Clean Your Entire Home With These 12 All-Natural Baking Soda Solutions

Before you go the chemical route to clear a slow-moving drain, try baking soda and vinegar. Pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, then heat up a cup of vinegar and pour it on top of the baking soda. After approximately 10 minutes, flush with a pot of boiling water. (Don't use this solution on a clogged drain.)

A dirty oven can pose a serious cleaning challenge. Avoid corrosive chemicals and toxic odors by whipping up a baking soda and salt paste made with water or vinegar. Spread the paste over the floor, walls and oven door using a brush. (Be sure to wear gloves when you do this!) Let the mixture sit for about 24 hours, keeping it moist with a spritz of water or vinegar periodically. The paste will help soften the burnt-on food and make scrubbing your oven a bit easier. Wipe the paste away with a sponge or cloth, then turn on the oven to around 100 degrees F.  Keep it on for an hour to soften any lingering residue. Turn the oven off, then once it's cool to the touch, spritz any stubborn areas with vinegar and wipe down.

Baked-on food residue tends to build up on cooktops no matter how hard you try to keep them clean. Luckily, a paste of warm water and baking soda spooned onto the surface will help loosen the residue. Let it sit for several minutes, then scrub to remove the gunk. Finish by spritzing with glass cleaner, then wipe dry.

If your stainless-steel sink is looking dull, sprinkle baking soda onto a soft cloth and buff it back to life. Rinse well after buffing. Avoid harsh, powdered cleansers, as they may scratch the sink’s surface.