One Redditor proudly posted, "I love baking soda so much," after realizing the disappearing magic the household staple can have.
The scoop
The original poster showed the easy step-by-step process for removing a tough stain with baking soda in the r/CleaningTips subreddit. The first of five pictures shows a white table with a noticeably large purple mark.
By the second pic, the OP has a baking soda and dish soap paste, which they let sit for 30 minutes on the stain. After removing the paste, most of the purple stain is gone. To remove the rest, they directly scrubbed in more baking soda with a scouring pad. The last photo reveals a completely white table that looks new again.
How it's helping
Properly cleaning a home involves products that remove grime, dirt, stains, and strong smells. When relying on commercial products, you may need several different ones to meet your needs. However, baking soda can serve all these purposes. While it's not a true disinfectant, studies have shown that baking soda does have some antibacterial activity, particularly in oral use.
Thanks to its mild alkalinity, baking soda can safely dissolve stains and greasy residue without damaging surfaces. Instead of masking odors, it absorbs them in areas such as a fridge or carpets. A study in ScienceDirect concluded that spreading 50 grams (0.1 pounds) of baking soda at the bottom of a food waste bin reduced the smell by 70%.
Speaking of smell, if bleach is too pungent for you, use baking soda to brighten surfaces and laundry loads instead. Plus, its lack of toxicity makes it a safe cleaning option for homes with children, pets, and anyone with allergies.
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Then there's the price tag. A standard box of baking soda averages $1. Constantly repurposing this cheap product saves money by cutting down on shopping expenses related to expensive, traditional cleaning products. One user combines it with lemons and vinegar to revamp their cutting boards.
Whether it's boiling water with lemon to mop or walnuts to fix wood water stains, using natural cleaning products is also a win for the environment. Plastic trash, nanoplastics, and microplastics are overwhelming oceans. Some have shown up in bottled water and the stomachs of unsuspecting marine life. These plastics can take several hundred years to break down, according to WWF.
What everyone's saying
Several commenters praised the cleaning hack and results, with one saying: "Ahhh so satisfying."
A commenter expressed, "Baking soda and vinegar or water and vinegar can clean 95%+ in your house. It's underrated, I use it to clean clients walls of scuff marks and dirt."
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Oven 🍲 Someone with another natural solution for a stain said: "I think the last time I caught it early and some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel did the trick."
In response to one commenter's praise of hydrogen peroxide, another advised: It "also works great in a paste with baking soda and Dawn for getting cat pee smell out of stuff like mattresses."
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