02 Feb Using Baking Soda at Home (Part 1)

Baking soda is one of the most useful products that can be found everywhere. Aside from baking soda applications, it can be used to clean all areas of the home. Many people don’t know that they can use this substance to clean the house and everything from the floor to grease stains on the carpet. In many cases, baking soda can be mixed with other substances such as peroxide or vinegar to prepare a non-toxic cleaning solution. Using baking soda isn’t limited to cleaning things or removing stains, it can be used for personal hygiene and many other issues. Stay tuned to this article to learn more.

Various uses of baking soda in the kitchen

Washing fruits and vegetables

Washing vegetables and fruits is an important task that removes the pollution, dirt, and chemicals on these agricultural products. The best way to wash fruits and vegetables is to use a magic solution: a combination of water, baking soda, and vinegar.

You can soak leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce in this solution. To wash fruits such as apples, you can pour this solution into a spray and apply it six times on each fruit and rinse the fruit after one minute. Remember to never use dishwashing liquid to wash fruits; Because the skin of fruits and vegetables are fluffy and absorb this liquid. You may not notice the smell and taste of dishwashing liquid while eating, but its chemicals will enter your body.

Refrigerator deodorizer

You can use baking soda to clean and remove the bad smell of the refrigerator. Just put a small amount of baking soda in a bag and put it in the lower part of the refrigerator.

Cleaning the grill

After every barbecue, you have to wash the grill plates and this is one of the most difficult tasks in the house. But it can be done very easily by using the right materials. There are two different ways to do this:

• One is to soak the grill plates overnight in a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and water and wash them the next morning.
• The second way is to pour baking soda on the grill plates and all the parts that need to be cleaned, wait a few minutes, and then wash them with a Scotch pad.

Cleaning the burnt pots

When food sticks or burns in the pot, washing it will be a big hassle. But it’s enough to pour a little vinegar, baking soda and water inside it and wait for a little. First, fill the pot with water and then add a cup of vinegar and let it boil. Then pour two tablespoons of baking soda into the pots and wait for a few minutes. Now empty the pot. All the burns are completely softened and easily separated from the bottom of the pot. If there are still traces of these burns on the bottom of the pot, combine a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of baking soda (or any ratio of 50-50%) and apply this paste to these parts. You can even do this for the outer surfaces of cookware.

Cleaning silver items

By mixing hot water, baking soda and salt, you can polish your silverware. Just be careful that this method is used for silverware and doesn’t work for chrome or steel dishes.

Unclogging the sink

Clogged sinks are one of the biggest problems that occur in the kitchen. This blockage can be removed in several different ways. Prepare a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and boiling water and pour it into the sink drain; Usually, if the cramping isn’t too severe, it can be solved by this method. But if the problem doesn’t go away, call a plumber. The best way is to first pour some boiling water into the drain and then pour half a cup of baking soda and wait for a few minutes. In the second step, mix one cup of vinegar with one cup of boiling water and pour it into the waterway. Wait five to ten minutes and now pour a pot of boiling water into the sink drain. Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water usually open most clogs.

Removing coffee stains in the cup

Professional coffee drinkers have faced this problem; with time, coffee cups become dirty, and no matter how much you wash them with dishwashing liquid, these stains will not disappear. Pour some baking soda into the bottom of your mug or glass and pour some warm water on it and then wash it

Disinfecting the dishwashing sponge

If you don’t dry the dishwashing sponge or scotch pad after each use, they will gradually smell and a lot of bacteria will accumulate on them. If you want to increase the useful life of your dishwasher Scotch pad and eliminate its bad smell, dissolve four tablespoons of baking soda in a little water and put the Scotch pad in this solution and then rinse it.

Cleaning soot and stains from pots and cooking tools

If your kitchen cooking tools have become stained or soot over time, you can easily remove these stains. Another use of baking soda in the kitchen is this cleaning soot. Mix a quarter cup of baking soda with a little hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Rub this paste on the stains and wash after some time.

Removing stains and odours from plastic containers

In every kitchen, there are many plastic containers in which we store food. Sometimes it seems difficult to remove food stains and smells from these dishes. Mix equal amounts of baking soda and water and apply this paste on the stained parts of plastic containers. Then wash them after a few hours. This combination also eliminates the unpleasant smell of plastic containers.

Cleaning the oven

The oven is one of the devices that you shouldn’t use chemicals to clean. Because you cook in it. So, one of the ideal options for cleaning the oven is to use a combination of baking soda and vinegar. Pour some baking soda inside the oven and then spray vinegar on these parts. Wait thirty minutes and then clean these areas with a sponge. 

If the grease stains inside the oven are old and can’t be easily removed, you can use another combined product: pour a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid into a container. Add one or one and a half cups of baking soda to it and add a quarter cup of white vinegar to this mixture. If you like, add two to four drops of lavender extract to this mixture and pour some water into the container to make a thick paste. Apply this paste with a toothbrush on the dirty parts inside the oven. Wait six to eight hours and then clean it with a sponge or Scotch pad.

Cleaning the microwave oven

Another use of baking soda is to clean the microwave oven. Put two tablespoons of baking soda in a microwave-safe bowl and add one cup of water to it. Put the bowl in the microwave and turn on the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. It isn’t necessary to cover the bowl. The steam from this mixture cleans and disinfects the environment inside the microwave oven. After finishing the work, wipe the inside of the microwave with a clean towel.

Cleaning the cabinets

Over time, grease stains from cooking stick to the cabinet, its doors and the kitchen floor. To clean them, pour some baking soda on a wet sponge and clean these surfaces. Then wipe them with a wet cloth. If you can’t remove the stains, wait a few minutes after applying the baking soda to the stains and then wipe them off.

Cleaning cast iron dishes

Cleaning cast iron dishes is usually tricky and usually can’t be cleaned with dishwashing liquid. A good solution is to use boiling water and half a cup of baking soda to clean it. Always wash cast iron dishes by hand and never put them in the dishwasher. After washing, be sure to dry them before putting them in the cabinet. If soot is sitting on your cast iron pots, pour some baking soda on the sooty parts and rub a raw potato on it to completely remove the soot.

Baking soda for pets

Urine of animals

One of the biggest hassles of keeping animals at home, besides their hair loss, is their occasional peeing on the carpet. Most of the time, the urine stain on the carpet isn’t visible, but sometimes it’s completely visible. At the same time, the pollution caused by it shouldn’t be ignored. If you encounter such a situation, pour a little vinegar on the carpet and then sprinkle baking soda on that part of the carpet to remove this stain and its bad smell.

Disinfection of animal boxes and their beds

Animal boxes and their sleeping places gradually smell; Because a little urine or faeces may be poured there and their body odour will perfume the environment. To disinfect these boxes, pour a significant amount of baking soda inside to absorb the odour and eliminate the bad smell. Soak your pet’s bedding in a mixture of water and baking soda and then rinse well.