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The Art Of Baking Soda Cleaning
If you want to reduce the number of chemicals in your household cleaning but don’t want to sacrifice cleansing power, you need to know about baking soda. While baking may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of bicarbonate of soda, you can use it to easily and inexpensively clean every room of your house
Baking Soda for Household Cleaning? Indeed.
You probably already have a box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in your home. It’s the staple you reach for when baking quick breads, muffins, biscuits and cookies. Millions of people keep a box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep them from smelling stale. But that little orange box, shaker container, or 3.5 lb. pouch contains a multi-purpose substance you can use to clean and deodorize all kinds of items and areas.
We’ve compiled a go-to list of household cleaning tips with baking soda so you can tackle all sorts of jobs around your kitchen, bathroom, living room, mudroom and bedroom.
Cleaning with Baking Soda in the Kitchen
Your kitchen is the most used room in your home, and there are many surfaces and appliances to keep clean. Whether you’re doing maintenance or deep cleaning, you’ll find a trusted helper in baking soda.
Cleaning the Sink Drain
To keep drains fresh, regularly sprinkle a little baking soda in them while running hot water.
For a deeper clean, a slow-moving drain or mild clog, reach for the baking soda and white vinegar. Here’s how:
- Pour a (tea)pot of boiling hot water down your drain.
- Dump in about 1/2 cup ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Let that sit for a 3-5 minutes.
- Then, pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup very hot water down the drain, on top of the baking soda.
- If you have a drain plug, cover the drain and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If you don’t have a drain plug, it’ll be fine; the plug just keeps more the reaction below the surface.
- Flush again with a pot of boiling water.
Dispose of a Smelly Garbage Disposal
If your garbage disposal has gotten a funky smell, pour ¼ cup of baking soda into it and follow with hot water. If your disposal continues to smell bad, repeat or add a ¼ cup white vinegar and let it fizz for 5 minutes, then run hot water.
Deodorize a Trash Can
Baking soda is a great trash can deodorizer. As garbage accumulates in the bag, add baking soda in layers to help absorb and neutralize odors. You can also wash and deodorize garbage cans with a solution of 1 cup baking soda and 1 gallon of water.
Your smelly garbage is no match for the odor-eliminating power of ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda.
Clean a Dishwasher with Baking Soda
Yes, the appliance that cleans your dishes also needs to be cleaned, preferably once a month, but you can go longer if you use it less frequently. Over time, food debris, soap scum and grease will build up in your dishwasher and can reduce your dishwasher’s efficiency.
Here’s how to use baking soda and white vinegar to clean and deodorize your dishwasher with minimal effort:
- In an empty dishwasher, place a bowl or dishwasher-safe container containing about a cup of white vinegar face up on the top rack.
- Run the dishwasher on a hot, regular-length cycle.
- Next, liberally sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your machine.
- Run another short, hot water cycle
Your dishwasher will smell fresh and the residue from daily use will be in the past. When it accumulates again, you know what to do!
Deodorize a Refrigerator/Freezer
Using a Fridge-n-Freezer™ package of ARM & HAMMER™ to absorb odors in your refrigerator or freezer is one of the more commonly known baking soda household cleaning hacks. But did you know you can use a mixture of warm water and baking soda or a warm water/baking soda/white vinegar solution to clean your fridge or freezer shelves and drawers? It works great to help remove a surprise spill or the mysterious stains that appear over time.
Watch this ARM & HAMMER™ video about how to clean your fridge with baking soda!
Clean under the Kitchen Sink
Tiny drips or the musty smell of your drain or disposal can leave your cabinets under the sink smelling less-than-wonderful. Simply place a flow-through box of ARM & HAMMER™ Fresh-n-Natural Odor Absorber to absorb moisture and help eliminate under-sink odors.
Make a Baking Soda Mopping Solution for Tile Floors
If your kitchen or foyer are ceramic tile and grout, you can make a solution of ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water to help give them a mop. Alkaline baking soda helps break down most food-based and greasy stains and the mild abrasion helps scrub the surface and the porous grout. Rinse with plain warm water and let dry.
Clean your Oven
Did you know you can help clean your oven and burner wells with baking soda? Remove caked-on, baked-on food drips from your burner pans or grates, under burner pans, and oven floor, walls, and windows—without using harsh chemicals or exposing your family to fumes. Learn how to use baking soda to get your oven sparkling again!
Bathroom Cleaning Tips with Baking Soda
There are so many places to clean in your bathroom, but here are some baking soda cleaning hacks to help you tackle the entire room.
Freshen Sinks and Bathtubs
Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on a damp sponge and scrub away the soap scum and grime from tubs, sinks, tiles and more. As a mild abrasive, baking soda can be used on fiberglass, porcelain, acrylic, ceramic, and cultured marble surfaces. Do not use on stone resin or wood.
Cleaning the Toilet Bowl with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Your toilet needs regular cleaning, but you don’t have to use harsh chemicals or lots of elbow grease to do the job. Hack your toilet cleaning with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and white vinegar to take care of the stains and buildup with minimal scrubbing. Follow these steps:
- Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet.
- Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bowl. It will immediately start to fizz and bubble.
- Close the lid of the toilet and let the solution work for 30 minutes.
- Lift the lid and scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. The process will be easy thanks to the baking soda and vinegar breaking apart the residue.
- Flush the toilet. Vinegar and baking soda are safe for your plumbing and the environment.
Clean the Bathroom Floor
Give tile floors in your bathroom a mop with ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water, then rinse.
How to Remove Calcium Deposits from a Shower Head
Over time, your showerhead can get calcium buildup from hard water and begin to lose water pressure. If you have a gallon size plastic bag, white vinegar and baking soda, you can clean your shower head and remove the residue.
- Mix 1/3 cup baking soda with 1 cup white vinegar in the gallon plastic bag.
- Secure the bag over your dirty shower head with a rubber band. Make sure the head is completely covered in the solution.
- 3. Leave the bag on the shower head overnight.
- In the morning, remove the bag, wipe down the shower head and run hot water. Then enjoy your sparking clean showerhead and renewed water pressure.
- This method is especially useful for polished metal shower heads because you won’t be tempted to scratch them by using an abrasive sponge or brush. Plus, you don’t have to take the shower head off to clean it!
How to Clean the Living Room or Family Room with Baking Soda
Clean the Fireplace
Everyone loves a warm, crackling fire — but maybe not the smoky buildup and soot it can leave behind on your hearth, surround, or fireplace glass.
To clean fireplace glass naturally, without leaving a scratch, crumple a piece of newspaper, wet it, then sprinkle some ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on it. Rub the dirty area of the glass, then wipe clean with a damp clean cloth.
Remove Scuff Marks on Tile or Hardwood
If you get scuff marks from shoes on your floors, lightly sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge to help buff out the streaks.
Remove Odors from Carpet
Freshen musty odors by sprinkling ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda on your carpet. Let it sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up — you’ll smell the difference. If you get a spill on your carpet, soak up as much of the spill as possible, then clean the stain according to the carpet manufacturer’s directions. Once the area is completely dry, sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to cover it, let sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum. Even tough kid and pet messes are no match!
Alternatively, use ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda-based carpet deodorizer and choose among several fresh scents.
Using Baking Soda to Clean in Utility Rooms or Mud Rooms
By the shoes!
If you’re a family that has a shoe rack or bins labeled by family member to deposit shoes, boots and skates, you know that the shoe area of your garage or mud room can possess the odor of conglomerate feet-funk – and it hits your nose as soon as you enter your home. Keep a spill-proof, flow-through box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda near the shoe corner, or a box inside each person’s shoe bin to help deodorize and keep the area fresh. You can deodorize your shoes as often as once per week if needed, but only deodorize leather shoes once per month as the baking soda can also absorb oils in the leather.
Watch the video below to learn the technique!
Baking soda can also come in handy if your shoes need brightening. Learn how to clean your shoes with baking soda. With these tips, your shoes will look and smell like new in no time.
Clean and Deodorize Your Washing Machine with Baking Soda
Washing machines can get a buildup of limescale, soap scum, or mold over time. If your washing machine gets a musty odor or you notice deposits on your clothes, it’s time to clean your washer. Luckily, with baking soda, and sometimes vinegar, this task is easier than you might think.
- Measure ½ cup of baking soda and 1 quart of white vinegar. If you just need a deodorizing washer refresh for mild odors, eliminate the vinegar and just use baking soda.
- Add both ingredients to the drum of a top-loader or add the white vinegar to the detergent dispenser and baking soda to the softener dispenser, of a front-loader.
- Set the water temperature to Hot (90ºC or 194ºF) and on the longest wash cycle.
Clean the Litter Box!
If you’re a cat parent, you know your litter box can sometimes get a little ripe. You can sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ baking soda on top of your litter to help absorb odors and extend the time between changes. Or try ARM & HAMMER™ cat litter deodorizer powder for the deodorizing power of baking soda plus a mild fresh scent.
Freshen Laundry
Give towels, bedding, and musty workout clothes a natural fresh scent by adding ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to the rinse cycle of your washing machine. In addition to helping get rid of the sour odor, baking soda helps soften stiff or crusty towels to keep them feeling fluffier and newer.
Baking Soda Cleaning Tips for the Bedrooms
Freshen Your Closet
Put a box of ARM & HAMMER™ Fresh-n-Natural Odor Absorber Baking Soda on a closet shelf or in a locker to freshen up stale odors. This box is spill-proof and has flow-through panels to help deodorize. Replace it once a month for best results.
The Many Uses of Baking Soda for Household Cleaning
ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda has more than 100 benefits and uses in your home. It’s the only product you can cook, clean, wash and brush with. Put baking soda in your bucket, on your sponge or carpet, and in your shoes, litter box or trash can to clean and refresh your entire home.
And a bonus: one box of baking soda costs a fraction of the price of one commercial cleanser. It really does have Countless Uses for Pennies a Day!
Learn more baking soda cleaning hacks from ARM & HAMMER™:
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Composting Tips & Tricks
Whether you’re new to home gardening or a seasoned expert, our collection of 50 composting tips will help. Enjoy!
1. Grass clippings add necessary nitrogen to a compost pile, but be sure to mix with the “brown” materials that add carbon. Both are necessary for quick decomposition and rich compost. Piles made up of just grass will compact, slow down and start to stink.
2. Do not compost fats, pet droppings or animal products. They will attract pests to the pile and can spread disease.
3. Newspaper or plain white paper from the computer is excellent for composting – just remember to shred it first to speed up the process (see Composting Paper).
4. Got compost? When finished it should look, feel and smell like rich, dark soil. You should not be able to recognize any of the items you put in there.
5. Worms love coffee grounds!
6. If adding ashes to your compost bin, do so sparingly. They are alkaline and affect the pH of the pile. In contrast, acidic materials include pine needles and oak leaves.
7. Plants that have been treated with pesticides and/or herbicides (weeds and lawn clippings) should be avoided. When in doubt, throw it out!
8. The microbes responsible for breaking down your compost pile need a balanced diet of nitrogen and carbon. Nitrogen comes from green materials such as food scraps, manure and grass clippings. Carbon comes from brown materials such as dead leaves, hay, wood chips and shredded newspaper. A ratio that contains equal portions by weight (not volume) of both works best.
9. Algae and seaweed make excellent additions to your compost pile. Be sure to rinse off any salts before using.
10. Composting bacteria work best under neutral to acidic conditions, with pH’s in the range of 5.5 to 8.
11. Finished compost is usually less than half the volume of the materials you started with, but it’s much denser.
12. The more you add to your pile at one time, the more it will heat up. In other words, one “super-sized” meal is better than several smaller snacks.
13. Keep your compost pile in a black plastic bin and in direct sunlight to continue the composting process through winter. Hay bales can be used to further insulate the pile.
14. Clean wooden pallets make excellent compost bins. Start with one pallet on the ground. Drive two metal stakes into each side. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for compost.
15. Straw is an excellent source of carbon for your compost pile. However, it may contain weed seeds, so make sure the pile is “cooking” properly.
16. The ideal temperature range for a worm bin is between 55-77°F. Relatively compact, they can be kept in a basement or insulated garage – even under the kitchen sink!
17. The perfect size for a compost pile is one that is at least 3′ x 3′ x 3′. It’s not only a manageable size to turn, but it’s ideal for retaining heat while still allowing air flow.
18. The more “green” materials you add to the pile the less water you’ll need.
19. Most kitchen waste, including vegetable peels, fruit rinds, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells, can be fed to worms. Meat and dairy products should not be used in a worm bin.
20. Compost decomposes fastest between 120-160˚F. Decomposition will occur at lower temperatures, but it takes much longer. Purchase a compost thermometer to measure the core temperature of your bin or pile.
21. Purchase a kitchen compost pail and there’s no need to run out to the pile after each meal – just lift the lid and toss-in table scraps. They’re fitted with activated carbon filters to eliminate odors and look great too!
22. Maintaining a carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio somewhere around 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen is ideal for quality composting.
23. Many nitrogen-rich materials, like grass clippings, lack structural strength and collapse during decomposition. Mix in hedge trimmings, shredded newspaper and other fibrous materials to improve air circulation.
24. Don’t throw away your kitchen waste in the winter – try an indoor composter.
25. Compost piles should remain damp but not wet. As you build your compost pile, make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. The surface should also remain damp (think of a wrung out sponge), especially during the summer months.
26. Redworms do best if the pH is around 7.0, but can tolerate levels from 4.2 to 8.0 or higher.
27. Does your compost pile smell? It’s probably due to a large number of anaerobic microbes, which are working hard to break down your compost, but creating a smelly situation in the process. To cut down on the anaerobic process, aerate your pile regularly, creating air spaces and limiting the anaerobic microbes while stimulating the less stinky aerobic microbes.
28. Meat and fish can be composted, but your bin must be animal proof and it will attract flies. In most cases, these materials should be avoided.
29. Help start a new compost pile with aged manure, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, blood meal or compost starter. They are rich in nitrogen and help jump-start the microbes responsible for breaking down organic matter into compost.
30. A bin that is working well will produce temperatures of 140-170°F.
31. Anything that was living at one time is great for compost bins. Think of leaves, vegetables and grass clippings.
32. Compost piles can either be layered – thin layers of alternating greens and browns, or they can all be thrown in together and mixed well. Either way works!
33. Woody stalks and corn cobs from the garden have a tendency to decompose slowly. Smash them with a hammer or rock to make it easier for the microorganisms in your pile to break them down.
34. No problem. Worms can be left for a couple weeks, just feed them a little more before you go. If you will be gone for more than 3-weeks, it’s probably a good idea to get a worm-sitter.
35. For faster results, use a compost turner every two weeks to aerate your pile.
36. Soak finished compost in water to “brew” compost tea, a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering your flowers, herb, vegetables and practically anything else that grows.
37. Apply finished compost to your garden about 2-4 weeks before you plant, giving the compost time to integrate and stabilize within the soil.
38. The main reason a 30:1 C:N ratio is recommend in your pile is for odor and pest control. While a 20:1 or even a 10:1 ratio will provide faster decomposition – odors and pest problems will become a real issue.
39. The best worm to use in a home vermicomposting system is by far the Red Wiggler (Eisenia foetida). In its natural habitat, it consumes large amount of leaves, manure and many other decaying materials. It also produces copious amounts of castings (worm poo), an excellent addition to any garden.
40. Add too many “browns” to the mix and your pile will take years to break-down. Add too many “greens” and it will turn into a smelly heap.
41. Exposed piles and bins can become water logged in rainy weather and dried out in hot climates. An enclosed tumbler or covered bin will protect the contents and help with moisture control.
42. Chop yard and garden waste into smaller pieces (a lawn mower works great!) to speed the decomposition process.
43. Finished compost can be used to build soil anytime of year without fear of burning plants or polluting water. In the garden, there is no such thing as too much compost.
44. Worms can be used to convert pet poop into castings, a nutrient-rich soil amendment, and because they eat the odor producing bacteria, there is very little smell. Castings from pet waste should not be used in vegetable gardens.
45. Lawn clippings and food scraps are about 80% water and need to be mixed with straw, woody waste or cardboard to keep your pile from becoming a slimy mess.
46. A good potting mix recipe contains equal parts of compost, sand or perlite and garden topsoil. Compost is often too heavy to be used alone in containers.
47. Low C:N ratios (excess nitrogen) can be raised by adding “brown” materials, such as peanut shells, sawdust or shredded cardboard.
48. Grab a handful of compost from the center of your pile and squeeze. If you get a few drops of water, that’s perfect.
49. An easy way to use compost is to mulch with it. Apply it in a thick layer around plants and worms will help mix it with the soil below.
50. Relax! Even if you do everything wrong, you will eventually make great compost.
From https://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/tips/
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Is Dog Poop Compostable?
by Cara @ Doggy Do Good
The short answer is yes, dog waste is compostable, but there are necessary precautions you must take first to make sure you’re composting the waste properly.
Recently we published a dog blog on reasons why you should pick up your dog’s poop. And the reasons are many. When dog waste is not cleaned up properly it will pollute the ground and surface water, attract flies/pests, create an unsanitary environment for dogs and other animals, which can transmit parasites and other infectious diseases back to humans.
The EPA estimates that the average dog creates about ⅓ of a pound of waste per day – or about 275 pounds per year! Composting your dog’s waste is an inexpensive method for disposing of this waste and it can enhance the environment as well as reduce the amount of waste being added into landfills.
There is a huge misconception that dog waste is not compostable. It very much is – it’s just NOT safe to use in compost that will be used for consumable vegetation. Parasites and bacteria can live in dog waste including E. coli and salmonell along with several types of worms like ringworm and tapeworm. They can live in the soil for years so it’s best to keep your dogs waste away from your gardens or from where your animals can get to it. According to the EPA dog waste is a safe soil additive for revegetation and landscaping when it is composted properly.
You might be wondering, what is composting anyway?
Composting is the controlled breakdown or degradation of organic material into a product known as humus. Composting dog waste is a natural process that requires water, organic matter, air, microbes, and a little human intervention.
BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING DOG WASTE
Each year, tons of pet waste is thrown into trash cans and ends up in sanitary landfills, by composting we can reduce the amount of waste in landfills.
According to the EPA composting can reduce the volume of dog waste by 50 percent.
When you compost dog poop it becomes a nutrient that will improve your yard and trees. If the soil in your yard is lacking organic matter no store-bought fertilizer will get you the results you are looking for in your lawn. However, when you produce good compost you can create a quality soil additive that will improve the condition and fertility in your soil.
If you compost the dog poop correctly you can actually destroy the harmful pathogens that are found in dog waste.
Composting lessens the chances that dog poop will pollute groundwater and streams.
This compost can be used as mulch material and can be a good source of plant nutrients for your potted plants and garden. But, remember it should not be used on plants you intended to consume.
HOW TO START COMPOSTING DOG WASTE
When you begin composting you will need some nitrogen-rich materials and some carbon-rich materials. Nitrogen materials are your “wet” materials, dog waste, green grass clippings and vegetable waste work best. Carbon materials that can be used are things like sawdust, straw or hay, and shredded newspaper.
You will also need two bins, one to contain the composting materials and one to actively compost in, a shovel to turn the compost, a long-stemmed thermometer, and a water supply. Water from a garden hose is okay however, you may want to let the water sit in the sun to get warm before adding it to compost. Cold water will lower the temperature of the compost and we want it to stay warm.
- Drill holes in the side of your trash bin that will hold the compost. Put the bin in a sunny, dry area.
- As you add dog pop to the bin, cover it with a shovel full of carbon materials. For every two shovels full of dog waste, add at least one shovel full of sawdust or other carbon material. Mix thoroughly after every time you add.
- Every few days you can add a shovel full of old compost on to the pile to speed up digestion. If you are just beginning then you can use soil from your garden.
- Make sure to keep the pile moist! You should add water in small amounts so they compost has the texture of a wet sponge.
- When your bin is full you should cover it so the microbes can get to work.
- Now you can start taking the temperature of the compost. When the temperature starts to decline, usually after about two weeks, you should turn the pile.
- Cure your finished compost for several months before using it.
This fact sheet from the US department of agriculture gives super helpful advice and professional tips for composting dog waste.
COMPOSTING WITH DOGGY DO GOOD
As you know, our Doggy Do Good® premium pet waste bags are 38% vegetable-based and a great alternative to regular polyethylene plastic bags, which are not compostable and take decades to break down. So feel free to use our bags in your home compost because they are made in part from corn starch (an annually renewable resource) and other bio-based proprietary components. When composted properly, our poop bags are safer for the environment and will break down completely.
So if you choose to compost, and use a poop bag when you are out for a walk, or cleaning up your yard – be sure that poop bag is Certified Home Compostable. That’s the Doggy Do Good® Difference!