25 inspired ways to use bicarbonate of soda in your home

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Professional cleaning teams make it all look so easy. We're talking about getting a gleaming home, of course, but if you don't have the budget to hire the pros, you might like to know how you can get the same results, using a store cupboard staple and we've got all the tips you need, right here! 

From kitchens that are clean as a whistle, through to good-as-new washing machines, bicarbonate of soda is about to become your new best friend, especially if you have a family home with a huge variety of surfaces to keep clean. After all, sticky fingers seem to get EVERYWHERE!

1. To clean stubborn dishes.

Make a paste of bicarb and warm water, smear all over those pots an pans that have stubborn residue in them and leave for a couple of hours. We promise that you'll be pleasantly shocked by how easily you can wipe away any and all grime after that!

2. To eradicate refrigerator smells.

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How annoying is it when you have something in the fridge that radiates a nasty niff? They can be so hard to remove as well, but bicarb will help. You can use it with your detergent, when wiping the shelves, but you can also leave half a cup of bicarb in an open container, inside the fridge, so as to absorb the terrible pongs.

3. To clean the microwave.

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Dip a damp cloth into fresh bicarb and it will make for a perfect microwave detergent. You can also add a little lemon juice, if there are any odd smells that need to be tackled.

4. To disinfect wooden cutting boards.

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Take a fresh lemon and cut it in half. Rub one exposed edge all over your wooden cutting boards, adding a little rock salt, if you need extra oomph and cleaning power. Finish up by sprinkling bicarb liberally and leaving the boards to air dry. They'll be clean, hygienic and fresh-smelling too.

5. As a gentle bathroom detergent.

Bathroom cleaning products can be a little harsh and suite items are more delicate than you think. Instead of reaching for the bleach, why not use bicarb on a damp cloth? It will remove any and all grime and not leave any damage.

6. As an overnight bowl whitener.

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This tip is so simple! Throw a cup of bicarb into your toilet bowl, along with some white vinegar and leave it overnight. The next morning, it will be gleaming and fresh!

7. To buff hardware.

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Rub bicarb all over your metal hardware and buff off with a soft cloth for an incredible sparkling finish with no greasy residue at all.

8. To freshen up grout.

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If you have white grout, you can mix bicarb with either white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or fresh lemon juice, to make a paste that can be used to scrub dirty grout back to white. It's a good idea to use an old toothbrush to apply it, as you can be more precise.

9. For cleaning the floors.

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If you have wooden flooring, you can fill a bucket with warm water, add a cup of bicarb and mop away to a gleaming and chemical-free shine!

10. For removing pen marks.

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The bane of every parent's life is washing pen marks off the walls, but bicarb makes it so easy! A simple solution of warm water and bicarb, applied with a soft cloth, will wipe away pen marks and leave paint or wallpaper in tact.

11. For a new mattress smell.

Keeping your mattress fresh is vital and all it takes is a sprinkle of bicarb, a few drops of essential oil and some time! Sprinkle a good dusting on your mattress first thing in the morning, along with some of your favorite essential oil, leave as long as you can and then simply vacuum everything up! Any nasty niffs will disappear into the bag.

12. To clean fabrics and upholstery.

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Combine a liter of water, half a glass of white vinegar, a little alcohol and a tablespoon each of fabric conditioner and bicarb. Decant into a squirty bottle and use as you would a store-bought fabric freshener!

13. To dry clean toys.

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Fabric toys get smelly and sticky very quickly but an easy way to tackle that is to sprinkle bicarb all over them, leave for a few minutes and then dry brush the excess off. So simple!

14. To tackle damp.

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Anywhere that could develop a damp issue, such as wardrobes and cabinets, need an open container of bicarb in them, to dry up the moisture. You'll be able to leave a small jar in place for up to three months, so this is a budget-friendly option!

15. To de-funk footwear.

Feet smell. There, we said it. You can tackle pongy shoes by sprinkling a liberal amount of bicarb into every pair in the household, leaving overnight and simply tapping out the excess the next morning. For stubborn smells, add a little essential oil too. We recommend peppermint or eucalyptus!

16. To eradicate grease spots.

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Greasy spots on the sofa are such a pain, but a simple solution of bicarb and rubbing alcohol, gently brushed on, will sort them in a jiffy. This is also a great tip for carpets too.

17. To deodorize carpets.

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You can use the same method as the mattress freshening in order to keep your carpets and rugs smelling great. Just sprinkle bicarb, leave for a while and then vacuum up!

18. To zing up washing powder.

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If you have stubborn stains to tackle, add a cup of bicarb to your detergent and they will simply disappear! Add it to the drawer, the way you would any suds and enjoy the results.

19. To pre-wash cottons.

Cotton items, such as socks and tea towels, can be thrown into a sink of warm water with some bicarb and a spoon of alcohol, before going in the washing machine. Heavy stains will just evaporate.

20. To remove mildew smells.

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Washing machines often start to smell a little foisty, but if you run a hot wash cycle with your normal detergent and a cup or two of bicarb in the drawer, you'll love how fresh yours smells again!

21. To keep your towels soft.

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It's not recommended that you add fabric conditioner to the wash when you are doing towels, but bicarb will work wonderfully well. It'll keep your bathroom towels soft and smelling great, without taking away any absorbency.

22. To mop up garage spills.

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Say no to oil spills on the garage floor by sprinkling them with bicarb and wiping with a damp sponge. So easy, yet effective and it could prevent an accident.

23. As a chef's best friend.

Certain ingredients leave hard to eradicate smells on your hands, such as garlic and onions, but a bicarb hand rinse will blitz those odours right away and leave your hands smooth too!

24. To relieve insect bites.

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How amazing is it that a little bicarb, mixed with water and applied to insect bits, will stop the itching and irritation that they cause? This is a tip that you definitely need to have in your wheelhouse for summer!

25. To prolong your floral displays.

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A teaspoon of bicarb in your vase water will make your fresh flowers live far longer and keep them looking perky. What a great way to keep your flower budget under control!

For more home management tips, take a look at this Ideabook: Daily kitchen cleaning tasks that will make your life easier.

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