5 Ways To Use Bicarbonate of Soda for Cleaning Your Home

Bicarbonate of soda is also sometimes known as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. It’s not to be confused with “baking powder”, as the latter often also contains cornstarch or cream of tartar, and so isn’t as pure a substance.

Bicarbonate of soda can be found in the groceries section of B&M. It comes in the form of a powder, and is commonly used as a “leavening agent”. This means it makes batters and doughs rise; so it’s a common ingredient in baking.

However, it’s also possible to use bicarbonate of soda for cleaning. It’s gentle, non-toxic, pet and child friendly, doesn’t have a harsh smell and is highly unlikely to cause damage.

Below, we explore just five of the many ways you can use this affordable “secret weapon” to clean your home.

1. Remove dirt, dust grease and grime from surfaces

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline substance, making it perfect for cleaning all kinds of surfaces. However, it’s best to avoid using it on aluminium and certain ceramics.

All you need to do is to sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth, sponge or cleaning pad and wipe it gently over dirty surfaces to remove mess and grease. As it is a mild abrasive, the baking soda will help to scrape off tough stains or dried-on spills without damage.

As baking soda is mild and gentle, you can use it on many painted surfaces, including skirting boards.

B&M Top Tip: You can even use bicarbonate of soda to clean wood, tile, laminate and vinyl flooring. Place around half a cup of bicarbonate of soda (approximately 90g) into a mop bucket with warm water, then mop as usual, rinsing afterwards.

This process is known to be so effective that you can even buy pre-made floor cleaning fluid containing bicarbonate of soda for greater ease.

2. Clean Your Grout

Bicarbonate of soda is great for the kitchen and bathroom. Is the grout between your tiles looking discoloured? Simply create a paste from two parts baking soda and one part water, then rub into your grout. An old toothbrush can work well for this!

You should then get a spray bottle of white vinegar and spray it over the baking soda. This will bubble and lift out the stains! Finally rinse off with clean water for sparkling results. You can buy pre-prepared vinegar spray, too.

B&M Top Tip: Bicarbonate of soda doubles as a kind of disinfectant due to its high pH. For this reason, it’s also ideal for tackling mould.

Simply combine baking soda and water on cleaning cloths or scrubbing brushes and apply to any areas suffering from mould and mildew. Wait at least 15 minutes, then sponge off.

3. Unblock Sinks & Drains

This is another great use for the combination of bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar.

First, pour a liberal amount of baking soda down after it, followed by 250 ml (1 cup) of water and the same amount of white vinegar combined.

Your drain or sink should bubble. Cover it with a damp cloth and leave it for at least five minutes, then remove the cloth and pour a pot of boiling hot water down the drain.

Boiling water should always be poured slowly to gradually remove the blockage instead of creating too much pressure at once and worsening it. Pouring too fast may also cause the water to splash and scald you.

If parts of the clog still remain, you might decide to use a sink or drain brush to easily scrub out anything that’s left.

B&M Top Tip: You can even buy specialist soda crystals to help you clean your sink, as well as appliances like dishwashers.

4. Freshen up Fabrics

From carpets to throws, and from your cushions and sofa fabric to your shower curtain, baking soda is the perfect substance to remove stains and leave soft furnishings smelling fresh.

Simply dab a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water onto any dirty or discoloured areas, then wait for it to dry. Next, give the areas a gentle scrub to loosen the dried-on powder and vacuum it off!

B&M Top Tip: To clean up your carpets, simply sprinkle over bicarbonate of soda, leave it for 15 minutes and vacuum it off. Simply finish with a spritz of your favourite scent and the whole room will feel cleaner and fresher than ever!

5. Shine up Your Accessories & Hardware

From door handles to ornaments, almost all of the accessories in your home can be buffed up to look as good as new with this great cleaning technique.

Just combine warm water and baking soda on a damp sponge and gently rub onto the items you wish to clean. Spray a little white vinegar over the top, leave for a couple of minutes, then rinse and wipe off. They’ll be polished to a beautiful sheen!

B&M Top Tip: The alkali in the soda will help to disinfect door handles and other hardware.

From your bathrooms and kitchen to hard surfaces, surfaces, hardware and touchpoints and even soft furnishings, baking soda can work wonders to keep your home clean in a non-toxic, eco-friendly, super-affordable way.

Check out B&M’s Household & Cleaning range for more high quality and attractive cleaning products and equipment to help you keep your home looking just how you like it.

There are so many other ways to use bicarbonate of soda. Do you swear by a particular technique? Share it with the B&M Community via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.