Have you ever thought you could do a lot with baking soda regarding laundry?
You may have heard that you can use baking soda and vinegar in order to get rid of the odors inside your washing machine, but did you know you can actually use them as an ingredient when it comes to doing your laundry?
The simple answer is that yes, you can, but the immediate idea that it may fade the colors in your clothes may keep you from trying it out
In general, no matter what type of product you plan to use, it is a good idea to spot-test before you use it on a whole load of laundry or commit to it so that you eliminate the possibility of it ruining your clothes.
However, when it comes to baking soda, you do not have to worry! The powder is safe to be added to the washing machine, and it will not cause your clothes to lose their color or become dull.
If anything, there are only two benefits to picking up this habit of using baking soda when you run laundry, as it makes for a chemical-free and natural way to clean your clothes. If you want to discover all the ways in which using baking soda for your laundry is going to be beneficial for you, keep on reading!
Have you ever thought of using baking powder in this way? Do you use it for other cleaning purposes? Let us know in the comments what the uses are that you employ it for!
How does baking soda even work?
Before we dive into the reasons why you should give this powder a chance and some of the laundry-related things it can be helpful with, we should talk about why it even works! And the answers are all behind the chemical compounds and reactions that are being made.
Baking soda and all detergents and substances, for that matter, have a chemical formula that defines them.
When the baking soda interacts with the detergent and other ingredients in the soaps and softeners you use on your clothes, it creates a chemical reaction that cleans your clothes or helps with other issues when you do laundry.
If you want the powder to be effective, you should only add half a cup to a full load (and properly adjust when it comes to other types of laundry loads) so that it can efficiently work. It is not a case of the more you add, the better if it works, so be careful!
Tip 1: You can remove stains before washing garments.
You may have heard about adding some of the powder inside the washing machine in order to clean or freshen them up, but did you know you can use it to remove certain types of stains before you wash the clothes?
This trick is going to work best with greasy stains, but you can try it out with other types of stains as well. You will have to mix some of the powder with water until it forms a homogenous paste with the consistency of frosting.
Then you should apply it to the stain and let it sit for about five minutes before you wash the garments. This will give the mixture time to activate, and when you end up washing the clothes, it will help with removing the oily stain.
Tip 2: Natural softening fabric.
If you want to use fabric softener but have yet to find one that works well for you, then maybe you should give baking soda a try!
A lot of the commercial detergents and fabric softeners can end up being harsh on the fabrics of our clothes. This can make them hard to iron, but the most common complaint when it comes to fabric softener is that it acts up when in contact with the skin.
Due to the fabric softener, your clothes may suddenly feel itch, or if you have sensitive skin, some of the chemicals in the softener may cause your skin to have a reaction, and you will end up being uncomfortable.
The best way to try to avoid fabric softener is to use baking soda. It will naturally soften the fabric without you having to use any store-bought softener, and it also comes with the added benefit that you do not have to spend large sums on the commercial softener!
Tip 3: You can neutralize acids.
There are a lot of types of spills and stains on our clothes that are considered acid stains.
While you may be thinking about the likes of battery acid, there are a lot of other acid liquids that you come in contact with more often that are considered acid stains; some of the most common include ketchup, citrus juice, urine, and vomit (if you are looking after of a little one), and even vinegar, just to name a few!
You can easily neutralize them and get rid of the stained area by using baking soda. Rinse the area, and then simply sprinkle over some baking soda. Like with the paste, leave it to sit for about 5 minutes before you rinse it off again or run it through the wash cycle.
It’s worked miracles for us!
Tip 4: Make colors brighter and bring back the white to the white garments.
Yes, we have talked about how you can use baking soda as a fabric softener and how adding it to your laundry is not going to make your clothes lose their color. However, what we have yet to mention is how you can use it to brighten the whites of your clothes and also make the colors of your colored garments pop.
If you notice that some of your clothes are starting to dull or that they are no longer that crisp white, add half a cup of baking soda along with the normal detergent you have been using to the next wash cycle.
The baking soda will help restore the colors to their true potential without much issue on your part!
If you want to use baking soda around the house and do not want to have to worry about how much to buy, you can easily get a bigger bag at once. This one is our favorite brand, and it is going to do wonders both in the kitchen and anywhere else you may want to use it!
Tip 5: Get rid of odor.
If you have been dealing with your clothes clinging to different bad odors, then you should give baking soda a try.
Those who smoke or have a smoker in their home, those who have to deal with excessive sweating and B.O., or those who have to deal with children who are not yet potty trained well, have found this baking soda trick most useful.
You can get rid of the bad odor of clothes or sheets with a simple baking soda soak. Soak your items in a mixture of detergent and baking soda, along with some water, for about half an hour. Then rinse them with clean water or add them to a quick cycle without adding any more detergent or baking soda.
You will be surprised with the results!
Tip 6: You can actually dry clean certain types of materials too.
Our last tip for introducing more baking soda with successful results when you are dealing with laundry is to give dry cleaning a chance. If you have items that are made from suede, you may want to give this dry cleaning method a chance.
Diffuse some baking soda on your suede items and let it sit for a while. After, simply brush it off and enjoy your freshened items!
Baking soda can actually be used in a lot of situations, but it is not the only type of natural cleaning method you can use around the home. If you are curious about how you can clean in a natural, chemical-free way, make sure you check out this article on the matter!
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