Baking Soda for Household Cleaning? Indeed.
You probably already have a box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in your home. It’s the staple you reach for when baking quick breads, muffins, biscuits and cookies. Millions of people keep a box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep them from smelling stale. But that little orange box, shaker container, or 3.5 lb. pouch contains a multi-purpose substance you can use to clean and deodorize all kinds of items and areas.
We’ve compiled a go-to list of household cleaning tips with baking soda so you can tackle all sorts of jobs around your kitchen, bathroom, living room, mudroom and bedroom.
Cleaning with Baking Soda in the Kitchen
Your kitchen is the most used room in your home, and there are many surfaces and appliances to keep clean. Whether you’re doing maintenance or deep cleaning, you’ll find a trusted helper in baking soda.
Cleaning the Sink Drain
To keep drains fresh, regularly sprinkle a little baking soda in them while running hot water.
For a deeper clean, a slow-moving drain or mild clog, reach for the baking soda and white vinegar. Here’s how:
- Pour a (tea)pot of boiling hot water down your drain.
- Dump in about 1/2 cup ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Let that sit for a 3-5 minutes.
- Then, pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup very hot water down the drain, on top of the baking soda.
- If you have a drain plug, cover the drain and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If you don’t have a drain plug, it’ll be fine; the plug just keeps more the reaction below the surface.
- Flush again with a pot of boiling water.
Dispose of a Smelly Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal has gotten a funky smell, pour ¼ cup of baking soda into it and follow with hot water. If your disposal continues to smell bad, repeat or add a ¼ cup white vinegar and let it fizz for 5 minutes, then run hot water.
Deodorize a Trash Can
Baking soda is a great trash can deodorizer. As garbage accumulates in the bag, add baking soda in layers to help absorb and neutralize odors. You can also wash and deodorize garbage cans with a solution of 1 cup baking soda and 1 gallon of water.
Your smelly garbage is no match for the odor-eliminating power of ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda.
Clean a Dishwasher with Baking Soda
Yes, the appliance that cleans your dishes also needs to be cleaned, preferably once a month, but you can go longer if you use it less frequently. Over time, food debris, soap scum and grease will build up in your dishwasher and can reduce your dishwasher’s efficiency.
Here’s how to use baking soda and white vinegar to clean and deodorize your dishwasher with minimal effort:
- In an empty dishwasher, place a bowl or dishwasher-safe container containing about a cup of white vinegar face up on the top rack.
- Run the dishwasher on a hot, regular-length cycle.
- Next, liberally sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your machine.
- Run another short, hot water cycle
Your dishwasher will smell fresh and the residue from daily use will be in the past. When it accumulates again, you know what to do!
Deodorize a Refrigerator/Freezer
Using a Fridge-n-Freezer™ package of ARM & HAMMER™ to absorb odors in your refrigerator or freezer is one of the more commonly known baking soda household cleaning hacks. But did you know you can use a mixture of warm water and baking soda or a warm water/baking soda/white vinegar solution to clean your fridge or freezer shelves and drawers? It works great to help remove a surprise spill or the mysterious stains that appear over time.
Watch this ARM & HAMMER™ video about how to clean your fridge with baking soda!
Clean under the Kitchen Sink
Tiny drips or the musty smell of your drain or disposal can leave your cabinets under the sink smelling less-than-wonderful. Simply place a flow-through box of ARM & HAMMER™ Fresh-n-Natural Odor Absorber to absorb moisture and help eliminate under-sink odors.
Make a Baking Soda Mopping Solution for Tile Floors
If your kitchen or foyer are ceramic tile and grout, you can make a solution of ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water to help give them a mop. Alkaline baking soda helps break down most food-based and greasy stains and the mild abrasion helps scrub the surface and the porous grout. Rinse with plain warm water and let dry.
Clean your Oven
Did you know you can help clean your oven and burner wells with baking soda? Remove caked-on, baked-on food drips from your burner pans or grates, under burner pans, and oven floor, walls, and windows—without using harsh chemicals or exposing your family to fumes. Learn how to use baking soda to get your oven sparkling again!
Bathroom Cleaning Tips with Baking Soda
There are so many places to clean in your bathroom, but here are some baking soda cleaning hacks to help you tackle the entire room.
Freshen Sinks and Bathtubs
Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on a damp sponge and scrub away the soap scum and grime from tubs, sinks, tiles and more. As a mild abrasive, baking soda can be used on fiberglass, porcelain, acrylic, ceramic, and cultured marble surfaces. Do not use on stone resin or wood.
Cleaning the Toilet Bowl with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Your toilet needs regular cleaning, but you don’t have to use harsh chemicals or lots of elbow grease to do the job. Hack your toilet cleaning with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and white vinegar to take care of the stains and buildup with minimal scrubbing. Follow these steps:
- Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet.
- Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bowl. It will immediately start to fizz and bubble.
- Close the lid of the toilet and let the solution work for 30 minutes.
- Lift the lid and scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. The process will be easy thanks to the baking soda and vinegar breaking apart the residue.
- Flush the toilet. Vinegar and baking soda are safe for your plumbing and the environment.
Clean the Bathroom Floor
Give tile floors in your bathroom a mop with ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water, then rinse.
How to Remove Calcium Deposits from a Shower Head
Over time, your showerhead can get calcium buildup from hard water and begin to lose water pressure. If you have a gallon size plastic bag, white vinegar and baking soda, you can clean your shower head and remove the residue.
- Mix 1/3 cup baking soda with 1 cup white vinegar in the gallon plastic bag.
- Secure the bag over your dirty shower head with a rubber band. Make sure the head is completely covered in the solution.
- 3. Leave the bag on the shower head overnight.
- In the morning, remove the bag, wipe down the shower head and run hot water. Then enjoy your sparking clean showerhead and renewed water pressure.
- This method is especially useful for polished metal shower heads because you won’t be tempted to scratch them by using an abrasive sponge or brush. Plus, you don’t have to take the shower head off to clean it!
How to Clean the Living Room or Family Room with Baking Soda
Clean the Fireplace
Everyone loves a warm, crackling fire — but maybe not the smoky buildup and soot it can leave behind on your hearth, surround, or fireplace glass.
To clean fireplace glass naturally, without leaving a scratch, crumple a piece of newspaper, wet it, then sprinkle some ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on it. Rub the dirty area of the glass, then wipe clean with a damp clean cloth.
Remove Scuff Marks on Tile or Hardwood
If you get scuff marks from shoes on your floors, lightly sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge to help buff out the streaks.
Remove Odors from Carpet
Freshen musty odors by sprinkling ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on your carpet. Let it sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up — you’ll smell the difference. If you get a spill on your carpet, soak up as much of the spill as possible, then clean the stain according to the carpet manufacturer's directions. Once the area is completely dry, sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to cover it, let sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum. Even tough kid and pet messes are no match!
Alternatively, use ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda-based carpet deodorizer and choose among several fresh scents.
Using Baking Soda to Clean in Utility Rooms or Mud Rooms
By the shoes!
If you’re a family that has a shoe rack or bins labeled by family member to deposit shoes, boots and skates, you know that the shoe area of your garage or mud room can possess the odor of conglomerate feet-funk – and it hits your nose as soon as you enter your home. Keep a spill-proof, flow-through box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda near the shoe corner, or a box inside each person’s shoe bin to help deodorize and keep the area fresh. You can deodorize your shoes as often as once per week if needed, but only deodorize leather shoes once per month as the baking soda can also absorb oils in the leather.
Watch the video below to learn the technique!
Baking soda can also come in handy if your shoes need brightening. Learn how to clean your shoes with baking soda. With these tips, your shoes will look and smell like new in no time.
Clean and Deodorize Your Washing Machine with Baking Soda
Washing machines can get a buildup of limescale, soap scum, or mold over time. If your washing machine gets a musty odor or you notice deposits on your clothes, it’s time to clean your washer. Luckily, with baking soda, and sometimes vinegar, this task is easier than you might think.
- Measure ½ cup of baking soda and 1 quart of white vinegar. If you just need a deodorizing washer refresh for mild odors, eliminate the vinegar and just use baking soda.
- Add both ingredients to the drum of a top-loader or add the white vinegar to the detergent dispenser and baking soda to the softener dispenser, of a front-loader.
- Set the water temperature to Hot (90ºC or 194ºF) and on the longest wash cycle.
Clean the Litter Box!
If you’re a cat parent, you know your litter box can sometimes get a little ripe. You can sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda on top of your litter to help absorb odors and extend the time between changes. Or try ARM & HAMMER™ cat litter deodorizer powder for the deodorizing power of baking soda plus a mild fresh scent.
Freshen Laundry
Give towels, bedding, and musty workout clothes a natural fresh scent by adding ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to the rinse cycle of your washing machine. In addition to helping get rid of the sour odor, baking soda helps soften stiff or crusty towels to keep them feeling fluffier and newer.
Baking Soda Cleaning Tips for the Bedrooms
Freshen Your Closet
Put a box of ARM & HAMMER™ Fresh-n-Natural Odor Absorber Baking Soda on a closet shelf or in a locker to freshen up stale odors. This box is spill-proof and has flow-through panels to help deodorize. Replace it once a month for best results.
The Many Uses of Baking Soda for Household Cleaning
ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda has more than 100 benefits and uses in your home. It’s the only product you can cook, clean, wash and brush with. Put baking soda in your bucket, on your sponge or carpet, and in your shoes, litter box or trash can to clean and refresh your entire home.
And a bonus: one box of baking soda costs a fraction of the price of one commercial cleanser. It really does have Countless Uses for Pennies a Day!
Learn more baking soda cleaning hacks from ARM & HAMMER™:
