Spring Cleaning Tips

When I was a kid, my dad used to occasionally put Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in a little cup, wet our toothbrushes, and brush our teeth with the gloppy solution.  My brother and I played along with this periodic routine, and all that we knew was that occasionally our teeth were experiencing a departure from our normal toothpaste.

Years later when I lived on my own for the first time, I remembered my dad teaching me that baking soda gets things clean and used that little orange box everywhere from my counter tops to my kitchen sink, especially when the sink started to get that smell.  You know that smell. *shiver*

When I received a list of spring cleaning tips from Arm & Hammer, I thought again of those special teeth cleaning nights from my childhood.  It turns out that my dad and I were both on the right track with our uses for baking soda, but there are even more ways that you can use it to complete your spring cleaning.  Here are some places to try Arm & Hammer Baking  Soda in your home…

Suggested Tips for Spring Cleaning from Arm & Hammer

In the Kitchen

• Food Safe Surface Cleaning

Clean your food prep area and tools with natural, food safe ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda instead of harsh cleaners. Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda onto a clean damp sponge or cloth and wipe clean, rinse thoroughly, and then dry. Great for counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, lunch boxes, wooden spoons, oven tops, range hoods and more.

• Drains and Garbage Disposals

What goes down sometimes comes back up. To deodorize your drains and disposal, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking Soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain.

• Manage Microwave Mess

Who wants popcorn that tastes like a science experiment? ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda on a fresh, damp sponge gently cleans inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.

In the Living Room

• Freshen Upholstery

Keep comfy upholstered sofas and chairs smelling fresh with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. Sprinkle Baking Soda on upholstery, wait 15 minutes and vacuum up.

• Freshen and Deodorize Carpets

A sprinkle a day keeps the odors away. Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda on carpets and let sit for 15 minutes before vacuuming.

In the Dining Room

• Carpet Spills

Clean and deodorize spills or accidents on carpets by soaking up as much of the spill as possible. Clean the stain according to the carpet manufacturer’s directions and allow to dry. When the area is completely dry, sprinkle liberally with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda and let sit for 15 minutes before vacuuming it up. Great for pet and kid messes too! Check for color-fastness first before applying ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda.

• Remove Scuff Marks on Floors

Remove dirt and grime (without unwanted scratch marks!) from no-wax and tile floors using 1/2 cup ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water – mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor. For unsightly scuff marks, use ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda on a clean damp sponge, then rinse. Great for high-traffic areas and after dinner parties too!

• Polish Silver Flatware

ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda can shine all your holiday silver in no time at all. Before your guests arrive for dinner, make a natural cleaning paste with three parts ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to one part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.

In the Laundry Room

• Laundry Booster

Add 1 cup of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder for you and your family. A better balance of pH in the wash gets clothes cleaner, fresher, brighter! Our 13.5 lb resealable pouch size makes it an easy additive for every wash load.

• Musty Towels

Get towels clothesline fresh…right from the wash! Add 1/2 cup ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to the rinse cycle.

In the Bathroom

• Cleaning Bathroom Floors

ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda helps remove the dirt and grime from bathroom tiles or no-wax floors quickly and easily. Mix 1/2 cup ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda in a bucket of warm water, mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor.

• Deodorizing Wastebasket

Keep bathroom wastebaskets fresh-smelling with just a sprinkle of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. Apply regularly as you add to the container, or when you empty it, wash the container with a solution of 1 cup of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda per 1 gallon of water.

• Shower Curtains

Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.

On the Patio

• Lawn Furniture

Get ready for your outdoor oasis! Before you pull out your patio furniture for the season, give it a thorough cleaning with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. Keep your outdoor furniture fresh by sprinkling a little ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda underneath cushions or inside the storage bag.

• De-Grime the Grill

Grungy grills aren’t a welcome part of any backyard barbecue. Clean them up by sprinkling dry ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda on a damp brush, scrub as needed and rinse clean. For tough, greasy stains, scrub with a wire brush and a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to one part warm water) and rinse thoroughly.

No product or compensation was provided for this post.  All cleaning tips were provided by Arm & Hammer.  That story about my dad brushing my teeth is totally my own. 🙂