5. Clean Coffee and Tea Stains

If you are a coffee or tea drinker, then you know how stubborn those stains can be. Coffee and tea can make your cups looks old, and your pots look dirty. This is especially bad if you want to have others over for coffee or tea! Not only does it look bad, but it can actually taste bad, too.

The problem is that these stains don’t just soak away in soap and water. And once you get them gone, they come back almost immediately. Although commercial cleaners are available, they are harsh and can cause problems for you and the environment.

Thankfully, baking soda can get rid or the stains and the awful bitterness these stains produce. Baking soda is non-toxic, so you won’t have to worry about ingesting chemicals that are bad for you.

1. Mix ¼ cup baking soda with 1 quart water
2. Soak cups in this mixture for at least 30 minutes. Tough stains should be soaked overnight.
3. Rinse.

If the stains did not disappear, try adding some vinegar to the soak.

6. Cleaning the Bathtub and Shower

Cleaning the tub is a never ending process. It becomes stained by dirt and grime, as well as the products you use to clean your body and hair. Many of these products leave a residue that looks dirty and discolored. Baking soda can get rid of the dirt, stains, mildew, and product build up.

1. Get the tub wet
2. Sprinkle on baking soda. When the soda hits the water on the surface, it will create a paste.
3. Scrub the tub with a stiff scrub brush.
4. If the stains are tough, mix the baking soda with vinegar and spray onto tough stain.
5. Allow mixture to bubble.
6. Wait 15 minutes.
7. Wipe down with a sponge
8. Rinse with warm water

The good thing about using the vinegar is that it also helps kill bacteria that may be lingering in your tub.

7. Cleaning the Dishwasher

Did you know that to be effective, your dishwasher needs to be cleaned? Many people assume that it is cleaned while cleaning the dishes, but the truth is that it needs its own cleaning process. If you don’t clean your dishwasher, your plates and glasses will come out still looking dirty or covered in streaks.

Some people find they have to run the dishwasher several times to get a load clean – what an added expense! Others try using products meant to clean the dishwasher but get concerned when they read the package. Do you really want to put something into your dishwasher that you shouldn’t swallow?

Once again, baking soda can come to the rescue. If you use baking soda to clean your dishwasher, you’ll notice that your dishes will look great and everything will smell better, too.

1. Pour a cup of baking soda into the dishwasher.
2. Run a full hot water cycle.
3. Use normally.

If you need a more powerful clean, try adding vinegar.

1. Pour ½ cup vinegar into a dishwasher safe bowl.
2. Put the vinegar on the top shelf of the dishwasher.
3. Pour a cup of baking soda into the dishwasher
4. Run a full hot water cycle
5. Use normally

8. Cleaning Patio Furniture

Storing patio furniture at the end of the season can often cause your cushions to look old, dingy, streaked, or left with spots of mildew. Products that are meant to clean the cushions don’t always do a good job because they are too harsh. This leaves your cushions with cracks or discoloration.

For Storage:

1. Sprinkle baking soda under the chair cushions
2. This will keep the cushions smelling fresh

Wipe Down Furniture:

1. Create a baking soda paste with water.
2. Wipe down furniture with a sponge.
3. Rinse with water

This works especially well for white, plastic furniture.

For Mildew Spots:

1. Create a baking soda, vinegar spray.
2. Spray onto mildew spots.
3. Let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Scrub away with a sponge.

BONUS: Your outdoor grill can be “degreased” using a baking soda and water paste. So, while getting your patio in order, remove the grease from your grill as well!

9. Make Your Garbage Disposal Fresh

The same things that make your refrigerator smell can also make your garbage disposal smell. And if you happen to accidentally leave something in the disposal overnight or not thoroughly dispose of the food in the drain, the smell can get pretty disgusting. Baking soda can help! It will help loosen up the grime in the drain so that it can be rinsed away.

1. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the garbage disposal (This can be done on sink drains that have bad odors as well.
2. Pour ½ cup vinegar into the garbage disposal.
3. Cover the disposal or drain with a plug.
4. Wait 15 minutes.
5. Pour boiling water into the drain
6. You can finish up by adding a lemon or lemon juice to the garbage disposal and then run like normal.

NOTE: Only use this method if you have metal pipes. Otherwise, this could damage the pipes.

10. Clean Pots and Pans

When you first buy pots and pans, they are so shiny. But after a few uses, you’ll begin to notice baked-on residue that is difficult to remove. Even soaking them in hot water and soap doesn’t do the trick. It is even worse if something gets burned onto the pan, like a sauce or meat drippings. You may be able to soak the worst off, but the stain remains.

Once again, baking soda is the answer. It will loosen the baked-on residue. Then adding some vinegar will pull it off the pot’s surface.

1. Shake some baking soda across the inside of your pot
2. Add boiling water
3. Add some dish detergent
4. Let soak for 15 minutes.
5. Wash pot normally.

If you’d like to add vinegar, add it instead of the hot water and detergent. The chemical reaction is fun to watch and works wonders on baked on grime.

It is important to have baking soda as part of your cleaning arsenal. It can get rid of stains, dislodge caked on, baked on grime, remove residue, brighten and whiten, and do all of this without harsh chemicals. Adding vinegar to the mix can make almost any cleaning problem disappear. So, leave the toxic chemicals in the store and use the economic and eco-friendly alternative of baking soda.