If you’re looking for ways to clean naturally, then meet your new best friend – bicarbonate of soda.
Bicarbonate of soda – also known as baking soda – is more than just a baking ingredient. It’s also a multipurpose ingredient that can be used in many ways to clean your home naturally.
Your usual tiny baking soda that you use for baking will work just fine but you can usually find it in larger quantities in the cleaning aisle in most supermarkets, bargain superstores and ironmongers.
11 ways to clean naturally with bicarbonate of soda
1. Kitchen
Mix bicarb with water for a natural, gentle and effective way to clean kitchen surfaces.
2. Drains
Freshen smelly plug-holes and drains by pouring down 1/2 cup of bicarb and then 1/2 cup white vinegar. Leave for 10 minutes then rinse away with hot water.
3. Washing Machine
Give your washing machine a deep clean by running it empty on the hottest cycle with 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the drum and 1/2 cup of bicarb in the detergent drawer.
4. Dishwasher
Freshen, clean and remove odours by running a hot, empty cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar on the top rack. Then do a second hot cycle with bicarb sprinkled on the bottom of the dishwasher. This will remove odours and leave it sparkling.
5. Carpets, rugs, mattresses & pet beds
Freshen by sprinkling with bicarb and leave for at least 15 minutes, then hoover it up.
6. Fridge & linen cupboard
Keep a small open tub of bicarb in the fridge to absorb odours and keep it smelling fresh. Likewise, you can do the same in your linen cupboard to keep sheets and towels from smelling musty.
7. Fruit & veg
Sprinkle bicarb on a damp sponge, or mix with water to scrub dirty fruit and veg. Rinse well.
8. Clothing
Clean and brighten your clothes by adding 1/2 cup bicarb to a load of laundry in addition to your usual detergent.
9. Bins
Prevent bad smells by sprinkling bicarb on the bottom of your bin.
10. Trainers
Sprinkle bicarb into smelly trainers and leave. It will absorb the nasty odours! Tap out before wearing again!
11. Oven
Sprinkle a thin layer of bicarb inside the base of your oven and on the inside of the glass door. Spray lightly with clear white vinegar and leave for 15-30 minutes to fizz and work its magic on those burnt-on spills. Scrub away in circular motions with a non-scratch scrubbing pad and rinse well with clean water and a soft microfibre cloth.
There you have it, 11 ways to clean naturally using bicarbonate of soda. Which one will you try first?
Feeling overwhelmed with all your other cleaning supplies? Take a look at my blog which will give you 7 simple steps to make cleaning as easy as possible.