Simple Tips and Recipes for Green Cleaning with Baking Soda

Put the Cheap, Non-toxic Material to Work for You

Photo: Maxim Evgenevich / Fotolia

By Caroline Smith

A friend introduced me to the cleaning powers of baking soda when the water was taking longer and longer to empty from my tub after a shower.

She called round just as I was pondering how to remove the side panel and worrying how much mess I'd make if I unscrewed the u-bend and unblocked it by hand. I didn't want to resort to a nasty chemical drain cleaner, so I didn't know what else to try. She stopped me in time and told me simply to tip half a cup of baking soda down the plughole, followed by a cup of white vinegar.

It was my first experience of the fizzing reaction that occurs when you mix these two products together. It certainly looked like it should work. I waited a few minutes before pouring a kettle of boiling water down the plughole -- and amazingly the drain worked again! Since then I've found loads of uses for baking soda around the home. Here are some of my green cleaning tips:

Multi-purpose Cleaner
I use this on my countertops and other surfaces in my kitchens, from the refrigerator door to the cupboards. I mix it up in an old spray bottle and keep it under my sink. To 2 cups of hot water I add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of borax, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (or white vinegar) and a drop of eco-friendly washing up liquid.

Wooden Furniture
I managed to remove some alcohol stains from my coffee table using a paste of baking soda and linseed oil. I rubbed this in the direction of the grain and then wiped the whole table with linseed oil.

Stainless Steel
I've got a set of stainless steel bar stools in my kitchen, and I used to find it hard to keep them looking shiny. What I've found effective (it works on my sink too) is to clean them with some baking soda sprinkled directly onto a damp cloth. I then wipe them with water and make sure I dry them thoroughly to get a really good shine.

Upholstery
I regularly clean my vinyl bar stool seats with a paste of baking soda and water, which I rub on and leave to dry before wiping off. I also successfully stopped an oily food stain on a fabric seat by acting immediately and sprinkling it with a 50-50 mix of baking soda and salt. I rubbed it in gently, left it overnight and vacuumed it in the morning.

Oven and Hob
I regularly clean my glass hob with a solution of 1 quart of warm water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda, and try to remember to wipe the inside of my oven with the same solution every time I use it. When the inside of my oven really needs it, I give it a deep clean by spreading a paste of baking soda and water all over and leaving it overnight before scouring.

Drains
Every few weeks I empty the old box of baking soda that I keep in my refrigerator into the kitchen sink and rinse it with hot water. This seems to keep the drain flowing freely as I haven't had any blockages since I started doing this.

Cups
I also use baking soda sprinkled on a damp cloth to rub tea and coffee stains from my cups.

As you can see I've been totally converted to this natural cleaning product and love its versatility. There's no need to have different bottles of commercial cleaners when baking soda can tackle most jobs, so I've cut back on packaging and made space in my cupboard. It's cheap (a little goes a long way), it's non-toxic and it really works!