12 Ways to Use Baking Soda Around the House Instead of Harmful Chemicals

Got baking soda?   If so - you are super ready for Spring cleaning and so much more!  Baking Soda can be one of your best friends when transitioning to non-toxic living:  it is a perfectly safe substitute for so many products that expose you to harmful chemicals!

Here are just some ways you can use baking soda around the house:

1.  Sticker/ label remover

Need to remove any type of adhesive? Baking soda and coconut oil save the day. Make a mixture of equal parts baking soda and coconut oil - it will be a slightly abrasive paste. Then use the paste to rub over the adhesive and wipe off with a wet, warm cloth.

2.  Odor remover:  

Does your house smell like fish or cat or does the kitchen smell like smoke? Pour a fair amount of baking soda into a shallow bowl and leave the bowl, uncovered, around the house (or the smelly room). Baking soda will absorb the smell. It will take a couple of hours , but you can leave the uncovered bowls around the house for a couple of days for optimal benefits. This is great for the bathroom too if, ahem, someone in your house is known for extra smelly bathroom business.

Stinky shoes? Do not dare spray Febreeze (filled with endocrine disrupting fragrance chemicals) Instead, fill an old sock with baking soda and a few drops of essential oil and then stuff in shoe overnight. You can also sprinkle baking soda inside the shoes before wearing.

3. Diaper rash

Just add 1 Tablespoon of baking soda in baby bath water.

4. Laundry whitener

Keeping your whites whiter without Clorox Bleach. Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash when you add your regular liquid detergent. The baking soda has been known to give you whiter whites, brighter brights, and clothing odor free.

5. Canker sores

Place baking soda straight on your canker sore.  It will burn A LOT but allows the canker sore to heal faster.

6. Mattress cleaner

All kids at some point will wet their beds and if that wetness reaches your mattress it is really important to clean and dry properly in order to avoid mold growth and bad odor.

• Take the mattress to a well ventilated area

• Spray on and saturate the urine stains with vinegar

• Let the vinegar sit for 5-10 minutes- 

• Press several layers of paper towels into the mattress and soak up the vinegar.  Do this various times until the paper towe (or rag) is no longer coming up wet

• Sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress and allow to sit for various hours - 3-4 is ideal

• Vacuum up the baking soda from the mattress. Make sure to go over the crevices several times. 

7. Drain cleaner

Let go of that SUPER TOXIC Draino. Instead, shake a tablespoon (or more if drain is very clogged) of baking soda down clogged drain and follow with boiling hot water. Allow mixture to sit (at least 15 minutes , but if drain is really badly clogged extend for a couple of hours and even overnight for bonus strength. Do not use shower or sink during this time). Pour a cup of white vinegar down the drain. It will mix with the baking soda and unclog that clog! Works every time at our house! (not recommended if you have PVC pipes)

8. Kitchen sink (bathroom sink too!)

Give your sink a quick wash and rinse and then sprinkle baking soda all over your kitchen use a soft sponge, working in a circular movement, to scrub the basin. Baking soda softly cleans without scratching stainless steel.  You can also use this on your stovetop and in bathroom sinks!

9. Greasy oven:

First, sprinkle the inside of the oven generously with water. Then, make a mixture of 1 cup baking soda with 1/3 cup salt and place all over the oven. Layer the paste on thick especially where there is a lot of grease. Make sure baking soda is not dry, if it is, spray with water again, and leave to sit for a couple of hours or overnight. Wipe area clean. If very stubborn stains remain repeat!!

10. Tarnished silver

There are two options using baking soda you can try to clean silver: - Bring one liter of water, one tablespoon of baking soda and one piece of aluminum foil to a boil. Drop silverware in the pot for 10 seconds (longer if it's very tarnished), then remove using kitchen tongs. - Alternately (if you are cleaning a silver detail mixed with another material you cannot submerge in water)make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and two tablespoons of water. place paste over silver area and leave on for a minute then wipe off with a warm clothes.

11. Pesticide and arsenic remover in food

Arsenic is often found in rice. To reduce levels: pre-soak the rice with water and baking soda ( it will reduce arsenic and phytic acid). How? Just soak 1 cup rice + 1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp salt for 90 minutes. Rinse and cook. Additional benefits to this baking soda pre-soak is that since it bathes the rice in an alkaline environment, it creates springy soft rice that is NOT mushy or clumpy and has a perfect bite.

Creating a water/ baking soda ‘bath’ for hard fruits has been found to reduce pesticide levels on the exterior of fruits. Mix a 1 TBSP BS with 2 cups water and soak apples for about 15 minutes. This will reduce some of the pesticide residue on the exterior of the fruit!

12. Weed remover

For weeds sprinkle baking soda  at the rate of 1 teaspoon per weed plant. The baking soda must coat the entire plant, including its foliage, with the bulk of the baking soda covering the weed's stem. On patios, walkways and driveways, apply the baking soda by sweeping it into the cracks in which weeds grow.