37 Baking Soda Hacks You Must Know About

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is useful for so many more things than just making your cakes taste better. Baking soda should win an award for the more useful product ever. As a general rule, anything that smells can be deodorized with the right application of baking soda.

Below are 37 baking soda hacks, split into four categories that will help you will all sorts around the house.

Personal care:

1. Make toothpaste - Find yourself without toothpaste? No problem! Mix baking soda and water to create a whitening toothpaste that would rival any brand.

2. Freshen your mouth - Stir in a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water, and hey presto, you have a mouthwash that will neutralise any bad mouth odors.

3. Soak oral appliances - Mouthpieces like retainers, dentures, dummies and mouthguards can pick up a bad whiff very quickly. Dissolve two teaspoons of baking soda in warm water and leave to soak.

4. Facial scrub - Not only will you be saving money, but also the environment. Create a baking soda paste and gently apply to your face in a circular motion.

5. Treat insect bites & itchy skin - Insect bites can be a real pain. Reduce the irritation by making a baking soda paste and applying to affected area.

6. Hair degreaser - Ran out of time in the morning? Sprinkle a small amount on your part line to allow the baking soda to soak up the grease from your hair.

7. Clean brushes and combs - Natural oil build up on your combs and brushes is a common problem. Soak them in a basin of warm water and baking soda then rinse and dry.

8. Make a baking soda bath - A day at the spa is always nice. But you can now recreate that feeling by adding baking soda to your evening baths.

9. Foot spa - A long day running around after the kids can take its toll on your feet. Enjoy a foot spa courtesy of three tablespoons of baking soda in warm water.

10. Get rid of heartburn - Heartburn is never fun. Relieve that sensation with half a teaspoon of baking soda with half a glass of water.

11. Apply it to jellyfish sting - Deactivate jellyfish stingers by applying a mix of hot water and baking soda.

Cleaning:

12. General surface scrub - A simple mix of warm water and baking soda can easily lift dirt and grime from surfaces in the house.

13. Fruit washing - A huge amount of our fruit here in the UK travels thousands of miles to get onto our supermarket shelves. Full of dirt, pesticides and residue, cleaning all that off is a doddle with a water and baking soda mix.

14. Microwave cleaning - Add baking soda to a wet sponge and go to town on your microwave. A baking soda mix will help you easily lift dried food spillage and reduce odors.

15. Clean pots,pans and dishes - Removing stubborn stains after a lovely tuna pasta bake from the night before can be troublesome. Soak your pots and pans in warm water for 15 minutes then apply baking soda and scrub.

16. Shower curtain cleaning - Apply baking soda to a damp brush and scrub the curtains to remove built up dirt.

17. Oven cleaner - Dust the bottom of your oven with a light coating of baking soda. Spray with water to dampen then leave overnight. Scrub away in the morning and rinse thoroughly.

18. Helpful boost to liquid detergent - Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your liquid detergent to help remove stains and get your clothes brighter.

19. Clean and freshen sports gear - Sprinkle gym bags with soda to reduce the smell. Also apply to a damp sponge to clean sports gear such as golf clubs without scratching it.

20. Lift oil and grease stains - Removing oil and grease stains becomes surprisingly easy with a simple mix of baking soda and warm water.

21. Clean batteries - Remove the desired battery first before applying a baking soda paste with a damp cloth. Scrub away to remove corrosion and be careful of battery acids.

22. Clean your car - Applying a warm water and soda mix to a damp cloth will help you remove road dirt and bugs from your car’s bodywork. The same can be applied to your headlights.

Deodorize:

23. Smelly Fabrics - Need that one shirt for tomorrow but don’t want to put a full wash on? Soak your clothes in a mix of warm water and soda overnight.

24. Shoe desmelling - Pepper your shoes/trainers with baking soda to keep those foul smelling foot bacteria at bay.

25. Carpet Desmelling - Leave a sprinkle of soda on your carpet for an hour and then vacuum.