Baking Soda + Vinegar
"Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock. "When you put them together you get mostly water and sodium acetate. But really, just mostly water." Plus, vinegar causes baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture can explode.
It's not just for baking cakes! A cheap box of baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda to some) can effectively clean your entire home. It's extremely versatile and can be used as a mild abrasive, scouring agent and deodoriser to dissolve dirt, tackle odours and cut through grime.
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned. Here are some recipes to try. Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar.
Baking soda is alkaline and reacts with acids such as vinegar, releasing carbon dioxide ( a gas ) and water. The fizz produced is brilliant fun for children to watch, especially if you combine it with washing up liquid ( dish soap ) to make even more bubbles or add a bit of food colouring, ice or a theme.
Other juices that will react to baking soda include grape juice, vegetable and fruit juice blends, and limeade. Ketchup can react with baking soda because it contains vinegar. The acidic reaction will cause fizzing that indicates the baking soda is fresh and actively working.
The mixture quickly foams up with carbon dioxide gas. If enough vinegar is used, all of the baking soda can be made to react and disappear into the vinegar solution. The reaction is: Sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid reacts to carbon dioxide, water and sodium acetate.
WAIT: Keeping the area damp and covered, allow the baking soda to sit for at least 3 hours, longer if possible. Hint: do this before you go to bed or before you leave for work. VACUUM: Remove the towel and vacuum the area. Repeat this process if you can still see any of the stain.
Although mixing vinegar and baking soda is not considered dangerous, you should still avoid mixing these in a container. Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic.
Anything with deep grooves or cracks. Baking soda leaves behind a white, dusty residue after it dries. Therefore, you should never use it to clean surfaces with deep grooves or cracks because the residue will get left behind and can build up.
Baking soda is especially great for cleaning plastic because it absorbs any funky odors that the plastic may have soaked up. Rinse the plastic item with hot water to get all the food out. Sprinkle on baking soda with a bit of water to make a paste. Scrub the paste with a sponge or scrubber.
Since it's gentle, Baking Soda is safe and effective as a cleaner for glass, chrome, steel, enamel and plastic. Because Baking Soda is a pure, natural product that is also a food, it is non-toxic, unlike many other household cleaners.
Baking soda is not a good choice for the oven door because it is abrasive and will scratch the glass. Wiping the door with a microfibre cloth and some distilled white vinegar will do the job.
Baking soda is a powerful all-purpose cleaner. Its slight abrasiveness won't harm your stainless steel, but it will help unstick stuck-on stains.
Get rid of the smell with baking soda
It's really straightforward – all you need to do is sprinkle a generous among of baking soda over your wet carpet and let it sit. The baking soda not only absorbs moisture, but it'll also absorb any nasty odours.
If you use it quickly and rinse it off, you might be fine, but allowing a baking soda mixture to sit on the surface for too long can cause it to oxidize, which means that the surface changes color.
Sprinkle a layer over the entire top of the mattress and leave for several hours (or better yet, apply before an overnight trip). Baking soda will break down acid and absorb any remaining moisture or odor. The longer you can leave baking soda on the mattress, the better it will work!
With time, baking soda and vinegar may work as a natural drain cleaner on weaker drain clogs, and the benefits of regular drain cleaning can help keep your drains free of clogs. But for tough drain clogs that need to be dissolved right away, you may want to use a stronger drain cleaner, like Liquid-Plumr.
For most purposes, Harris recommends combining one part baking soda with two parts white vinegar. That combo can cut through grease and lift stains, sometimes better than store-bought cleaners, she says. Important: Never combine vinegar with bleach.
There are two things that can trigger this reaction: heat and acid. In the presence of heat, sodium bicarbonate undergoes what is called a thermal decomposition reaction, releasing a molecule of CO2 for every two molecules of sodium bicarbonate.
This reaction is known as neutralization, which is the result of an acid-base interaction between baking soda and salt. What makes this particular combination so effective is that it produces carbon dioxide gas, which can be used to accomplish certain tasks.
Notes. Do not let the baked baking soda come in contact with your skin, as it is a caustic substance. If you do make contact with the baked baking soda, flush the area thoroughly with water.