15 Brilliant Baking Soda Tricks Every Woman Should Know
Baking soda—sodium bicarbonate—is inexpensive and surprisingly versatile. It works mainly as a mild abrasive, deodorizer, and gentle alkaline cleaner.
Around the house
- ✨ Clean a stained sink
Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge, gently scrub, then rinse. - 🍳 Tackle greasy cookware
Make a paste with baking soda and water and use it to loosen stuck-on food and grease. - 🔥 Clean oven grime
A baking-soda paste can help loosen baked-on residue. Keep it away from heating elements and follow the appliance manufacturer’s instructions. - 🧽 Remove odors from plastic containers
Wash the container, then use baking soda with water to help neutralize lingering food smells. - 👟 Freshen smelly shoes
Sprinkle a little inside dry shoes, leave it overnight, and shake or vacuum it out. - 🗑️ Deodorize the trash can
A small amount sprinkled into the bottom can help absorb odors. - 🧺 Freshen laundry
Baking soda can help neutralize unpleasant odors in laundry. - 🧹 Deodorize carpets
Lightly sprinkle it over the carpet, allow it to sit, then vacuum thoroughly. - 🧊 Freshen the refrigerator
An open container of baking soda can help absorb food odors. - 🖍️ Remove wall scuffs
Put a little baking soda on a damp cloth and gently rub marks such as pencil or crayon from suitable painted surfaces. Test an inconspicuous area first. - 🚿 Scrub bathroom tile
Make a paste with water and gently scrub soap residue and grime from appropriate tile surfaces. - 🧴 Deodorize a sink drain
Baking soda can help with unpleasant odors, although it isn’t a substitute for repairing a blocked or damaged drain. - 🥘 Clean stubborn food stains
A baking-soda paste can provide gentle scrubbing action on many pots, dishes and food-preparation surfaces. - 🧤 Remove odors from hands
Baking soda can help neutralize lingering smells after handling strongly scented foods. Soap and water should still be your primary hand-cleaning method. - 🌸 Make a simple odor absorber
Put baking soda in a small open container and place it in an odor-prone area such as a closet or bathroom.
⚠️ A few things NOT to do
Despite its reputation as a gentle cleaner, baking soda is mildly abrasive. Don’t routinely use it on delicate surfaces such as marble, polished metals, electronics, wood finishes, or surfaces where scratching could be a problem.
And don’t assume that baking soda + vinegar is automatically a stronger cleaner. They react with each other and largely neutralize one another; it’s generally better to use each for the jobs where its chemistry is most useful.
