Save Cash: How to Clean with Baking Soda

Save cash when it comes to cleaning your apartment by using baking soda instead of traditional commercial cleaners. This non-toxic, natural substance can be used to clean multiple surfaces in addition to making an effective freshener. It is an essential tool for inexpensive cleaning.

Freshener and Cleanser

Small boxes of baking soda in the refrigerator and the freezer absorb overpowering odors and keep your food fresher longer. Similarly, baking soda can help you save cash when it comes to cleaning and deodorizing carpets, rugs, upholstery and drapes.

Sprinkle baking soda over the fibers you want to freshen and clean. For stains or to get the fibers more thoroughly clean, use a scrub brush to work the soda into the fabric in a circular motion. Tough stains might require a cup of warm water mixed with a tablespoon of dish detergent on top of the soda before you work it in. Allow the baking soda to soak for a few minutes or even overnight (if you used detergent water, allow the mixture to dry) and then vacuum away the excess. You can do this weekly to eliminate odors from pets, smoke, dirt and dust and keep your apartment smelling fresh.

Hard Surface Cleaner and Scrub

Save cash by making a scrub solution to clean hard surfaces like countertops, sinks, tubs and wooden and linoleum floors. For simple cleaning, you can pour baking soda over a damp cloth and wipe the surface. If you want to remove a stain, grease or soap scum, you may want to make a paste from 1/4 cup water and 3/4 cup baking soda. Mix the water and soda together until they achieve a paste consistency, and use a sponge or cloth to scrub the stain or grease away.

Drain Declogger

Save cash and save your plumbing by refusing to use harsh chemical drain decloggers, which can be corrosive to metal pipes. You can make a homemade drain declogger using 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar. First, take a bendable bristle brush and try to scoop out as much hair and gunk as you can. Next, pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by the vinegar. The mixture will foam up, reaching all areas of the drain. Allow to soak for five minutes and then rinse the drain with warm water. If the drain is still running slow, you can finish the process by pumping a toiler plunger over the drain until the pressure forces the clog through the pipes.

Cleaning Toys and Other Plastics

Children’s toys are a haven for bacteria because kids don’t tend to wash their hands before and after handling their toys. You can keep their hard plastic toys–and any other plastic item–clean and bacteria-free by soaking them for a few minutes each day in a quart of warm water mixed with 1/4 cup baking soda. After soaking, use a cloth soaked in the water to scrub the toys and then rinse with cold water.

Save cash by using baking soda to clean, which you can buy by the boxful for just a few dollars. Baking soda and other household products allow for inexpensive cleaning that the budget-conscious apartment resident will appreciate.