10 different uses for baking soda and vinegar together

Vinegar is such a universal liquid! You can use it for cleaning a variety of items around your home and out. Did you know that you can mix vinegar with baking soda for a variety of other amazing uses? We have put together 10 of the most popular uses for baking soda and vinegar together that I thought would be perfect to go with our house cleaning tips and tricks.

I think some of them will surprise you!

10 uses for baking soda and vinegar

Credit: couponcloset.net

1. Unclog Your Drains

This is probably one of the more popular ways to use baking soda and vinegar. To uses these two as a drain cleaner follow these easy steps:

• Flush drain with HOT water (may even want to boil some water and pour it down the drain).
• Add about 1/2 cup baking soda to your drain.
• Pour a mixture of 1 cup HOT water and 1 cup vinegar down the drain. You will notice a lot of bubbles at first.
• After the bubbles subside, run HOT water from the tap down the drain for a couple of minutes. This might not work on every clog, but it does a pretty good job for gunk and grime build up.

2. Clean Pans

If you have pans with baked on burnt gunk, you can use vinegar and baking soda to help get it off. Just fill the pan with a small layer of water and add about a cup of vinegar. Bring the pan the a simmer, then remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and let the pan sit until most of the bubbles are gone. Use a scouring pad to remove all of the burnt stains from the pan. You will be amazed at how well this works!

3. Clean Your Washing Machine

If your washing machine has a nice little ring around it (or worse), it might be time to clean it. Cleaning your washing machine is VERY easy with baking soda and vinegar. Fill your machine up to full with HOT water. Add about 1 cup of baking soda and let the machine run (don’t put any clothes or anything in). When the machine gets to the rinse cycle, use vinegar in place of liquid fabric softener. Again, let the machine finish running. When the load is finished you will have a nice, clean washing machine. If you are left with a couple of dirty spots, you can use your cleaning toothbrush with a little baking soda.

4. Freshen Up Towels

Do you have towels that have lost their clean and fresh smell? One of my favorite ways to use baking soda and vinegar is to freshen up towels. Simply add about 1/2 cup baking soda in place of your regular laundry detergent. Then add vinegar in place of fabric softener during the rinse cycle. Dry normally and you will notice your towels have a brand new freshness.

5. Clean Your Grout

If you have grout that you know needs to be cleaned and you don’t want to pay a a professional cleaning service to get it looking like new, try this vinegar and baking soda combo. Sprinkle baking soda in the grout, then spray vinegar over baking soda. Allow the vinegar to react to the baking soda before cleaning the grout – I like to use a cheap toothbrush to scrub the grout (doesn’t take much work) and then a rag to wipe up the dirt. Dip the toothbrush in a cup of water to rinse in between scrubbing. Give the kids toothbrushes, too. They’ll love watching the baking soda and vinegar reaction.

6. Get Stains off Your Iron

If you have an iron that has seen better days, try cleaning it with baking soda and vinegar. Make a paste with baking soda and water. Rub the paste all over the iron, being careful of the holes. While the paste sits on the plate of the iron, make a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar. Add this to your water trough on your iron. Take a wet rag and wipe down the front of your iron. You can use your cleaning toothbrush if you have some trouble areas. Once that is clean, run the steam through your iron (I would do this on an old towel), until all of the vinegar/water solution is gone. Fill the water trough with only water and run through one more steam to make sure you get out any left over vinegar. You iron is now clean inside and out.

7. Dishwasher Cleaner

Fill a large measuring cup with 2 cups vinegar and let it sit on the top rack of your dishwasher. Run a complete dishwashing cycle (using hot water). Sprinkle baking soda throughout the bottom of the dishwasher and run the dishwasher again. Your dishwasher should look nice and clean. If you happen to be left with any stubborn spots, you can put some baking soda on a toothbrush and do a little scrubbing. This should do the trick easily.

8. Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I have never tried this before, but I have read that you can use baking soda and vinegar to clean your toilet bowl. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup baking soda into the toilet, the pour about 1/2 cup vinegar over the baking soda. Let the bubbles do their thing for about 10 minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush. You should be left with a clean and deodorized toilet.

9. Deodorize the Outside of Your Toilet

If you have little boys, the surrounding outside areas of your toilet have seen better days. It seems like I am constantly cleaning the toilet in my boys’ bathroom – inside AND out. Another one of my favorite ways to use baking soda and vinegar in the deodorize the outside of the toilets. I just make a paste with baking soda and water and rub it around the sides and base of the toilet, including the tile surrounding the toilet. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes and then spray vinegar over the top. Once the bubbles have done their thing, wipe everything up with a clean wet rag. It will be like having a boy-free toilet (for a little while anyway).

10 .Wash Your Hair

What? Ok, I agree this is a less then conventional approach, but their is something called the “no-poo method” in which people wash their hair with baking soda and then condition it with vinegar (or apple cider vinegar). I have not personally tried this, but my curiosity is definitely peaked. Here is what you need to do you try this:

• Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 1 cup water – this is your “shampoo”. Apply to your roots and wash. Then rinse really well.
• Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) per 1 cup of water. Apply to middle and ends of hair (avoiding roots).
• Supposedly, after a week or so of using this method you will have beautiful, clean hair (and will have to wash your hair less).

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