I recently overcooked some quinoa, severely burning the bottom of the pot. Hoping to salvage it, I tried this baking soda and vinegar cleaning trick. It worked well enough (I may have to do it a couple more times to get it completely stain-free), but since I had the baking soda in my hands, I sprinkled some on my stainless steel sink. Holy Moses, it worked wonders.
Bonus: the stuff is cheap and safe for the environment. I didn't even know how dirty the sink was until I saw the "after." Now I'm obsessed. Here, more cleaning tricks to try with baking soda (with a little help from our friends at Care2):
1. Surface Cleaner:
Sprinkle some on a damp sponge and scrub bathtubs, tile, sinks, counters, even microwaves, then rinse.
2. Dish Soap:
Add 2 tablespoons of it to your dishwater (along with some dish soap) to soak tough-to-remove food off dishes, pots, and pans. Use it to scrub when washing, too.
3. Sponge Freshener:
Soak stinky sponges in 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water.
4. Silverware Polisher:
Add 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water and rub onto silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse well and dry.
5. Coffee and Tea Stain Remover:
Wash mugs and coffee makers in a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Soak overnight with detergent for stubborn stains.
6. Oven Cleaner:
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of your oven, spray with water, then let it sit overnight. Next day, scrub the grime away.
7. Shower Curtain Cleaner:
Sprinkle some on a cleaning brush and scrub your shower curtain liner, then rinse clean.
For 43 more uses for baking soda, visit Care2.com.
(Photo: Theresa Gonzalez)
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Whenever I burn something in a pot, I dump in some baking soda and some water, and simmer the whole thing for a while. Usually the burned on stuff comes straight off and leaves the pot cleaner than it started out.
I use it to clean my dog's food and water bowls. He's a slobbery, slimy-drooled creature and his water bowl at the end of the day is just a notch below gelatin. I scour it out with a bit of baking soda on a paper towel and it cuts right through the goo and rinses away cleanly. Dish soap doesn't even begin to touch it. I buy the big 2# boxes. Also great for scouring soap scum from the tub!
I also use a solution of baking soda and water to remove any sticky labels on bottles and jars. Does the trick and costs less than goo be gone.
I mix 1 tbsp baking soda per cup of water, put it in a squeeze bottle, and use it for shampoo. Similarly, I make a rinse with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar in a cup of water. Works wonders on my wavy hair - I haven't used actual shampoo or conditioner in over 3 years. AND I can clean the shower with it when the mood strikes! Seriously, at what point in fairly recent history did we get so brainwashed into thinking we needed all these products...?
I wonder if it works on hard water build up too? Or if adding it to the dishwasher will help with hard water stains? I live in Arizona, and this stuff is serious!
I'll have to try Dulcibella's tip next time I have some burnt-on residue from making popcorn. I always have a few bad boys at the bottom of the pan making trouble, and the residue seems IMPOSSIBLE to get out, unless I literally scrape it away with the edge of a fork or knife. (Even Brillo pads, etc., don't do the trick.)
It also cleans your freaking teeth. TEETH! When I was 10, I discovered all of this about baking soda :Clean your house, clean yourself, put some in cookies, safe for all, and I was like...it's left over manna!!!!!
I'm not surprised that vinegar and baking soda didn't clean your pot. High school chemistry class refresher: Acid (vinegar) + Base (baking soda) = initially violent chemical reactions wherein the molecules separate, leaving a by-product of... salt water. Use one, or the other for amazing results-- but unless you're using it to flush a slightly clogged drain, you're wasting both products.
Careful, I think it's supposed to be too abrasive to use on teeth. But I'm definitely going to try it in the shower/tub.
def going to try it on the dog bowls!
my friend and i made some homemade bath bombs; they are mostly baking soda, citric acid and essential/perfume oils. i found that the scum came right off of the tub after i dropped a few of these in! makes a bath more special and cleaning it the tub easier!
You can also use baking soda to clean silver and silver plated items, and it's better, faster, easier and way less stinky than using traditional silver polish.
You need aluminum foil, baking soda and boiling water.
Line a large, deep pyrex dish with slightly crumpled aluminum foil. Liberally sprinkle baking soda on. Pour boiling water in until you have a depth you can submerge your silver items in, making sure they touch the foil.The tarnish will float off the silver and attach to the foil.
If it's not working, add more baking soda. After a while you'll have to pour it all out and start over with new foil and new baking soda, if you have a lot of items to clean or they're heavily tarnished.
Afterwards, rinse well in hot water and dry with paper towels.
OK this might seem weird. At the end of the day, I mix a little baking soda with water to make a paste then rub it on.to my face. The attend to other ... um ... bathroom issues. Then rinse the paste off, dry and moisturize. I've experimented with expensive cleaners and creams but this is better!
a bit of vinegar and a bit more baking soda work great on a glass top stove! just scrub everything around a bit with the soft side of a regular kitchen sponge. works better than the store bought stuff.
I look around above your blog. It has something very useful or beneficial for me thanks for sharing your informative blog and I generally wash burns pot and pans to remove burn stains by using warm water add 2 tbps dishwasher liquid to remove oily food off and then scrub it nicely if the burn stains left then using 4 tbsp baking soda directly scrub on the pot or pans to remove burn stain after wash it with clean water...
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