It is one of the most versatile products.
An essential to have in your closet if you are going “do it yourself”.
Baking soda, a natural product (based on limestone and salt) has been used since Antiquity.
His advantages ?
It is quickly biodegradable and its price is ridiculous: from 1.95 euros to 4.45 euros at Carrefour for the 500 g package, depending on the brand.
In particular, it can replace many household products, composed of chemical elements, harmful to your health and the environment.
It is even recommended by Ademe for cleaning in an ecological way!
“It’s a key element in many recipes,” explains Caroline Vivant, co-founder of the site Lekaba.fr, a guide to responsible consumption which gives advice and recommends products for a greener daily life.
“We use it, for example, to do our own laundry, with Marseille soap flakes and soda crystals,” she recalls.
Those who have started making their own dishwasher tablets also have them in stock.
This is the basic ingredient to which you must mix soda crystals, coarse salt and citric acid.
Ideal for cleaning washing machines and dishwashers
But it can also be used alone.
Rather than using dedicated products, often with chemical components that end up in wastewater and not always cheap, consider baking soda to clean your washing machine!
“Just pour a glass into the drum and run the machine on a cycle at 90°C.
You will see all the dirt that will come off.
Likewise, you can pour some inside the rubber seals that surround the drum and scrub with a toothbrush.
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Same approach with your dishwasher.
In the kitchen, if you have pots or pans that have food stuck to them, baking soda will help you clean them.
“Sprinkle it on the bottom, cover with a little water and boil for a few minutes.
Everything will come loose,” she assures.
You can also use it to clean your toilet by scrubbing with the broom.
And to unblock them?
" We can.
But when it's really problematic, it's better to take citric acid.
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Read alsoWhite vinegar will replace your household products or your conditioner
Its properties also make it a perfect deodorizer.
“I use it for sneakers, for example.
We put some inside the shoe, and let it sit overnight or for a whole weekend.
And the odors will have almost disappeared.
It also works for trash cans – line the bottom with it – or for compost: just sprinkle a little on top to limit unpleasant odors, especially in summer.
» And if your pipes — in the shower or bathtub — give off bad odors, especially when you come back from vacation, you can put some around the drain.
A good way to scare away ants
Another possible use, in gardening.
“Mixed with water, it is very useful as a weedkiller,” she says.
Simply mix 60 g in a liter of boiling water, and that's it.
You can spray driveways and paving stones with it.
However, be careful not to add too much as this could disrupt the pH of the soil.
“Baking soda is also very effective in vases to keep cut flowers longer,” she advises.
It’s also a good way to scare away ants if you have an infestation at home: “Just put some in the door grooves and it will deter them from coming in.”
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But this ingredient is not only used to maintain your home.
It is used in cooking recipes, replacing baking powder for example.
To do this, make sure to buy food-grade baking soda instead.
You can also use this to make your own homemade deodorant.
Purchased in a pharmacy, it can also have a medical use - to be discussed beforehand with a health professional - to relieve stomach aches linked to digestion problems or even for oral hygiene.
So unmissable!
Five uses
To unclog your washing machine, pour a glass of baking soda and run a cycle at 90°C.
To loosen food stuck to the bottom of a pan, add some to the bottom, cover with water and boil for a few minutes.
As a deodorizer, sprinkle it in sneakers or at the bottom of trash cans.
As a weedkiller, put 60g in boiling water in a sprayer
If you have an ant infestation at home, put some in doorways.
This will prevent them from entering.