Alternate Baking Soda Uses

Baking soda was an idea that was started in 1846, by someone named John Dwight, who began making it in his kitchen. At that time however, it was most commonly known as bicarbonate of soda, and was mainly used in cake batter to make the cakes rise.

It is made from 100 percent sodium bicarbonate and has an unlimited shelf life. This is why it is such an excellent product to use around the house for other purposes. In fact, it's so versatile that it happens to be the main ingredient in alka-seltzer. Here are the 50 listings for the uses of baking soda.

Cleaning With Baking Soda

Bathroom Tile
Sprinkle a little baking soda onto your damp cloth or sponge, clean your tile then rinse with clean water

Microwave Oven
The same as the bathroom tile, except it's your microwave oven. Just sprinkle the baking soda on the your sponge, clean, rinse then dry with a paper towel.

Stainless Sink
Again, just sprinkle baking soda on your sponge, clean, rinse and dry.

Shower And Bathtub
Sprinkle your fiberglass shower or bathtub with baking soda, clean, rinse and dry.

Refrigerator
Sprinkle your sponge with baking soda, then clean your refrigerator, rinse and dry.

Cutting Board
Pour a little baking soda on your cutting board, wipe with a damp sponge, rinse and let it air dry.

Coffee Pot
Pour 1 quart of warm water into your coffee pot or tea pot and add 1/4 cup of baking soda. Let it sit a few minutes before washing, then rinsing and drying.

Your Silver
Make a paste of water and baking soda, then rub your silver with the paste until the tarnish is gone. Rinse and dry.

Cookware
If food is burned onto your cookware, just wet the area, then sprinkle baking soda on it and let the cookware soak over night. The next day it will clean up with a sponge. The sodium bicarbonate breaks the bond between the food and the cookware.

Dish washing
Adding 2 tablespoons of baking soda to your dishwater gives your dishwater an extra boost.

Doors And Stoves
To clean scuff marks, grime and dirt from your doors, stove, laminated tabletops, tile and linoleum, just sprinkle with baking soda, then clean with a damp sponge and dry.

Coffee Stains
If you want to clean coffee or tea stains from your china, just rub a damp sponge with baking soda gently over the area until the stain is gone.

Swimming Pool
Not so much cleaning as it is maintaining the pH balance of your swimming pool. Mix in 1 ½ pounds of baking soda to every 10,000 gallons of water. This should raise the pool's alkalinity by 10 parts per million and keep your pool's pH balance within 80 to 150 parts per million.

Your Hands
To clean dirty, grimy hands, just wet them and sprinkle on baking soda and your soap. Rub, then rinse and dry.

Crayon On Wallpaper
Dampen a sponge and sprinkle on baking soda. Rub the spot gently, then wipe clean.

Car Windshield
If the windshield in your car or truck is covered with bugs and insects, just dampen a sponge, sprinkle on baking soda, then clean , rinse and dry.

Chrome Bumpers
To clean and shine chrome bumpers and hubcaps, just sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge, clean the surface, then dry with a soft cloth.

Pet Accidents
Mop up with a damp sponge, then sprinkle the area with baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes before vacuuming.

Barbecue Grill
To remove grease from your grill, mix 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of water to form a paste. Apply to the grill, then scrub with a wire brush, clean off, wipe with a clean damp cloth, then dry.

Baking Soda For Personal Use

Your Laundry
Adding 1 cup of baking soda boosts your laundry detergent and gets your clothes that much cleaner.

Poison Ivy
Make a paste of water and baking soda to put on the area that is affected. You can also use this method on insect bites.

Mouthwash
Make your own mouthwash by mixing 1 teaspoon of baking soda into ½ glass of warm water. This is refreshing and better than mouthwash fill with alcohol.

Sunburns
This can be used for sunburns, heat rash, and wind-burn. Just run your bath and dissolve ½ cup of baking in the warm water. Soak for 15 minutes, making sure the water and baking soda touch the areas affected.

Brush Teeth
Just brush your teeth as would normally do, Then why not use the baking soda mouthwash to rinse with.

Bathing
For a refreshing and relaxing bath, mix ½ cup of baking soda into your warm bath.

Tired Feet
Soak your feet in a container of warm water and 3 tablespoons of baking soda.

Under Arm Protection
Use it as a deodorant by dusting it under each are.

Hair Cleaner
Shampoo once a week with a mixture of your shampoo and a tablespoon of baking soda. This cleans out any conditioner or styling gel that has built up in your hair.

Baby High Chairs
Just use a damp sponge and baking soda to clean your baby's car seat, stroller, high chair and plastic mattress.

Baby Laundry
Just add ½ cup of baking soda to the laundry to make your baby's clothes smell fresh and clean.

Baby Bottles
Do the same for the baby bottles and nipples. Soak them in a mixture of baking soda and water. You can also soak the bottle brush. After soaking, sterilize before you use them.

Stuffed Animals
Make all your stuffed animals smell fresh and clean again by sprinkling baking soda over them, waiting for 10 or 15 minutes, then shake or brush off the remaining baking soda.

Whiten Dirty Clothes
To make your whites whiter and your dirty clothes cleaner, just add ½ cup baking soda to your wash, along with your laundry detergent.

Bleach
Want to give your bleach a boost? Just add ½ cup of baking soda, along with the bleach, to whiten, clean and freshen your clothes.

Baking Soda As A Deodorizer

Cloth Diapers
After washing the cloth diapers, soak them in a mixture of ½ cup of baking soda and 2 quarts of water for about 15 minutes.

Diaper Pail
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda into the diaper pail. It doesn't matter if diapers are in it or not. The baking soda will neutralize the odor.

Garbage Disposal
Twice a week try pouring 2 tablespoons of baking soda down your garbage disposal and sink drain. This keeps them from smelling.

Dishwasher
Between loads, try pouring ½ cup of baking soda on the bottom of your dishwasher. This keeps it smelling clean.

Food Containers
Food containers tend to pick up the odor of the food it holds. To get rid of the odor, mix 1 quart of water and 1/4 cup of baking soda and pour into the containers. Let the solution set for about 10 minutes, then rinse.

Garbage Can
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda into your garbage can every time you add more garbage.

Your Carpet
If you need a carpet freshener, try sprinkling baking soda very lightly over your carpet, then vacuuming. It leaves your carpet smelling clean and fresh.

Cat Litter Box
Before you add the cat litter to the box, spread 1/4 inch of baking soda on the bottom.

Vomit Odor
Just sprinkle baking soda over the area where the vomit was, and this will neutralize the odor.

Septic Tank
If you flush just 1 cup of baking soda down your septic tank each week, this not only keeps the pH and alkalinity properly balanced, but it also controls any odors from sulfides.

Dirty Laundry
Sprinkle baking soda over your dirty laundry to neutralize the odor.

Your Closets
Why not place a box of baking soda on a shelf in your closet. It not only deodorizes, but it removes moisture.

Garment Bags
Sprinkle a little baking soda in the bottom of your garment bag to remove odors.

Car Carpeting
Sprinkle over the carpeting in your car. It will refresh and remove odors, including cigarette smoke odors.

Shoes And Boots
Just sprinkle your shoes, boots and sneakers and let them sit over night to neutralize any odors.

It always amazes me about the many ways baking soda can be used. Did you know that it can be used in other ways besides cleaning around the house and personal uses? It is also in industry to make treating sewage more effective, it is used in lakes and rivers that have been damaged by acid rain, and it has even been used to decontaminate soil that has been contaminated by halogenated organic chemicals.

And on a lighter note, it was even used to clean the Statue of Liberty. I hope you enjoyed this article and will put some of the uses of baking soda to good use.