I use baking soda at least once a day in my cleaning and beauty routines. My roommates and I like to keep things around the house clean, but we also try and stay away from using chemicals all the time. Using baking soda and citrus to clean our kitchen sink has been a lifesaver since it's easy and free of any harsh products. There are so many clever baking soda uses. From cleaning the kitchen sink to brightening up your laundry, this powder does it all. Check out the list below for some of the most popular uses!
1. Cleaning White Shoes
White shoes can be a pain to keep clean. With this baking soda hack, you won't have to struggle anymore. By mixing baking soda, water, and hydrogen peroxide, your shoes will lighten with sunlight.
2. Brighter Laundry
Adding 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of baking soda to your laundry will make colors pop and brighten your whites. It also helps fight tough odors in your clothes.
3. Deodorize Shoes
Because of its deodorizing properties, baking soda is a great idea for smelly shoes. You just have to pour in enough to cover the bottom of the shoe and let it sit between 12 and 24 hours. The baking soda will absorb the smells and leave your shoes smelling fresh.
4. Whitening Teeth
There are a few different ways to whiten your teeth with baking soda. You can put it straight on the toothbrush, add it to toothpaste, or even mix it with strawberries or turmeric.
5. Face Mask
If you're sick of putting chemicals on your face, you could try this baking soda mask. Made with just baking soda and water, these face masks help tackle oily skin naturally.
6. Clean Residue out of Hair
This baking soda shampoo hack is a great idea for anyone who uses any sort of product regularly. It helps detox the hair by getting everything out. You can use this shampoo as an alternative to your regular shampoo or you can just add a bit to your regular shampoo.
7. Bath Soak
Have you ever wanted to take a detox bath but don't want to pay for an expensive product? Try baking soda as a detox bath; it dissolves completely in water, doesn't leave anything on the bathtub, and is chemical-free.
8. Get Gum out of Hair
Raj Deut on Flickr
If you've ever gotten gum stuck in your hair, you know that it's a nightmare to get out. There are many solutions to this problem, baking soda is great for getting out gum. By making a paste with water and letting it sit on the hair, the gum just falls out.
9. Sunburn Remedy
You can use baking soda to combat a sunburn in two ways. According to The Balance, you can take a bath or you can make a paste and spread it on your body.
10. Insect Bite Remedy
Like with sunburn, making a baking soda paste is an effective way to alleviate the itch that comes from bug bites. As a kid, this was one of the ways that my mom would take care of bee stings. It feels especially nice if you use cold water.
11. Antacid
This baking soda use is so common it's written on the box of Arm & Hammer. It's as easy as dissolving some baking soda in water and drinking it. While this doesn't sound very enjoyable, I'm sure it works really well.
12. Eliminate Sticker Residue
We all know the hassle of trying to get that sticker residue off of glass jars or bottles that we want to reuse. Here is a simple solution. Mix equal parts of oil and baking soda, put it on the label you're trying to get off for 30 mins, and then rub it off.
13. Clean Your Kitchen Sink or Dishwasher
Stainless steel sinks can be a pain to keep clean since every detail shows. A quick, cheap, and easy solution to this is using baking soda and a sponge. Pop Sugar has a guide that shows how to do this most effectively.
14. Clean Your Microwave
As students, we all know how gross microwaves can get. A great, simple way to get the gunk and bad odors out is to mix baking soda and water and microwave it for a few minutes.
15. Deodorize Drains
By now, you know baking soda is great for getting the gross smells out of things. This also works for drains. If you pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, it will kill some of those nasty smells, leaving your drain smelling like new.
Now that you know all the ways baking soda can be used, you can use less chemicals in your everyday cleaning routines.