Cleaning With Baking Soda and Vinegar
While it is true you purchase brand-name cleaning products for specific tasks around
the home, such as carpet spotters or toilet bowl cleaners, you have some chemicals you
use every day that can also be used for cleaning.
You no doubt have heard of the many uses of baking soda, from absorbing odors to
absorbing liquids, as a cleaning additive, and more. Don’t confuse baking soda with
baking powder, which has other additives. Then we have white (clear) vinegar, which is
an acid-based chemical that we use for many recipes but that can also be used as a
cleaning product.
While you can use them separately in many ways, when you mix the two together you
get that fantastic fizzy reaction that can be used for some of the toughest cleaning
chores. And when it is all said and done and the cleaning is complete, the residue from
baking soda and vinegar converts into water. This means you can’t mix them up and
store them. When mixed, use them right away and discard any you don’t use.
Here are a few common uses for vinegar and baking soda. And remember, white
vinegar only, leave the apple cider vinegar for cooking.
Shower heads
Hard water can plug up the tiny holes that are part of a shower head, and it is tough to
clean them out. But with baking soda and vinegar, you have a fighting chance.
Remove the shower head and place in a bowl. Add enough white vinegar to cover it,
and then liberally sprinkle baking soda over the surface, carefully mixing it in. The acid
in the vinegar breaks down the minerals that are plugging up the holes and the baking
soda adds more cleaning power. Let it soak for several hours, and once in a while stir
the concoction in the bowl. When the bubbles are done, and a few hours have passed,
rinse it all out and reinstall and you should be good to go!
Toilet bowls
Flush your toilet bowl and turn off the water, and then spray or pour the inside of the
bowl with white vinegar, and sprinkle baking soda all over it. Let it sit a few minutes and
then scrub. Turn on the water, flush, it should be clean! Repeat as necessary.
Clogged drains
Pour half a cup of baking soda in the clogged drain and the pour one cup of white
vinegar. Let it sit for an hour. Then pour boiling water into it to flush it out. That should
do it unless the clog is severe.