to keep a small bowl of baking soda (or even the whole box) in the refrigerator to help neutralize any odors. Why do we keep doing it? It works. But if your odors are too strong for baking soda to be the perfect fix, there is always the active charcoal option.

Non-Self Cleaning Oven Cleaner

Clean with vinegar by mixing 1 cup white vinegar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a spray bottle. Spray the bottom of the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes, then sprinkle baking soda on top. Let sit for 10 minutes and wipe clean.

Microwave Cleaner

Maintaining a clean microwave isn't always easy, especially with multiple people using it. Help remove stuck-on food by applying baking soda to a damp sponge and scrubbing residue. We’ve curated a list of crafty cleaning hacks to have your kitchen sparkling!

Garbage Disposal Refresher

Pour baking soda slowly down the garbage disposal drain while running warm tap water. If you're curious about how often you might need to clean this all-important kitchen tool, and other methods that may work, take a look at our guide.

Clean Your Le Creuset

If your Dutch oven, pot, or pan has stubborn stains or oily residue on it, fill the pot with warm soapy water and a tablespoon or two of baking soda. Bring the water to a simmer for 8-10 minutes. Give that thing a scrubbing with dish soap and hot water once your simmer has worked its magic.

Get Stains Out Of Coffee Mugs

When your favorite coffee cup starts to have a noticeable coffee stain, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp sponge and give the stain a good scrub. As we've explained, using baking soda to clean does require some elbow grease. Pop in the dishwasher when you’re done.

Neutralize Trash Can Odors

Cut odors from the kitchen trash by periodically sprinkling baking soda in as waste accumulates.  When you’re doing a deep clean, wash out the trash can with hot water and dish soap, while it is still damp, sprinkle with  baking soda. Leave for 15 minutes then rinse and allow to dry. 

Tidy Your Tupperware

Fill your stained Tupperware or other storage containers with hot water and a dash of baking soda. Let them sit overnight to freshen them up and fight stains. This gives you chance to recover nicely from storing that batch of spaghetti and meatballs in your favorite container.

Cleaning the Bathroom

Unclog A Slow Drain

Pour a cup of baking soda down a slow drain, following it with a heated cup of vinegar. Let that sit and foam for approximately 10 minutes. Then flush with a pot of boiling water. Most plumbers recommend cleaning drains monthly to prevent clogs from occurring in the first place. After all, the effort and cost of doing so are minimal.

Scour Grout

Grout is often overlooked in the cleaning routine. Yet these cracks between stone tiles deserve at least as much attention. Stained grout can spoil the appearance of an expensive wall or floor treatment. Make a paste of two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide. Apply to the grout with an old toothbrush and then leave for 20 minutes. Rinse with clean, cool water.

Clean Your Showerhead

Combine 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of white vinegar in a gallon-sized plastic bag with a zipper. Place the showerhead in the bag, submerging it in the bubbling mixture, and securing the bag with a rubber band around the neck of the showerhead.

Clean Tile Floors

Cleaning tile floors is a snap, if before you grab your mop and add half cup of baking soda into a bucketful of warm water. Then mop your tile floors and rinse. Note that baking soda should not be used on hardwood or waxed flooring as it can damage the finish.

Tackle Shower Limescale

Get rid of pesky limescale with a nontoxic scrub. Make a paste of two parts baking soda and one part dish soap and use a scrub sponge to tackle shower and bath stains. Rinse the residue with warm water. If you want to take this further and apply deep cleaning to all the tile in your bathroom, there are other ingredients to add to your baking soda that will aid in your effort.

Clean Toilets

If you want to skip the store-bought toilet cleansers, simply sprinkle some baking soda in the toilet bowl and give it a scrub with a toilet brush. If you find this hasn't quite done the trick, you can always use Coca-Cola. We are not even kidding.

Cleaning the Laundry Room

Remove Laundry Stains

Make an equal-part vinegar and baking soda paste and rub into the pizza stains on your white jeans. Leave the paste to set for 30 minutes and rinse in cool water rinse cycle. For serious stains, apply paste for 30 minutes and then leave item to soak overnight in a tub with water and equal parts vinegar and detergent. Do a quick cool rinse cycle and let the item air dry.

Brighten Laundry

Add a half cup of baking soda to a load of laundry along with your regular detergent to help brighten colors and lift odors. The other advantage to this use is that fabrics also come out feeling softer. This is the perfect approach if you are trying freshen up your towels and sheets.

Remove Odors

Baking soda helps to break up particles left by detergent or hard water that lock in odor-causing bacteria. Heavier odors, like those left by perspiration, may require a baking soda soak prior to washing. To do this, dissolve one cup baking soda in a bucket with hot water and let the item soak overnight before washing in a normal laundry cycle.

Fabric Softener Alternative

If you have a top-loading washer, you can use baking soda in place of fabric softener. It has the same softening effects without heavy perfumes or chemicals that might trigger allergies.

During the rinse cycle, when the washer is full of water, sprinkle a half-cup of baking soda into the water. Remember, it’s not recommended that you put baking soda in the detergent dispensers of front- or top-loading washers. The baking soda can clump up and block the dispensers.

Other Cleaning Uses For Baking Soda

Freshen Your Rugs

Sprinkle your area rugs or carpet with baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum it up to give them a little deodorizing refresh. Once you've seen the results from this application, you won't need to consider another method.

Clean Painted Surfaces

No matter how tempted you may be, using a cleaning solvent on paint is not a good idea. Should you experience dirt or splatter, sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge and lightly rub on walls, moldings, and even painted furniture to gently remove dirt and stains without damaging the paint. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Freshen Mattresses

Save this one for your bedroom deep cleans: Remove bedding and then vacuum the mattress to remove any stray hairs, dust, or dirt. Then sprinkle baking soda over mattress and let it sit for 30 minutes. Vacuum thoroughly and re-make bed. Need a deeper clean? We've got some suggestions for you to consider.

Silverware Polish

Make a paste with 3 parts baking soda, 1 part water. Rub paste onto silverware with a clean cloth. Rinse and dry. This is the moment you realize that this fresh glisten on your cutlery deserves a dinner party.

Carpet Stain Remover

Mix 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt and 1 cup white vinegar into a paste. Apply to the stain and allow to dry. Vacuum up your DIY carpet rescuer and take some time to admire the results. Should your stain be ultra tough, try another of our suggestions.