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Here are the benefits you’ll experience when you add baking soda to your next laundry cycle.
Baking soda is one of the most versatile household staples, well beyond the orange box you have sitting in your refrigerator to control odors. Not only is it a kitchen staple and frequent ingredient in recipes, but baking soda can be used for cleaning bathroom drains and kitchen grease, eliminating odors, and even freshening your laundry.
Baking soda can be used in the laundry room in a multitude of ways. Use baking soda to treat stains in your laundry, freshen and soften fabrics, and boost bleach whitening abilities. "Baking soda is a versatile cleaning tool," says Becky Rapinchuk, cleaning expert and founder of Clean Mama. "It can freshen, deodorize, and soften your laundry."
Rapinchuk, who is the author of four cleaning books, has grown an online community of more than one million followers across social media focused on cleaning up all of life's messes. She says her favorite way to use baking soda is by combining it with Castile soap as a scrub for general cleaning.
Baking soda is safe in both traditional and high-efficiency washing machines. Here's how to make use of baking soda in laundry.
How Much Baking Soda Should You Use In Laundry?
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the washing machine to freshen and soften laundry when necessary," says Rapinchuk.
Can Baking Soda Remove Odors?
Yes, baking soda can remove odors. Adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to a top or front-loading washing machine can also help remove odors and boost bleach-whitening abilities.
How To Use Baking Soda In Laundry
Below are the top ways that Rapinchuk suggests using baking soda in the laundry room for better, brighter results, from pre-treating stains to softening fabric.
Pretreating Stains
Baking soda can be used for pretreating stains, especially stubborn oil and grease stains and armpit stains.
How To: Make a paste of equal parts baking soda and water and apply to the stain. You may want to test this on a hidden area of your fabrics before you start treating stains.
Softening And Freshening Fabrics
Because baking soda works to regulate pH levels, adding 1/2 cup to a load of laundry can soften fabrics naturally without the use of fabric softeners, which often contain fragrance.
Removing Odors
Baking soda helps to break up particles left by detergent or hard water that lock in odor-causing bacteria. Heavier odors, like those left by perspiration, may require a baking soda soak prior to washing.
How To: Dissolve one cup baking soda in a bucket with hot water and let the item soak overnight before washing in a normal laundry cycle.
Boosting Bleach-Whitening Abilities
Chlorine bleach is one of the top products to use for crisp, bright whites, and adding baking soda can help balance the pH to make the bleach more effective.
Cleaning Irons
If you've noticed dark spots on your iron, it may be starch that has built up or there are lingering burn marks. Because baking soda is a natural abrasive, it can be used to easily clean these marks off the faceplate of the iron.
- Create a paste using even amounts of baking soda and water.
- Use a cloth to rub the paste across a cool iron, spending extra time scrubbing any stuck-on spots. When finished.
- Take a wet cloth and wipe the paste off.
Cleaning The Laundry Room
Baking soda's natural deodorizing and cleaning properties make it a useful tool for general cleaning in your laundry room:
- Freshen up the room: Sprinkle baking soda on top, let it sit, and then vacuum it up.
- Clean grout: Clean the grout of any floor tiles by making a paste of two parts baking soda and one part hydrogen peroxide. Apply the paste to the grout using an old toothbrush and let it sit for about 20 minutes before rinsing it off using cool water.
- Mop: Finished with the grout and ready to clean the floor? Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to warm water for mopping. This mixture should only be used on tile or laminate flooring, as it can ruin the finish of wood floors.
Frequently asked Questions
What's better for laundry, borax or baking soda?
Both baking soda and borax can be helpful in laundry. Borax is generally more effective when it comes to whitening and breaking down stains due to its alkaline nature, while baking soda is great as a deodorizer.
What can I not wash with baking soda?
Avoid using baking soda on delicate fabrics, such as silk, cashmere, and wool since it can damage the fibers. You should also avoid using baking soda on dark-colored clothing since it could cause some discoloration.
Read the original article on Southern Living
