Chances are good that you have a box of baking soda in your kitchen. After all, some of your favorite recipes likely call for it. But did you know that baking soda has so many other uses aside from cooking?
It sure does! In fact, there are so many ways to use baking soda that I could never fit them into a single post. For now, let’s start with these eleven.
Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. It is an alkaline powder that is safe to touch, ingest and not a known nasal irritant. This is what makes it such a great product to add in certain homemade beauty products. In recipes, it is used as a leavening agent in baked goods.
But we’re interested in non-cooking related ways to use baking soda, right?
11 Handy Baking Soda Uses Around The House
1. Unclog a clogged drain
Baking soda combined with vinegar creates a chemical reaction that foams and bubbles up. This reaction is great for unclogging a clogged drain. Simply pour baking soda down the drain, follow up with 1 cup white vinegar and let the reaction happen. Once it has stopped reacting, run cold water into the sink for a few moments and use a plunger to finish unclogging.
2. Remove odors from the air
Food, smoke, pets and more can all make your home smell pretty rough. Baking soda can help in just a few simple steps. Fill a bowl or dish with baking soda and sit it around areas of your home that smell. The baking soda will absorb the smell keeping things fresh for your nose.
3. Freshen Carpets
Skip buying those expensive carpet freshening powders and use baking soda instead. Simply sprinkle it onto your carpet and allow it to sit for a few moments. Vacuum the powder up and your carpet will be fully freshened. If you feel as if you need a scent added, mix a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the baking soda before you sprinkle it on.
An empty, clean, parmesan container is the perfect thing to use to store and use your homemade carpet freshener!
4. Freshen Closets and Drawers
Just like baking soda will freshen the air around you and your carpets, it can also keep closets and doors smelling fresh. To do this easily and without a mess, make a baking soda sachet out of a coffee filter and rubber band. This will ensure that the baking soda does not get all over your clothes.
You can also place these sachets inside your shoes and gym/sports bags to help freshen those items as well. This is a great way to extend the freshness of your folded laundry!
5. Dry Out Poison Ivy and Bug Bites
Spend any time outdoors during the warmer months of the year and you’re likely to receive at least a few bug bites. You may even find yourself having crawled into a patch of poison ivy.
Luckily, baking soda can help relieve the itch. Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the bites or poison ivy. It will relieve the itch quickly. Make sure to take some baking soda on your next camping trip or hike!
6. Clean Your Toilet
Like Borax, baking soda is great for cleaning your toilet. Sprinkle it into the bowl and add a bit of white vinegar. Let any reaction finish then use your toilet brush as normal. Your toilet will not only be clean but disinfected from the white vinegar as well!
7. Clean a Dirty Oven
Commercial oven cleaner is incredibly harsh. Not only on your oven but your nose and other family members as well. Instead, use baking soda to clean your oven in a non-toxic way!
Sprinkle the baking soda onto your oven and use a spray bottle of vinegar and water mixture to wet it down. Use a scrubby and you’ll soon have a sparkling oven!
8. Treat Heartburn
Heartburn is one of the most annoyingly painful minor health problems out there, but baking soda is a quick fix. Mix 1-2 tsp baking soda in 4 oz water and sip it slowly. Since it is so alkaline, it will tame the acids causing the heartburn.
9. Whiten Teeth
Want to whiten your teeth without the big expense and harsh chemicals? Baking soda is a very mild abrasive so it is perfect for whitening your teeth without damaging the enamel. It is also alkaline and salty which helps lighten stains from acid based drinks, like coffee, tea and red wine.
Follow these instructions to make your own teeth whitener paste at home:
- Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one tablespoon of water in a bowl to make a thick paste.
- Apply to your teeth using your finger or a soft toothbrush.
- Brush your teeth for approximately 2 minutes using circular motions.
- Be sure to do each tooth without a lot of force.
- Spit and rinse with water or mouthwash.
- Rinse your toothbrush.
Baking soda is not the only means of teeth whitening at home. There are actually many products available on the market which can whiten teeth in the comfort of the home. There are also many ways of increasing the quality of teeth whitening. For more information, consider this resource on maximizing teeth whitening results.
10. Soothe a Bad Sunburn
Spend too much time in the sun and end up with a raging sunburn? Let baking soda help. Make a paste of baking soda and water and gently apply it to the burn. It will cool and soothe it while it heals.
11. Whiten Whites
Last but certainly not least, baking soda is a great addition to your whites. Add ¼ cup baking soda to a load of whites and it will help whiten them and remove stains. Actually, baking soda is great for all clothes since it removes stains and odors helping to get your laundry even cleaner!
As you can see, there are quite a few different ways to use baking soda. Do you have a favorite that we did not mention? Leave me a comment and let me know!