I’m excited to share some amazing, and maybe even unusual, cleaning tips using a household item you probably already have in your pantry: baking soda.
Baking soda is not just for baking; it’s also a powerful natural cleaner that can help you tackle a variety of cleaning challenges around your home. It’s non-toxic, affordable, and gentle on most surfaces, making it great for cleaning. Let’s get into it!
#1 Easily Remove Tarnish From Silver and Bring Back The Shine!
Now, I won’t lie… when I first saw this hack, I was very skeptical. Y’all know me; I had to give it a try. First, line a glass bowl with aluminum foil and place the jewelry on the aluminum foil. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of baking soda over the piece of jewelry. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then carefully pour it into the glass bowl. This is when the magic happens: lots of bubbles! Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Next, rinse your jewelry with water and dry/buff it with a soft cloth. Your jewelry will be sparkling again!
See the magic process in action HERE
#2 Keep Your Shoes Smelling Fresh!
Shoes can tend to get a little funky, especially in the spring and summer. Baking soda is a great natural odor eliminator for our refrigerators, and it can also work in stinky shoes. Simply take a coffee filter and fill it with baking soda, then tie it closed with a rubber band. Place the baking soda packet inside your shoes, and it will eliminate funky odors and keep them smelling fresh.
#3 Clean Up Tired Grout
If you have followed me for a while, chances are you’ve heard me talk about using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to clean your grout. This is one of my favorite DIY mixes because it does such an amazing job, and it’s easy to use. Mix equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste and apply it to the dirty grout. Scrub it in with a soft bristle brush or drill brush. Then rinse and wipe down with a damp towel.
Pro Tip: Once you get your grout nice and clean, I suggest sealing it. This will help it stay cleaner for longer. Check out my step-by-step walkthrough on how to do that HERE
Did you know?
When baking soda and vinegar are mixed, they react to neutralize each other, producing salt and water, as well as carbon dioxide gas. The reaction itself can be useful for cleaning (this works great for kitchen drains), but once the reaction and the bubbling stop, you’re pretty much just cleaning with salt water. For the best cleaning results, I suggest using baking soda and vinegar separately.