The Magical Duo of Baking Soda & Vinegar
You may recall seeing that orange box of baking soda in your kitchen cabinet for years as a kid and wondering what it was used for aside from your grandmother’s famous holiday scones. Similarly, you may have seen bottles of apple cider or white vinegar lying around and asked yourself why mom keeps them in the house.
Baking soda and vinegar each have their own use cases. But did you realize how much you can achieve around the house by using them together? Read on to learn more about what makes this magical duo such an excellent cleaning combination, plus why you need baking soda and vinegar for your kiddo’s next science project.
What Happens When You Mix Baking Soda and Vinegar?
Mixing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) causes a chemical reaction leading to a fizzy, bubbly substance. Those bubbles come from the carbon dioxide gas that is a result of the reaction between baking soda and vinegar.
Baking soda is a base that can help loosen organic compounds, like grease and dirt, from surfaces. Vinegar, an acid, further breaks down minerals that form from hard tap water and also works to fight against rust and bacteria. White vinegar in particular does not have a coloring agent, so it will not stain any surfaces it is used on.
Why does this matter? Well, the properties of baking soda and vinegar and the resulting mixture when they are combined make for a substance that is especially effective in removing stains and deodorizing. It’s a mixture you can use to clean all over the house!
Do Baking Soda and Vinegar Cancel Each Other Out?
Baking soda and vinegar will only cancel each other out when you use equal ratios. However, any amount of baking soda will react with any amount of vinegar, and vice versa. So, it’s important to pay attention to the ratios you’re using.
The chemical reaction produced by the mixing of baking soda and vinegar always produces the fizzy carbon dioxide bubbles that help to loosen dirt and stains. For that reason, you likely only need a little bit of baking soda mixed with your vinegar when cleaning.
9 Ways You Can Use Baking Soda and Vinegar to Clean
When you think about your normal spring cleaning routine, your mind might first go to sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting. But did you know that baking soda and vinegar can give your kitchen and bathrooms an extra sparkle? Or get rid of tough stains that have changed the look of your carpets?
Here are some ways you can use ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and vinegar to clean around the house:
1. Clean Drains & Disposals
Think of all the foods and liquids you’ve dumped down the kitchen sink drain over time. Whether it’s small bits from dinner or spoiled milk, that buildup can cause some smelly odors and clogging. The same can be said of all the hair, soap, and toothpaste residue that builds up in bathroom sinks.
When it comes to cleaning drains with baking soda and vinegar, they can be your go-to solution. If you smell funky odors coming from your sink or find yourself needing to unclog the drain, these household items are here to help. Baking soda and vinegar work to loosen debris and minerals that may be causing the buildup whenever you dump food and liquid or run tap water, ensuring smooth draining and eliminating odors.
Using hot water, ½ cup ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda, and 1 cup white vinegar, you can clear and deodorize clogged drains in no time!
Is it Safe to Put Baking Soda and Vinegar Down the Drain?
Yes, it is safe to put baking soda and vinegar down the drain, and you can leave a mixture of the two in the drain overnight because of little to zero toxicity.
Baking soda and vinegar are safe for septic systems. That means you can use them to clean drains and disposals without worrying about harming your septic system or clogging your pipes.
2. Clean the Dishwasher
Your dishwasher helps you clean all your plates, bowls, and other kitchen utensils in a jiffy. You’d be wise to repay it and make sure the dishwasher is clean so it can do its job that much more effectively!
You can use baking soda and vinegar to clean and deodorize your dishwasher in no time. Note that you’ll want to run two different cycles; the first with just vinegar and the second with just baking soda sprinkled on the bottom. And, when you’re done, you can also use baking soda and vinegar to clean the dishwasher filter.
Did bits of food residue splatter on the walls of the dishwasher during a cycle or has it begun to emit malodorous smells? Use baking soda and vinegar to help give the dishwasher a nice reset.
3. Clean the Washing Machine
Always relied on your washing machine to help clean your clothes but never thought about cleaning the washer itself? You need to take this into consideration, at least every now and then.
The washing machine works by swirling around water and detergent to help penetrate clothing fibers and remove stains and odors. But all that swirling and the splashing of soap and water helps contribute to soap scum and limescale buildup in the washer. If you have a dirty washing machine, you may find some of these deposits on your clothes. That’s not what you’re expecting when you run them through a wash cycle.
To clean your washing machine with baking soda and vinegar, follow these steps: Add ½ cup baking soda and 1 quart white vinegar to the top loader. For a front-loader, pour the vinegar into the detergent dispenser and baking soda to the softener dispenser. Then, run a hot-water cycle for a clean and deodorized washing machine that helps your clothes smell great!
4. Clean the Oven
Your oven is a useful tool for quickly baking treats and cakes or a perfectly tender and juicy cut of salmon. But you should be careful to keep an eye on the grates and side walls! Caked-on and baked-on food can also drip onto the oven floor. You can use baking soda and vinegar to remove these food drips—without any harsh chemicals or fumes—so you can get the oven sparkling again.
5. Clean Carpets & Rugs
Think of all the spills you’ve had on the carpet over the years, or the wet dog smell and general pet hairs that have permeated the fibers over time. You want to find a way to get rid of those stains and odors fast, right? After all, a nice carpet can be the centerpiece of any room. Here, too, baking soda and vinegar come to the rescue.
Cover especially tough stains with white vinegar, which is preferred especially because it is color-safe. Then, you’ll want to use the ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda Shaker to sprinkle dry baking soda onto the wet areas. Let the mixture sit overnight before vacuuming, and voilà! Your carpets and rugs should look almost as good as new.
6. Clean the Toilet Bowl
The toilet bowl can become home to hard-water stains and lime scale buildup with consistent usage. In the past, you may have purchased a toilet bowl cleaner for this rather grimy task. But if you have baking soda and vinegar in your home, then you already have all you need!
With just one cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar, you can get that toilet bowl looking shiny once again. The scrubbing process is easy because the baking soda and vinegar have done the hard work in loosening the residue clinging to the toilet bowl.
So don’t worry about adding the toilet bowl cleaner to your grocery list. Just grab your baking soda and vinegar before heading to the bathroom. This is the bathroom cleaning hack you’ve been looking for!
7. Clean the Shower Head (Plus Other Chrome Fixtures!)
While you’re in the bathroom, you might as well look to clean the shower head! Calcium buildup from hard water can cause your shower head to lose water pressure over time, so that hot morning shower you so thoroughly enjoy might not feel as great anymore. Don’t worry, it’s time to return to your magical cleaning duo.
Indeed, adding a mixture of 1/3 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar to a plastic bag and covering the shower head in that solution (make sure to secure the bag) can help clean the shower head and restore water pressure.
You should clean all your chrome fixtures with baking soda and vinegar! You can make a paste with equal parts water and vinegar, plus baking soda to create thickness. Apply this paste to those rusty sinks and handles to help bring back the shininess!
8. Clean Grout
Whether it’s hard-water deposits and soap scum splashing on shower walls or dirt on floor tiles, bathroom tile grout sees its share of gunk over time. Worried about the look of your bathroom? Are the tiles not presentable enough to your liking? Go grab the baking soda and vinegar!
First, make a paste with one cup of baking soda and ½ cup water. Then, apply the paste to a toothbrush and scrub it into dirty grout. Finally, pour white vinegar over the pasted areas and use the toothbrush to scrub away the grime. Make sure to rinse the toothbrush when you’re done.
The baking soda and vinegar combo helps loosen dirt particles and more from grout. You don’t have to worry about tireless scrubbing and putting in tons of effort for a minimal payoff.
9. Clean Grill Grates
Once you’ve cleaned inside, it’s time to take things outdoors. Baking soda and vinegar can help you clean your grill grates, which can be quite handy after you make large batches of hot dogs and burgers for a family cookout. Best of all, the baking soda and vinegar duo helps you clean your grill grates without removing them from the grill. There’s even a no-scrub method!
Use baking soda and vinegar to help get rid of that charred grease and burnt-on food so you can get back to grilling steaks and making kebobs!
Will Baking Soda and Vinegar Kill Mold?
Yes, baking soda and vinegar can help kill mold. The vinegar you use must have a 4.0%-4.2% acetic acid concentration or higher to help kill mold or mildew.
Note that baking soda and vinegar may be slow-acting in killing mold even if they work against different spores. You may still see some discoloration from the mold as the baking soda and vinegar work to kill it off.
The next time you see some mildew stains starting to emerge in the corner of your shower try ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and vinegar to get rid of them!
3 Dazzling Baking Soda & Vinegar Experiments for You & Your Kids to Try
Does your child have an upcoming science project and they’re not sure what to present? All you need is the baking soda and vinegar reaction to produce any number of fun and zany experiments, including:
- Build a Bottle Rocket: Maybe you or your kids have tried to make DIY bottle rockets with cola and mints in the past. Try baking soda and vinegar, instead!
- The Baking Soda Volcano: Does your child have a newfound fascination with volcanoes after learning about Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii? All it takes is some baking soda and vinegar to build a volcano of their own. Watch as the baking soda and vinegar reaction creates “lava” that oozes out of the volcano!
- Dancing Popcorn Kernels: You’ve seen popcorn kernels popping in the microwave, but did you know there’s a baking soda and vinegar experiment that can make those kernels float? The carbon dioxide bubbles produced during the baking soda and vinegar reaction lift the kernels. But they’re also light enough to fall back to the bottom once the bubbles pop at the surface.
These are but a few of the fun STEM activities you can try with your kid(s)!
Baking Soda and Vinegar: The Amazing Combination You Need in Your Home!
Whether you need to clean and deodorize various items throughout the house or help your child get an A+ at the fair, you need only head to the cabinet and grab the baking soda and vinegar. Don’t have any baking soda in the home? Grab some ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda.
You’ve likely seen the classic orange box. But ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda also comes in a shaker format that allows for easy sprinkling and dispensing, plus a resealable, water-resistant bag you can store almost anywhere. We’re America’s #1 trusted Baking Soda brand for a reason!
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and pair it with vinegar to discover all the wonderful cleaning and experimental powers this duo provides!
