Why Baking Soda and Vinegar Are Great Cleaning Agents?
Baking soda is a naturally occurring mild alkali (base) that helps dirt and grease dissolve in water. The powder acts as a gentle abrasive to help loosen stuck-on grime without damaging surfaces. It also deodorizes by transforming both acidic and basic odor molecules into a more neutral, odor-free state.3
Vinegar (acid) is produced through the fermentation of fruits and vegetables. Distilled white vinegar is a five percent solution of acetic acid that is mild enough to dissolve greasy molecules without harming most finishes (do not use on natural stone).
Clean Dirty Oven Racks
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Remove Hard Water Stains From Glass
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If you live in an area with water that has a high mineral content or “hard water”, you may find shower doors and even windows coated with stains from the minerals left behind from water after it dries. The acid in distilled white vinegar helps dissolve the minerals so they can be wiped away. For excessive build-up, use some baking soda on your scrubbing sponge to create the reaction you need to help lift the minerals away from the glass and add some gentle abrasion to scrub them away.
Deodorize the Toilet
Even the cleanest toilet can benefit from this hack. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl, then top it off with a 1 cup of vinegar. (Some people try this with a half cup of each product.) Close the toilet lid and let the bubbly mixture sit for about 30 minutes. Then use a toilet brush to scrub it clean.
How To Clean Your Oven With Baking Soda And Vinegar
Instructions
- Empty the oven: Remove your oven racks, pizza stone, oven thermometer, and anything else you have inside the oven. Set aside.
- Make a baking soda paste: In a small bowl, mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste. For me this took about 3 tablespoons of water to get the desired spreadable consistency.
- Coat your oven: Spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. I used gloves for this portion, as my oven was pretty grimy. It helped me really get in there and coat the dirtiest nooks and crannies without having to worry about all that grime under my nails. The baking soda will turn a brownish color as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others, which is fine. Just try to coat the whole oven to the best of your abilities, paying extra attention to any particularly greasy areas.
- Spray a little vinegar: Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.
- Do a final wipe-down: Take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy vinegar-baking soda mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar as needed while wiping to really get the oven clean and shiny.