Kitchen Tip: The Many Uses for Baking Soda
Baking soda isn’t just for baking. Read on to learn about the many uses for baking soda in this kitchen tip!
Baking Soda is such an amazing thing.
There are so many uses for it beyond it’s most common use as a chemical leavener in baked goods.
So I thought I’d that for this week’s kitchen tip I would share share some of my favorite uses for baking soda.
Take my advice and don’t fuss with buying a small box of baking soda next time you’re out.
If available in your area, a 13 lb. bag of baking soda (purchased at my Costco) is much more cost effective.
Thinking “what could I possibly need 13 lbs. of baking soda for?”
Think again!
Baking Soda is a great household product for all sorts of reasons.
My Favorite Uses for Baking Soda (besides in baking)
Deodorizing
Baking soda is great to help get ride of bad smells.
A few of my favorite ways to deodorize with baking soda are:
- For a stinky refrigerator, place a bowl of baking soda on one of the shelves.
- For Trash cans, liberally sprinkle baking soda on top of the smelly trash.
Personal Hygiene
Baking Soda works well as a substitute for several other personal hygiene products.
- For a gentle facial exfoliant, keep a small tupperware of it in your shower for radiant skin.
- Swish and gargle 1 teaspoon with a glass of water to freshen your breath and relieve canker sores.
- Use as a toothpaste substitute. It also helps remove stains and whitens your teeth naturally.
- Relax and enjoy a detox bath using baking soda. Learn How to Take a Detox Bath and try this recipe for Lavender Eucalyptus Green Tea Detox Bath Salts
Laundry Additive
For brighter, fresher clothes, I always add 1/2 cup of baking soda to my laundry.
Adding baking soda to laundry really helps keeps whites looking whiter and brights looking clean and fresh.
It also helps remove grease stains and bad odors from clothing, plus it is a natural fabric softener!
Dirty Dishes
Baking soda helps get the job done when you’re faced with really dirty dishes.
- Sprinkle the broiler pan with heavily with baking soda, then top with a wet paper towel. Let soak for 30 minutes, then clean as usual. This also works well on BBQ grills.
- Sprinkle the bottom of your dishwasher with baking soda and then run as usual to reduce odor build up.
Homemade Baking Powder
Out of baking powder?
Make your own using 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch
From My Friends
I asked a few of my friends what their favorite uses for baking soda were because I knew they’d think of some good ones that weren’t on my list.
Here’s what they had to say:
Shaina: Making volcanoes and soda bottle rockets with the kids. Put it on insect bites. Underarm Deodorant.
Cheryl: Scouring my sink. I also make a paste with vinegar and put it on insect bites.
Kristan: I only like baking soda to bake…I’m so boring. (you are NOT)
Jamie: To absorb carpet spills…for example, if someone spills soda we blot up the area, spray with water, and shake on baking soda. It will lift the stain, once it dries, you simply vacuum it up and rub the area a bit.
What are some of your favorite uses for baking soda?
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I use baking soda for everything, I like to use it to brush my teeth and I always get compliments on how white my teeth are.
I like to use it in my kids bath tub, instead of using harsh bathroom cleaning products. Think about it our skin is the largest organ in our body not to mention the largest organ of absorption, you don’t want those harsh chemical residue to absorb into your littles body. I sprinkle baking soda in the tub with a bit of white vinegar and an old tooth brush to get rid of soap scum.
Make sachets and stick in stinky gym shoes!
wow great tips! I knew some of these, but certainly not all of them. I always keep an open box of baking soda in my refrigerator. No idea why, just because my mom did. I guess it’s to keep bad smells out? Also I do use it to clean my sink.
I use it on my stainless steel pots & pans instead of Brillo pads. Gets rid of any discoloration they might have on them, and makes them shine. Also, I use it when I need a little extra scrubbing power on my non-stick pans. Scrubbing my stainless steel sink with baking soda & vinegar makes it shine like new too.
i recently used it to cure a UTI. Just by mixing half a tsp. with 8 oz. of water (plus drinking real, unsweetened cranberry juice), i was left with no issue whatsoever!!!
I don’t have any great tips, but I love, love, love this post! Thanks!!!!
Similar to cleaning the sink, I use baking soda to clean up any stains that might happen on the counter top or table… The other day something had left a pink ring on our white counter top. Nothing was getting it off until I remembered the baking soda trick. After sprinkling some baking soda on it, it wiped off in about two seconds!
Fabulous post Katie!!
I use my big bag of baking soda to make carpet freshener. I sometimes add cinnamon to it and shake it on my carpet, the vacuum it right up.
We have 2 cats and a dog, and my house never smells of “pets”
oh, I love your cinnamon carpet freshener idea. Thanks Kylee
Great tips! I knew some of them, but I definitely have some new ones to try!
Wow this is a great post! I never would have thought to use baking powder for all of these things. Thanks!
I grew up with clearing clogged or slow drains by adding baking soda and following it with heated vinegar. Like the volcanoes of science project it bubbles and foams. That foam eats away at grease and food deposits in old house plumbing.
wow, fantastic idea!
This one really works. Besides, the stuff used to unclog drains is very hostile to the environment and Iยดd much rather use something ecological like baking soda followed with vinegar.
I had always used harsh chemicals until I was diagnoised with a chronic illness, now I always you baking soda and vinegar for clogged pipes or cleaning. I do not use harsh chemicals anymore.
i like to wash my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. it has restored the ph of my hair, so now i need only wash it 1-2 times a week. plus it’s crazy cheap! my husband, for the first time in years does not have dandruff- and he tried every dandruff shampoo out there!
What is the ratio of soda to vinegar? ๐ would love to try it!
The baking soda is for your shampoo (I make a paste in my hand and apply it root to tip in my hair, then rinse it out); its abrasiveness pulls out any grime without stripping your hair of needed oils. You can use the vinegar as your conditioner (half water, half vinegar); not technically conditioner–just makes your hair shiny and allows you to de-tangle.
I use baking soda to clean the inside of porcelain cups. Just wet the inside, pour some in the bottom, and scrub away! Takes the coffee and tea stains right out!
I read the part about getting whites whiter…is this safe to use in colored clothing as well? I am a firm believer of adding white vinegar to my white’s load for a quick run, then adding the detergent…but I didn’t know anythign about adding baking soda!
I don’t ever use it on darks, but I do for whites and lights and haven’t had any problems.
Yes, it’s safe for colors. I use baking soda in my cloth diaper soak/pre-wash cycle to help get rid of lingering ammonia/urine smells and then again in the wash cycle. (I also use vinegar instead of softener–it clears out any lingering detergent and my flannel sheets have never been so soft!)
i make my own washing detergent and it calls for baking soda and it works just as well with coloreds as whites doesn’t harm them a bit
I always use baking soda on colors and I have never had a problem, especially my husbands stinky gym clothes. Works like a charm!
My favorite laundry additive! Great tips. I’ll have to try a couple new ones from the list.
I’ve used it with lemon juice to get out rust out of the kettle and my cast iron skillet
I totally brush my teeth with baking soda! And I love learning all these other uses.
๐
great idea!
Great post. I’m off to buy that 13lb. bag now!
I use it to make a monthly hair cleanse to reduce product buildup. Add some to your shampoo and make a paste and use as normal. Love it!
This has nothing to do with the kitchen, but my husband uses baking soda to clean the battery terminals on our vehicles to keep them from corroding.
I love his idea!!
I use it to de-stink plastic containers. Put a tablespoon in a plastic container, close lid tightly, then let set for few days and any odor in it will disappear.
I saved this list from an article I read a long time ago. There’s a few different ones:
HAIR
* Remove buildup. Mix a small palm-full of baking soda to your shampoo to remove buildup from conditioners, mousses and
hairsprays.*
* Dry shampoo. No time for a shampoo? Baking soda can be used as a dry shampoo when your hair is oily. Sprinkle some on your hair, comb through then quickly fluff your hair with a blow dryer.
* Chlorine-damaged tresses. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 pint warm water.*
* Combs and brushes. Remove product and oil buildup by soaking your utensils in a bowl of warm water with about 3 tablespoons of baking soda. You can also add a splash of bleach.*
SKIN
* Facial Exfoliant. In the palm of your hand, mix some baking soda with your facial cleanser to make a gentle exfoliant. Use circular motions to apply gently then rinse as usual for very soft skin.*
* Rough skin. This also works for the rough skin on elbows and feet. Make a thick paste with baking soda and water (about 3 parts baking soda to one part water) and scrub away.
* Shaving. A solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in a cup of water works as a pre-shave product of aftershave rinse for men with sensitive skin.
MOUTH
* Tooth polish & whitener. Baking soda toothpastes have been long-time shelf staples for a reason. The
baking soda works to freshen breathe and whiten and polish teeth. Dip a damp toothbrush in baking soda and brush away. My personal twist, dip a toothbrush with toothpaste in baking soda for mouth cleaning times two.*
* Toothbrush. Soak your tooth brush in a mixture of water and baking soda and let it soak overnight.*
NAILS
* Soft cuticles. Scrubbing your nails or toenails with a nailbrush (or old toothbrush) dipped in baking soda will soften and gently exfoliate cuticles.
Use 1/4 tsp.of baking soda per gallon ofwater to make sun tea. Tea never comes out bitter and always clear.
terri, you are absolutely right,. a little baking soda in tea (for ice tea) is the BEST! look up” smooth sweet tea” and you will find the exact recipe. it is great with the pinch of baking soda!!
I use it in almost EVERY load of laundry along with my Arm & Hammer detergent and clothes siftner…it helps get rid of ANY odors!
I also use it every day in the cat box! The cat likes it and I dont have to smell that thing!
I also use it in our jacuzzi tube to clean out the smelly jets!
@ nikki…….how do u use it in your jacuzzi? i fill mine to the top with water and add a cup of bleach once a month but i dont like the smell it leaves in my batroom after…
Great tips, Katie! These tips are such a great resource!
I love this post! @ dorine- I can’t wait to try it on my hair, I struggle with dandruff and have tried everything to no avail!
I’ve used it to get the corrosion off of a digital camera after a battery burst in it. Sprinkle baking soda on and spray or drip a tiny bit of water on it. Give it a minute or two to work, then wipe off. Just be super careful not to get any excess water into the electronics.
I use it to unclog my kitchen sinks. When they start to get slow in draining, I sprinkle baking soda into the drain. I then pour vinegar in and quickly put the stoppers in. The force of the gases created, forces whatever is in the drain down it. I then run a sink full of hot water to wash anything else away.
I use it to wash my hair – I no longer use shampoo. I also use it as a face scrub every time I shower.
I mix half baking soda with half 20 Mule Team Borax and use it as powder soap for my dishwasher. Dishes come out very clean.
i saw on serious eats on caramelizing onions that it helps deepen or make it go faster on it because of the ph scale or something
You can use it to unclog a drain. Pour baking soda down the drain and then add vinegar. When it stops fizzing add more vinegar. Repeat until there is no more fizzing.
Make a paste of water & soda to clean silver
if you are out of silver polish, clean with soft cloth.
Great tips, Katie!
I use it as my favorite dishwashing detergent. Equal parts baking soda and Borax. Pair that with vinegar as a rinse aid. Leaves dishes clean with no residue from harmful products.
pour good amount of baking soda down any drain then pour vinegar over it, let it bubble then pour more vinegar a few times. It loosens all the build up and takes care of any oders. i love doing this to the tub. i also had read somewhere just recent to put a little baking soda with your shampoo just once a week and that it gives your hair extra shine and deep cleans.
I mix it with an equal amount of salt and use this to clean my ceramic cooktop – use a damp cloth and elbow grease. Much better, and gentler than any commercial cleaner.
Elbow grease isn’t needed. Just sprinkle with baking soda, cover with damp paper towel, walk away for 15 minutes & wipe right up. ๐
I combine baking soda (1 cup) with distilled white vinegar (6 cups) and water (8 cups) for homemade fabric softener. This makes about a gallon and you can use 1 cup per regular load of laundry in the last rinse cycle. ๐
I used it when my kids were still in diapers to get rid of diaper rash or a red bottom. Just a 1/4 cup added to their bath water and their rash or redness was gone!
Heard a new one this week end… use it to raise the ph in your fish tank. Works like a charm and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg like the kits at the pet store.
Lots of good ideas!
Wow thanks for all these great tips! I generally tend to use baking soda to bake and keep my refrigerator smelling nice and pretty, but def might have to try using in my laundry as well!
We use it to raise the PH in our pool in the summer. Much more cost effective, and less chemicals too.
I use it as a carpet refresher, I sprinkle it all over and wait about a half an hour then vacuum right up. It also keeps the vacuum smelling fresh. I’ve also been told it kills fleas on carpets but don’t hold me to that one. It does keep my carpets smelling freh though.
I use baking soda with a little bit of my hair shampoo to clean my tub. Works great!
I use baking soda to clean my sink traps. I shake a good amount into the drain, then pour white vinegar over it until it stops bubbling. Then leave it for a few minutes and then pour boiling water down the drain. I do this occasionally just to keep the sink trap clear and fresher also.
I use it outside on the ice, it does not melt it but it does give you traction and does not harm your flooring if tracked into the house
Great ideas! I looked at that giant bag at Costco and always wondered what i would do with a 13 pound bag. Now I know, I’m thinking next time I go to costco that will on my list.
My kids spill. A lot. When we had carpet I’d have to soak it up as best I could, but it always ended up stinking. So I’d soak up what I could with a towel, and then cover the spot liberally with baking soda. No smell! It even worked on the spots that had already dried and got stinky!
what a great post, Katie! And I am in love with your simple, little photograh!
Best (and easiest way) to clean silver, as it won’t damage your silver the way polish will:
Line a baking dish with tin foil. Sprinkly baking soda and salt (coarse if you have it) liberally. Place your silver in the dish. Pour boiling water over the silver until covered. Leave 20 minutes (min). I find turning it half-way through helpful if things are badly tarnished. I’ve done the same in larger format in the sink to do large pieces of silver.
Mixing it with club soda is a great way to get anything (especially cat vomit) out of carpets.
Works as a great toilet bowl cleaner.
My friend uses it with a toothbrush to clean her Jewelry. I use it to clean my children’s toys. No worry about germs or harsh chemicals.
THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD TIPS.
Thanks for linking up Katie!
I featured you on my wrap up post!! http://tidymom.net/2011/im-lovin-it-wrap-up-21311/
We use it to brush our teeth! We mix it with a little peppermint extract, stevia, and Bronner’s. Makes a great toothpaste!
I use it to reduce the size of my pores, brush my teeth, and, clean the plastic areas on my car interior. Gets into the little grooves to make it look brand new again!!!
I keep it in my gym locker, as well as sprinkle in my gym shoes to prevent smells ๐
It’s also healthy when you have indigestion or flatulence : drink half a glass of water in which you will add 1 / 2 teaspoon of baking soda
Great post on a very fascinating topic, love it, will surely be back!!
Many still not appreciating or knowing the benefits of using baking soda properly.
Hi, some of you mention the 6lb bag at Costco. Is that the best deal?
oops.. I think its bigger than 6lbs
I use it place of buying clarifying shampoos. Once or twice a month, depending on need, add about a tablespoon mixed with a normal-sized dollop of shampoo and apply to wet hair in the shower. Rub into hair as usual, it will be very foamy. Rinse, condition, and style as usual. Completely safe for hair and non-drying. It has removed it all: hair wax, gel, hairspray, shine enhancers, etc.
Greetings from Pennsylvania! I found that very informative. Thanks for the comment. I will be back to check for more info when I can.
Add a little to your shampoo to strip out all product residue. Then shampoo as you regularly would. Leaves hair extra clean. Don’t do more than once a week or every other week, depending on how much product you use; overuse can possibly dry out hair.
I have transitioned to using baking soda as shampoo permanently, not even in addition to shampoo. If your hair is drying out, it is because your hair isn’t used to producing its own protective coating any longer. If you have processed your hair very much, it would take several weeks of getting used to so your hair can re-learn to protect itself. It has saved me so much money that I will never go back; it was worth the time it took to adjust, for sure, and now I am constantly complimented on how healthy my hair looks.
I love to put in a a foot tube and soak my feet>
Very handy! It’s always great to look for ways to save money and stretch your dollar (or find ways to make some extra money too!).
The best tile grout cleaner I have found is to mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, and scrub the grout with the paste and a toothbrush. It is the only thing I have found to get my grout white! And I have tried almost everything!
Great idea!
I use Bi-Carbonate for EVERYTHING.
Especially useful if the little one has an accident in bed for soaking up the wet (after towel sopping), and deodorizing the mattress. Vacuum after 2 hours and then a light spritz of half water/half vinegar to finish the job.
I use baking soda for anything that i can think of… I keep it in a shaker (like a tall sugar or parm cheese one from a restaurant) and use it for food buikd up in pots and pans, to remove coffee stains, but most importantly for a fruit and veggie cleaner.
I use it for many of the above reasons plus one more that I would like to add.
I bought mini mason jars and i popped holes in the top and filled the jar with baking soda and added a tablespoon of my fabric softener (mixed) and keep it in my clothing cupboard to keep it smelling fresh.
also, using the same mixture, i sprinkle it over my mattress once a season and let it sit for an hour and then vacuum it off (gets rid of dust mites and freshens up the mattress)
Oh, I love this post! Thanks for all the great tips.
I use it in my baby’s bath water when he has a sore bottom. It helps sooth the skin and clear up the redness. It also softens the water so you don’t need as much soap in baths and laundry.
Great list! I love using baking soda for a lot of stuff. It’s really great at cleaning corningware. It easily removes not only food, but also those awful dark lines caused by metal utensils.
We use white vinegar to clean the coffee pot. Just one a generous cup of vinegar and water to fill the pot thru a coffee making cycle. Then when it’s thru “brewing”, put baking soda in your sink drain and pour the hot vinegar solution down the drain. It works a like a charm and no waste!
to remove burned on food from a pan, simmer it with water and baking soda. Most of the food will be softened and can be removed easily. I’ve seen some pretty-much-ruined pans cleaned this way.
Put a cup of baking soda down a blocked toilet (empty as much water as possible first) then follow it with a cup of vinegar. It cleans out a lot of gunk
I use it about every two weeks in my shampoo to remove hairspray build up.
Once my dog got into something horrendously smelly. I could not get close enough to wash her until I neutralized the smell. I liberally sprinkled her with baking soda, gave it a hour or so then rinsed her off. After that I was able to abide her smell enough to bathe her.
a little with plums or rhubarb or gooseberries makes them a bit less tart.
it will get the stains off non stick but don’t use the pan again if the non-stick too damaged.
if making a mix with it in, put it in as the LAST ingredient so you can put the lid on straight away. once it starts to fizz and bubble cant fit other ingredients in the jar or bottle.
if doing hand washing or cleaning with it wear gloves or limit contact with hands cos it dries out the natural oils that protect the skin.
enjoying all your comments and getting some new ideas xx
i have a new obsession with baking soda. I mix a few teaspoons of baking soda and a teaspoon of water to form a paste. I then spread it all over my face and it clears my acne in like two uses! its amazing.
Do you let it sit on your face or do you Rinse it off. Is it like a mask or cleanser?
When cooking my green veggies, I add a dash or two to the water and then bring to a boil as usual. It helps them stay green.
The tip for sweet tea is an old family tip that my grandmother taught us to make good old southern tea! While your tea bags( 7 tea bags) are boiling in about 6-cups of water put about 1/4 tsp of soda. Let foam up. To a gallon jug add 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Drain the tea over this and stir well. This dissolves the sugar. Then finish filling the jug up with cold water and stir.
For your slow drains- pour about a cup of soda down the drain then add about 1/2 cup of salt. Pour boiling water over this! Drain will run clearer and get rid of smells.
I use baking soda when making whole yellow pea soup. Add dried peas to pot and cover with cold water, add a cup of baking soda and bring to a boil. (stirring to remove any dirt on peas) Simmer til peas are slightly wrinkled.(approx 5 mins) There could be alot of dirt and foam on top. Rinse and drain peas well, clean out the pot and start your soup.
The baking soda seems to eliminate any flatulance peas or beans could cause in the finished soup.
I use about a teaspoon of baking soda in ALL cooked beans; like you said, it helps eliminate the flatulence that beans give.
For the past 2 months, baking soda has been my only shampoo, with the exception of a haircut appointment last week. Not only do I like the results better than commercial shampoo, I can also rest assured that I am not exposing my skin to the toxic chemicals that are contained in them (SLS, phalates, propylene glycol, etc.). I must admit that I was skeptical to try using purely baking soda to wash my hair, and decided to give it a try. So glad I did.
I use baking soda in my stainless steel coffee pot and ceramic coffee mugs that sometimes stain from teas/coffees. Just sprinkle some baking soda in the pot or mug and add a little water to make a paste. Using your dish rag to rub the paste all over the pot/mug and the stain is removed.
Use it to clean stainless steal thermost coffee mugs. Mix water,baking soda,salt swish around with top on (lightly) then let it sit awhile.
make glow in the for the kids with baking soda..1/4 bottle mountain dew a tiny bit of baking soda 3 caps of peroxide screw lid back on bottle an shake you made glow in the bottle .. super cool…
I brush my teeth with baking soda, then put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in my mouth and brush again. Very clean. Love all these ideas!
My mother taught me to keep my oven clean by mixing baking soda with hot water to make a thick paste, then spread it over the inside of your (clean) oven with a rag or paper towel. Admittedly the aspect of your oven is unusual as it bakes on to be a white wash, but once a week you rinse with hot water, the oven is clean & you reapply. No chemicals, no contortionist tricks, No mangled finger tips !
I use dry baking soda with dry paper towel to clean and polish: Grease on the oven door and glass
Inside and outside of my stainless steele toaster oven,( makes it shine like new) also stainless steel toaster. Also use it in water to wash down inside and outside my fridge.
If you ever get HEARTBURN baking soda is a great cure! Just drop a teaspoon into your mouth & drink some water & WALA! You’ll start burping instantly! It doesn’t taste great & your burps will smell but it takes the horrible painful heartburn away & it’s completely safe!
Homemade remedy for upset stomach & tastes delicious .
1 glass cold water. I use 1/2 to 3/4 of a glass
1 tsp. whit sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar in water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Stir all ingredients together .
Next step I do over the sink as the fizzing can get strong. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking soda to mixture. Mix & drink It tastes great & it works!
I use baking soda with coconut oil for a facial scrub every other day. Leaves skin smooth and soft and reduces size of pores.
My husband and I occasionally work on vehicles and many other things around the house. he could never get the grease off of his skin and under his nails. I finally showed him to use a drop of dish soap and a teaspoon of baking soda. His hands have never been so clean AND SOFT! ๐ He said “gee next thing you’ll be bathing me in it…. ” then laughed. I said ” Don’t laugh to hard!” lol ๐
Love all the kitchen tips keep them coming!
DEODORANT! Yes it works. Now I would never say use it every day. I’m a person that sweats a lot, I cant help it. It’s embarrassing, I’v had this problem all my life. Do’not use this with in 24 hours of shaving, It will burn you. Do’not use if you have any cuts. The pain is not right away. If you have the problem that I’m talking about, and tired of being embarrassed then you’ll understand. I can now wear strapless dresses.