You don’t have to spend a fortune on cleaning products. In fact, most of the things you need will already be in your kitchen cupboard. Cleaning experts such as Mrs Hinch will sometimes use food items like white vinegar or lemon to clean their homes. Baking soda is another example of an ingredient which can be used for recipes and chores. Express.co.uk reveals 10 household uses for baking soda.

Is baking powder the same as baking soda?

Baking powder and baking soda are different things.

Both are leavening agents that look exactly the same, but they are slightly different.

Baking soda needs an acid AND a liquid to activate and help baked goods rise, but baking powder only needs a liquid to become activated.

Baking powder, therefore, isn’t as strong as baking soda, if you were substituting baking powder for baking soda, you’d need to use three times more baking powder than baking soda.

On the other hand, baking soda and bicarbonate of soda are the same thing.

They are both formally known as NaHCO3 or sodium bicarbonate.

People in the UK and Australia tend to call it bicarbonate of soda but Americans usually say baking soda.

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Carpet and mattress

Baking soda is great for removing stains and bad odours, so it’s the perfect tool for cleaning mattresses and carpets.

Of course, you may want to do a deep clean which involves getting these surfaces wet and using a cleaner, but baking soda will freshen them up and get rid of nasty bacteria lurking in the material.

Smear a solution of baking soda and water on any stains and sprinkle the rest of the tub all over the mattress or carpet.

Leave it to sit overnight or for as long as possible and then hoover up the remains or wipe away the pasty solution with a damp cloth.

You can clean the inside of shoes in the same way.

Plug holes or drains

If your drain is clogged or smelly, baking soda can sort this out.

Simply pour 200g of baking soda (about half a cup) down the drain of the sink or bath and then pour half a cup of vinegar after it.

Cover the hole with a wet cloth and leave the mixture to fizz for five minutes.

Flush the drain with hot water to get rid of the remnants and you should have a clean drain.

Walls

Walls get pretty dirty too with mucky handprints and accidental splashes of food and other unfortunate accidents.

Use a damp sponge to apply baking soda to the stains on the wall.

Gently work the stain away with the rough side of the sponge.

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Oven and microwave

Ovens and microwaves collect stubborn grime all the time, so they can be a real pain to clean.

Take the racks and trays out of the oven and the turntable from the microwave.

Mix up a bowl of baking soda with water or white vinegar to make a paste.

Spread the paste on the walls of the oven and microwave making sure to avoid the heating elements, then leave it overnight.

Wipe the walls with a damp cloth to get rid of the bicarbonate of soda and then spray white vinegar on them.

You’ll notice the mixture start to foam and fizz and then you can wipe it away with a damp cloth.

Sprinkle the racks with bicarbonate of soda and then spray again with vinegar.

Soak them in hot water after they start to foam and clean away the grime with a sponge and water.

Fridge

Fridges can often become smelly and baking soda is the perfect remedy.

Leave an open box of baking soda in the back of your fridge overnight or for even longer.

Baking soda will absorb and neutralize any odours in the fridge.

Dishes and pans

Sometimes dishes and pans are too difficult to clean and you can never really get them perfectly gunk-free.

Add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda and washing up liquid to the pan in question and fill it with warm water.

Leave it to soak for a little while and then scrub the pan with a damp sponge coated in baking soda.

Sponge

We use sponges to clean things all over our houses, so it’s no wonder they absolutely stink sometimes.

Instead of constantly throwing away and buying new sponges, you can clean your existing ones with baking soda.

Soak the sponge in a sink or bucket full of about a litre of water and at least four tablespoons of baking soda.

Leave it to sit for a while and then let it dry naturally- it should no longer smell.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Express.co.uk