Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide For Cleaning

It’s not hard to understand why baking soda and hydrogen peroxide make such a powerful pair for cleaning when you consider that baking soda is abrasive and absorbs moisture and odors, while hydrogen peroxide disinfects and brightens. When combined, these two powerhouse cleaning ingredients make one “miraculous” cleaner!

You’re probably already familiar with the fizzy reaction that occurs when vinegar and baking soda are mixed, and you may even know that you can use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning in certain situations. But fewer people are familiar with the idea of mixing peroxide and baking soda to clean household surfaces, and I think that’s a real shame!

Not only does it make a powerful cleaner for many surfaces around the house, but it’s also perfectly safe to mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda — the reaction produces little more than carbon dioxide gasses. In this post, we’ll cover how to make this “miracle cleaner,” what you can clean with it, and why it’s one of my favorite homemade cleaners!

How To Mix Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide For Cleaning

You’ll need:

• Baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Small bowl

Directions:

Place about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small bowl, then add just enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. (Exact amounts aren’t necessary here — if it seem too wet, add more baking soda; if it’s too thick, add more peroxide.)

To Use:

Scoop up some of the paste with your fingers or a scouring sponge and apply the mixture to the surface you want to clean. 

How Does It Work?

• With a pH of around 8, baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) is slightly basic or alkaline, while hydrogen peroxide is acidic, with a pH between 3 and 6, depending on the concentration.
• When you combine the two, a chemical reaction takes place that helps to break down the molecular bonds of stubborn stains and messes.
• When you also consider peroxide’s effectiveness at breaking down organic laundry stains (like blood stains and grass stains) and baking soda’s scouring ability, it’s no wonder this cleaning combo is so strong!

What Can I Clean With Peroxide And Baking Soda?

This cleaning duo has proven to be incredibly versatile, especially when it comes to stubborn messes and stains in the kitchen and bathroom. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stained Cookie Sheets

Ever wondered what those stubborn grease stains on cookie sheets (or baking sheets, jelly roll pans, or whatever you call them) so hard to remove? Those stains are generated by the heat of your oven hardening oils from food or nonstick spray and causing them to adhere to the metal.

I’ve tried many, many cleaning solutions in an attempt to figure out how to remove those greasy cookie sheet stains. And hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is the only thing that has been able to erase those stains and make my baking sheets look clean again!

2. Water Stained Dishes

Here in the mountains of Utah, our water is high minerals like calcium and magnesium, so it’s a constant battle to keep hard water stains and spots at bay. If I don’t counter the hard water in my dishwasher, my dishes (especially my plastic and silicone cooking utensils) end up covered in spots or chalky residue.

Luckily, it’s nothing my trusty “miracle cleaner” can’t fix. I just scoop the paste onto spotty dishes, containers, or kitchen tools, scrub them with a sponge to dissolve the mineral deposits, and rinse for dishes that look good as new!

3. Bathroom Fixtures (Faucets, Handles, Sinks, etc.)

Even though I clean my bathroom sink regularly, the fallout from my makeup and hair products build up into an impenetrable, grimy film around the sink really quickly. Giving the area a scrub with peroxide and baking soda has proven to be an effective way to wash away that sticky, grimy film.

It also works well on mineral deposits, hard water stains, and soap scum around faucets and sinks. Use a small brush or old toothbrush to get the paste into every nook and cranny, rinse well, and admire your gleaming bathroom fixtures.

4. Toilet Bowls

Hard water stains can also be a problem in toilet bowls, particularly under the rim where the jets are. These gray, yellow, brown, or rust-colored rings or streaks are pretty easy to spot in most instances.

Your baking soda and hydrogen peroxide cleaning paste should make short work of those mineral deposits! If the stains are especially stubborn, you may need to empty the water out of the toilet’s tank and bowl so you can scrub the stains more easily, but your toilet bowl will be sparkling in no time!

5. Grout

I consider hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to be the best DIY grout cleaner for serious cases. But it can also be pretty messy to work with, so I recommend using it as a spot cleaner for the worst stained areas and grimiest grout lines in your shower or tub, to make it easier to clean up afterward.

… And More!

With peroxide acting as a bleaching agent, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can help whiten your teeth and remove yellow sweat stains from white shirts and fabrics. I’m sure there are plenty more ways to use this cleaning compound that I’ve yet to discover!

Let me know if you discover any other messes or surfaces where baking soda and hydrogen peroxide comes in handy. :-)

Have you tried cleaning with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide?