December 8, 2016 by admin
Bicarbonate of soda seems to be the magic catch-all product with uses ranging from baking cakes to creating toxic-free modelling clay for the children, from personal care to making your home-grown tomatoes taste sweeter. The list is endless but bicarb plays one of its most important roles in the world of cleaning.
There is a plethora of cleaning benefits but we’ve put together 10 top bicarb cleaning tips:
1 Speed Up the Washing Up
For effective, eco-friendly washing up, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to a sinkful of hot water and swish in the juice of half a lemon along with your commercial washing-up liquid. The bicarb will help cut through the grease and make the process that much quicker and easier.
2 Freshen up a Dirty Dishwasher
To give your dishwasher a thorough lean, sprinkle around ¾ cup of bicarb into the bottom of the machine and run it empty through a complete hot cycle. It’s also a good idea to reduce odour build up between cycles by sprinkling a handful of soda over the dirty dishes and on the bottom of the machine each time.
3 Wipe away the Water Stains
If you live in a hard-water area, there’s a good chance that there’s a lime-scale deposit around the base of your taps which can be tricky to remove. Not anymore! Mix some bicarbonate of soda with a little vinegar and brush the fizzing paste on the offending areas. Leave it for half an hour and then gently rub and rinse. This works equally well for all hard water marks in the bathroom (or kitchen) including on your glass shower screens. The combo of bicarb and vinegar leaves the surfaces not just free of stains but also sparkling beautifully.
4 Unblock your Slow Running Drains
Keep your drains clear by mixing two parts bicarbonate of soda, two parts salt and one part vinegar and pour the solution down the plugholes in your shower, bath or sinks. Leave to bubble and froth for half an hour and then rinse away with hot water.
5 Dry-clean your Sofa in Fifteen Minutes
To give any fabric upholstery a quick dry-clean, sprinkle the surfaces generously with bicarb (use a flour shaker or empty talc bottle). Leave it on for about 15 minutes to absorb the stale odours and then vacuum up the power.
6 Give Leather a Re-Vamp
Leather furniture can often collect general stains over time. Revive your sofa by mixing 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with a cup of warm water and use on a cloth or sponge to wipe down the furniture. Rub into all the nooks and crannies and then wipe over well with clean water and allow to dry.
7 Spotless Stainless Steel and Chrome Finishes
Bring any stainless steel and chrome surfaces back to life with a sprinkle of bicarbonate on a damp cloth or sponge. Wipe away any residue with a clean damp cloth and buff up to a good-as-new shine with a dry cloth.
8 Refresh your Mattress
Mattresses can get whiffy especially if not used for a while. You can quickly remove any odours though by sprinkling thoroughly with bicarb and leaving overnight before vacuuming off. It’ll instantly remove any pongs and is especially useful when you’re mid-potty training the little ones.
9 Sort your Stinky Trainers
No matter how many times you run them through a washing machine, well-used trainers can get quite 
pongy. You can avoid this though by sprinkling a couple of tablespoons of bicarb in each shoe and shaking it so that the insole is thoroughly covered. Leave until you’re ready to wear and then tip out the powder before putting them back on. (If you tip the bicarb down the toilet, you’ll keep your loo smelling fresh too.)
10 Deodorise Kitty’s Litter Tray
With the best will in the world, most of us don’t manage to clean out litter trays quite as often as we should. Luckily, bicarbonate of soda will absorb those tell-tale cat odours. Next time you change your cat’s tray, cover the bottom with a layer of bicarb and then sprinkle the cat little on top. Be generous with the soda, using a ratio of around 1 part bicarb and 4 parts litter. Your cat won’t be put off and will appreciate that their tray is odour-free.
For more top tips, check out our friends at Taylor Maids Cleaning Services who also offer some useful guidance to your every day cleaning problems.
If you have any cleaning uses for bicarbonate of soda, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll add the best ones. We’d love to hear from you!
