10 Things You Can Clean With Baking Soda and Vinegar
More and more people are looking for natural alternatives to cleaning over harsh chemicals. Even though some tough cleaning jobs will call for commercial cleaning products, there are many cleaning hacks with backing soda and vinegar that will get the job done. You can clean many things in your home with just these two simple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. Let’s take a look at 10 things you can clean with baking soda and vinegar.
The Science Behind These Two Products
What makes baking soda and vinegar so effective for cleaning? The answer is pretty simple, both ingredients lie on opposite ends of the pH scale. pH measures how acidic or alkaline (base) a substance is. Baking soda (NaHC03) is the common name given for sodium bicarbonate. It lies on the base side of the scale with a pH of 9. A base will accept a hydrogen ion . Vinegar is a diluted solution of acetic acid (HC2H3O2), typically about 4% acetic acid by volume. The pH of Vinegar is 2, which is found on the acidic side of the scale. An acid wants to donate hydrogen ions.
Both can be used for cleaning alone and will do a great job, but when you combine the two, that’s when the magic happens. The hydrogen ion exchange that occurs with the fizzy chemical reaction when the two are mixed are what give you the powerful cleaning effects. It produces carbon dioxide that helps to break down gunk and grime. It’s important to realize that when the fizz is over, all that’s left is just salt water, and dirt. Because of this, mixing the two ahead of time and putting in to a spray bottle doesn’t do you as much good.
Cleaning With Each Alone
There are many other cleaning tasks that work great with baking soda by itself or vinegar by itself. We will focus on using both of them together for this article. Refer to the related posts here for even more natural cleaning solutions using these two pantry staples.
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- Related Post: The Ultimate Guide To Cleaning With Vinegar
Sink Drains
- How-To: Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Wait 5-10 minutes, then flush with warm water. Optional: drop a few ice cubes in and run the garbage disposal (if you have one) to clean the blades.
- How It Works: The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar dissolves blockages and neutralizes foul odors.
Ovens
- How-To: Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply inside the oven. After a few hours, spray vinegar over the paste, then wipe clean.
- How It Works: Baking soda breaks down grease, while vinegar dissolves the baking soda residue and any remaining grime.
Shower Heads
- How-To: Remove the shower head and soak it in a solution of vinegar and baking soda overnight. Rinse with water.
- How It Works: The mixture breaks down mineral deposits, restoring water flow.
Related Post: How To Quickly Change Your Shower Head
Grout
- How-To: Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to grout, then spray vinegar. Scrub with a brush after the fizzing stops.
- How It Works: Baking soda acts as a mild abrasive, and vinegar’s acidity helps remove stains.
Stainless Steel Sinks
- How-To: Scrub the sink with a baking soda paste, rinse, then rub down with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
- How It Works: Baking soda cleans without scratching, and vinegar restores shine and removes water spots.
Removing Hard Water Stains
- How-To: Create a paste with baking soda and water, apply to stains, and let sit. Spray with vinegar, wait for fizzing, scrub, then rinse.
- How It Works: The fizzing action from the baking soda and vinegar mix loosens mineral deposits, making it easier to remove hard water stains.
Dishwashers
- How-To: Run an empty cycle with a cup of vinegar, then sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and run a short cycle.
- How It Works: Vinegar cleans and deodorizes the interior, while baking soda helps clear away remaining residue.
Toilets
- How-To: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, pour in vinegar, let fizz, scrub with a toilet brush, then flush.
- How It Works: The fizzing action helps to break down stains and eliminate odors, leaving the toilet bowl clean and fresh.
Microwaves
- How-To: Place a bowl with a vinegar and water solution inside, microwave for 5 minutes. Then, clean with a baking soda paste if necessary.
- How It Works: Steam from the vinegar solution loosens debris, while baking soda paste can tackle any stubborn spots.
Carpet Stains
- How-To: Sprinkle baking soda on the stain, spray with a vinegar/water solution, let react, then vacuum up the residue.
- How It Works: The reaction lifts the stain from the carpet fibers, making it easier to vacuum away.
Conclusion
Now you can clean with baking soda and vinegar together to provide a powerful solution for tackling many cleaning challenges. By incorporating baking soda and vinegar into your cleaning routine, you can achieve sparkling results without relying on harsh chemicals.
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