14 Clever Uses for Baking Soda At Home
Updated: Feb. 10, 2023Who knew baking soda could kill weeds and hydrate your feet?
Polish Silver Flatware
Have a big party coming up and need to make sure your silverware shines? Use a baking soda paste made with three parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge, then rinse thoroughly and dry.
Clean Upholstery
Forget spending unnecessary money on upholstery cleaner (that might not work) and pick up the baking soda! Sprinkle a generous amount onto the fabric and let it sit for 20 minutes. The baking soda’s job is to absorb odors and break up light stains in the fabric. Here’s what to do after you apply the baking soda.
Make Toothpaste
Whether you’re in a pinch and don’t have time to run to the store for more toothpaste, or you’re looking for an all-natural alternative, try using baking soda to clean your teeth! You’ll need to make a paste from the baking soda and a three-percent hydrogen peroxide solution. See the many incredible uses for toothpaste.
Freshen Sponges
Give your stale-smelling sponges a pick-me-up with baking soda. Dissolve four tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water and soak the sponges in the solution. These crazy cleaning tips won’t seem so crazy after you try them.
Remove Oil and Grease Stains
If your garage floor or driveway has unsightly oil or grease stains, baking soda to the rescue! Simply sprinkle it on the spot and scrub with a wet brush. That’s not all, you can even use baking soda as a pool cleaner.
Clean Batteries
Neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, mowers and more with baking soda. The household product works to freshen up your batteries because it’s a mild alkali. Disconnect the battery terminals, then make a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water and apply with a damp cloth—scrubbing away the corrosion from the battery terminal. Be sure once cleaned and re-connected, you wipe the terminals with petroleum jelly to prevent future corrosion. Avoid an expensive service or tow charge (and the worry of being stranded!) by keeping your car battery working at peak performance.
Combat Culinary Fires
If a grease fire breaks out when you’re cooking, you need to act fast. To safely put out this type of fire, turn off the source of heat and remove all oxygen from the flame by dumping a generous amount of baking soda on it. You can vastly cut down deadly fire risks by exercising good safety habits and simple prevention steps.
Deodorize Stinky Shoes and Boots
Get rid of the fowl odor coming from sneakers or work boots by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda in them and letting it sit overnight. You can simply dump out the powder in the morning. There are specialized boots for almost any DIY job, and we’ve rounded up 15 of the best.
Remove a Splinter
If a splinter is too deep to easily remove with tweezers, add a little water to 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to form a paste. Once you clean the wound, add the paste to the splinter area, cover with a bandage and leave on for 24 hours. The splinter should then be visible, allowing you to pull it out with tweezers.
Freshen Stuffed Animals
Keep your little one’s favorite cuddly toys fresh by giving them a dry shower. Just sprinkle baking soda on the stuffed animals, let sit for 15 minutes and then brush it off. Here are a dozen easy hacks to clean up and organize your child’s toys.
Clean Your Hair
Sometimes applying just shampoo can’t get out all the residue of styling products. In that case, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm alongside your shampoo and massage through your hair. Rinse thoroughly. The combination with help make your hair cleaner and more manageable. Once established, mold around a bathtub or shower can be hard to get rid of, but these techniques can eliminate bathroom moisture which will discourage mold growth.
Soak Your Feet
Not only can soaking your feet in baking soda help to hydrate them, but it will also remove dead skin if you scrub a little. Just mix three tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water, sit back and relax. Here’s how to fix a leaking bathtub faucet.
Use as an Antacid
Baking soda can help relieve heartburn, upset stomach and acid indigestion. Just mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 1/2 cup water and drink up!
Discourage Weeds
Combat pesky weeds from taking over your sidewalk, path or patio with baking soda! Simply sprinkle baking soda between the cracks as a natural way to get rid of the weeds. Check out this ultimate guide to a weed-free landscape.