I have been having so much fun learning new uses for baking soda! I’m amazed that a product that started out as our grandma’s baking ingredient, has now turned into a household phenomenon! Baking soda is definitely part of my cleaning arsenal and I’m learning that it’s also a staple cleaning product in most of your homes. I recently asked my readers what their favorite uses for Arm & Hammer Baking Soda are and here are some of my favorite answers:
- I use baking soda in my washing machine with every load. I also use it to help clean up any “presents” my animals leave me.
- I use baking soda about twice a week to wash my hair.
- My favorite way to use Baking Soda is to clean the hard spots off of my Crockpot bowl. I also use it to help remove oil from a pot if I’m deep frying something.
- I just used it last night to clean my sink! I also have boxes in the refrigerator and freezer.
- I use baking soda to clean my disposal. When I change the box in the refrigerator I dump some into the disposal. I pour in some vinegar, and let it bubble awhile. Then rinse with hot water.
- I make a mixture of baking soda, dish detergent, and hot water to clean up any type of pet mess — including the marks my dog leaves by rubbing up against the same part of the wall every night!
- I use baking soda to clean the “gunk” from silverware I purchase at thrift stores.
- I use it in the litter box.
- I sprinkle it on the bottom of my trash bins to deodorize them.
- If you soak vintage lead-paint covered hardware (knobs, hinges, handles) in baking soda, the pain will slide right off. No more nasty strippers!
And there are hundreds of more uses. I recently found Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of on Amazon.com and after 4 weeks of testing and reviewing Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, I really want to buy this book to learn even more ways to use baking soda in and around my home!
Here are some of the qualities that it lists about baking soda:
- It is mildly abrasive which makes it gentle yet effective for cleaning
- It can neutralize unpleasant airborne odors
- It can neutralize acid corrosion on car batteries
- I can neutralize the acid in mosquito venom (to keep a bite from itching)
- It is a leavening agent
- It is able to absorb many odors
- It works as a fire extinguisher when applied to a grease or oil fire
- It is used in water softening products
- and SO much more!!!
“Other products often rely on added fragrance to mask odors; with baking soda such odors are actually gone because the offensive smell has been absorbed.” Source
Baking soda really is a wonder product: as in it’s a “wonder” how it can do so much but also I “wonder” how I ever lived before knowing all of this!
I’d love to learn more so if you have more helpful tips or information about how you use Arm & Hammer Baking Soda I’d love to hear them!
Vicky says
July 20, 2011 at 8:03 amLOVE the graphic! I, too, have recently learned of the uses for baking soda. WOW! I have only tried a few things (I had a little box), but I am hoping to try more things. We are on a very tight budget, and this is a great cost saver! I would love to win the giveaway!I am going to look around the rest of your blog. I am now a subscriber!Vicky http://www.oilinmylamp.netdebbiezzie@gmail.com
Carolyn says
July 20, 2011 at 10:04 amWhat's not to love about baking soda! I keep it in the motorhome refrigerator and one time when a friend from Germany was visiting he started eating it. While baking soda is great in cookies it isn't so great "straight up". We still laugh about his facial expressions that day!! I enjoy all of your tips and ideas…have been a follower for a while now.romeo44431@yahoo.com
Susan @ homeroad.net says
July 20, 2011 at 10:31 amHi Anna. You've made me want to try Baking Soda. I think it might work to get rid of that "musty towel smell" in the washing machine. Thanks for the tips!Susan
Melissa, The Happier Homemaker says
July 20, 2011 at 12:17 pmI just picked up a box to try to make DIY air freshener…thanks for all the tips.
Shannon says
July 20, 2011 at 1:41 pmThanks to all your tips, I am using baking soda more and more! It might just be my favorite cleaning supply!
April says
July 20, 2011 at 1:42 pmI laugh every time I see your Arm & Hammer posts because my grandfather told my mother and her two brothers that it was his arm on the box holding the hammer. They didn't believe him, so he went to get a hammer and showed them his pose… apparently they believed him after that.Thanks for the happy memory! And I love Arm & Hammer and have been using your posts to get brilliant uses for it!Thanks!
Deneen says
July 20, 2011 at 2:43 pmBaking Soda is the bomb! It does so many things!
AubreyLaine says
July 20, 2011 at 2:47 pmI'd love to win!littlegray88 at yahoo dot com
Just Jaime says
July 20, 2011 at 3:13 pmHow does it help with laundry? Getting smells out? I thought I read that you also use vinegar in laundry. I've got some smelly stuff (my husband's, I swear), and regular detergent isn't getting the b.o. smell out. I used some vinegar in the load with detergent but it didn't really help. Any ideas?jaime at waywardgirlscrafts.com
Heather Nash says
July 20, 2011 at 4:41 pmThank you for all of the tips!!hnash10@gmail.com
kayla says
July 20, 2011 at 4:57 pmWe did the baking soda, vinegar, hot water thing on a clogged bathroom sink and it worked awesome! I'll have to do it to my disposal later today. 🙂 You have a dog? xo, kayla (kayla114@hotmail.com)
Tiffany says
July 20, 2011 at 4:58 pmI have been a vinegar convert for a while now, but now I am dying to try baking soda! I recently came across your blog (from Pinterest) and tried your washing machine cleaning tips. WOW. I love your blog, thank you!tiffanyh2002@hotmail.com
Amber says
July 20, 2011 at 5:24 pmI use baking soda for a lot around the house! I use baking soda with vinegar to scrub out the bathtub, the bathroom sink, the toilet, the kitchen sink, carpet messes, freshen the garbage disposal, freshen the fridge, laundry, and so much more! I also used it when my girls had terrible diaper rashes. Fill the tub with warm water and mix in a couple tablespoons of baking soda. It will help soothe the rash and reduce the inflammation. Awesome!
Sarah says
July 20, 2011 at 6:31 pmLove baking soda and I'd love to win!alexa102 at msu dot edu
JC says
July 20, 2011 at 8:47 pmI enjoy all your posts about baking soda usage. tcarolinep at gmail dot com
annemarie says
July 20, 2011 at 8:57 pmI have always said baking soda is my best friend forever!
Bitterroot Mama says
July 20, 2011 at 9:14 pmI just used baking soda (and vinegar) to declog my bathroom sinks. I'd love to win! (debittergroot at gmail dot com)
giggedygeekmum says
July 20, 2011 at 9:14 pmAmber's right about the diaper rash tip. We're past that stage but it worked when we needed it.giggedy geekmum AT gmail DOT com
Lisa says
July 20, 2011 at 10:03 pmI most recently used baking soda on a dresser i got from my grandparents when they passed away. i refinished the dresser but being very old, the drawers had a musty smell, i sprinkled baking soda in for a few days and i totally removed the musty scent. i was so excited to fill the clean smelling drawers with my son's clothes 🙂
scrapfancy says
July 20, 2011 at 10:16 pmI love Arm and Hammer. Use their products and have so much faith in them.
c says
July 21, 2011 at 1:41 amThanks for the tips! I'll try it on the bathroom sinks with vineager!
Rita says
July 21, 2011 at 1:43 amI have started using Arm and Hammer for cleaning and I love the results!
Anonymous says
July 21, 2011 at 1:54 amThanks for all of the great tips! Baking soda is awesome!shellirose@insightbb.comsimplifiedbyshelli.blogspot.com
Lyndee @ A Recovering Craft Hoarder says
July 21, 2011 at 3:05 amBaking soda IS amazing. It's kinda like electricity; I'm not sure how it works but I sure am grateful that it does.
Becky@OrganizingMadeFun says
July 21, 2011 at 3:38 amWould love a Visa gift card!! Wohoo!Becky B.www.organizingmadefun.comOrganizing Made Fun
Mindy1024 says
July 21, 2011 at 3:39 amwe put baking soda in our diaper genie! But I recently bought a huge box to try some of your cleaning tips!Melindamelindabyrne at yahoo dot com
Alyson says
July 21, 2011 at 4:21 amI just found your blog – and I LOVE it! I am so excited to learn more about how to clean and organize my home… It needs it!
Anonymous says
July 21, 2011 at 5:08 amI love your blog, thanks for all the great tips. I also love Arm and Hammer Baking Soda its a great product. I use it all the time.andrhauser@hotmail.com
Kerry says
July 21, 2011 at 12:08 pmMy dog's skin is sensitive – I wash her with baking soda. ppcusa@yahoo.com
mrs t says
July 21, 2011 at 2:21 pmI love cleaning with baking soda! And I love learning new ways to use it!chaddysgirl_18@yahoo.com
Desi says
July 21, 2011 at 2:26 pmI thought I left a comment already but I guess not… I would love to win! Thanks for the cleaning tips :)vickdn512@gmail.com
Melody says
July 21, 2011 at 11:17 pmWow- Arm and Hammer has been so generous! What great giveaways!
Joshua Smith says
July 22, 2011 at 8:01 amIt was amazing to receive many good information in this survey. To improve the business it suggested to use outsourcing application development to appear on IT markets. Software development allows to automate business processes and gain more profit funds.
Anonymous says
July 22, 2011 at 5:50 pmI have used baking soda forever, I am old, and love the stuff. I think it is funny that we are all going back to a simpler greener way of living, just like we did when I was a girl. I am glad as too many chemicals are not good for us. Thanks for a great blog and a chance to win such a great gift.crazymom6@juno.com
Anonymous says
July 22, 2011 at 9:24 pmAnna – I LOVE your tips. They are the best. And this baking soda one came just in time to get the totally stuck on burnt bbq sauce that was left in my slow cooker insert. I had tried everything, including scraping after soaking for 24 hours in water and dish soap. Just a sprinkling of the wondrous soda on the crusty stuff, a little bit of water, and I was wiping the stuff off with no effort. Amazing! Thanks, I'll be forever grateful and will think of you each time I clean my slow cooker!!sally.lustig@yahoo.com
Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads says
July 23, 2011 at 12:00 amJust found your blog at Inspiration Friday. I use a lot of Arm & Hammer products. Their clothes detergent is so good, and I love the Fresh Scent. Previously I only used Gain because of the way it made my clothes smell. Now I've switched, and it's cheaper, too. I also use the cat litter, cat litter deodorizer, and carpet deodorizer. So I would love to win the gift card because I would stock up on A&H products.
Erin says
July 23, 2011 at 5:27 pmI love Arm&Hammer baking soda! My family is always teasing me that I should work for them! lolOne of my fav tips is using it to clean my bathtub. It has a texture on the floor to keep from slipping. I sprinkle it on, let it sit for awhile then use a magic eraser and some water…get off all of the soap scum and hard water stains.
Julie says
July 24, 2011 at 3:51 pmMy mom has used baking soda to keep her fridge smelling for umpteen years and I have too :)thanksaunteegem@yahoo.com
Melayla says
July 24, 2011 at 9:44 pmI love using the baking soda/vinegar trick for slow kitchen drains. Baking soda is a wonder. melaylao@gmail.com
Anonymous says
July 25, 2011 at 1:17 amI'm going to try the oven glass cleaning tip. Thanks!Zandriahalo_zandria@hotmail.com
Anna {ramblyblog.com} says
July 26, 2011 at 4:48 amI always have a box in the fridge :)Annadanishsoprano@aol.com
Lianne says
July 26, 2011 at 10:42 pmI love baking soda, too!! I use it for a lot of the same things you listed 🙂 Thank goodness for baking soda!liannelstewart@gmail.com
KatieQ says
July 27, 2011 at 12:59 amWhen I was a little girl my uncle used to brush his teeth with baking soda. Even though he smoked he had really bright teeth.
Mami2jcn says
July 27, 2011 at 1:06 pmI use baking soda to freshen my fridge.mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Kacia Todd says
July 27, 2011 at 10:12 pmArm and hammer is my favorite "green" product!
Kacia Todd says
July 27, 2011 at 10:13 pmArm and hammer is my favorite "green" product!kaciapremo@gmail.com
robin says
July 27, 2011 at 10:27 pmthanks for all the tips!rgeddy @ gmail.com
Karen says
July 28, 2011 at 12:59 pmI missed this post while on vacation, so am catching up now. I love baking soda and one thing I did before we left on vacation was put baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and in the garbage disposal to keep things smelling sweet until we came back.
Analicia says
July 28, 2011 at 2:01 pmI just recently discovered the magic of baking soda! So far I have only used it to clean my bathroom, but it was so easy to get it sparkling clean I am definitely going to try it other places around the house. My email is: adavila87@hotmail.com
Mari says
July 29, 2011 at 3:06 pmThanks for the giveaway, I use baking soda for the fridge and for the cats litter box.runningmatey at hotmail dot com
The Prudent Pantry says
July 31, 2011 at 12:37 amI love baking soda! Thanks for all the great ideas on other uses. I need to go out and buy a big box!
Ginny says
August 1, 2011 at 11:57 pmBaking soda is great, I really need to try it in my washer though, never did that.
Tiff says
August 5, 2011 at 5:49 pmI love baking soda. Last week my hubby had a red stain on his good work pants that just wouldn't come out. I made a little baking soda paste and put it on the stain. Let it sit for a while and washed like regular . Voila. The stain is gone!
Cheryl says
January 2, 2014 at 1:22 pmHow do you use it to wash your hair? I am curious about the procedure.
Anna says
January 16, 2014 at 8:09 amI’ve never done it but there are lots of bloggers that have tried it. Here’s a great post for you to check out: http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/03/diy-baking-soda-shampoo-apple-cider-vinegar-conditioner-100-green-effective-2.html