Baking Soda Is Great For Laundry - Here’s How to Use It
Baking soda is one of those tried and true
multitasking products. The powder has many interesting home uses: it
removes odors from the fridge, cleans any surface, and can even be used
to relieve insect bites. Here’s one more task to add to that impressive
list. Adding baking soda to your laundry is really beneficial for
natural fabric softening, odor removal, color brightening, and even
adding extra cleaning power!
Here’s why we should all start keeping a
jar of baking soda in the laundry room and how to use it to wash
clothing and even deep clean the washing machine.
The Benefits of Adding Baking Soda to Your Laundry
1. Removes stale and musty smells
In our experience, baking soda is the most affordable and effective way
to remove unpleasant smells from clothing. It works for stale, musty
smells, as well as sweat and cigarette smoke odor. Body odors and musty
smells usually come from microbes clinging to the fabrics. Detergent
dissolves that buildup, but it’s not always able to remove it from the
fabrics. When you add baking soda, which is gently abrasive, it works by
removing the odor-causing buildup from the fabrics.
2. Softens fabrics
Does your clothing always come out stiff from the washer? A fabric
softener can be used to remedy that, but it can accumulate on the
clothing over time and contributes to that unpleasant musty smell, so
it’s not the best option. Baking soda can also soften fabrics because it
regulates the pH level of the water and prevents mineral buildup from
depositing on clothes, which can make clothing feel stiff. Therefore,
baking soda is a natural fabric softener that gives your clothing a soft
feel without masking any odors or imparting any harsh chemicals.
3. Brightens white fabrics
Baking soda can naturally brighten white clothing, removing any yellow
or grey hues that appear on white clothing with wear. But don’t worry,
you can also use it on colorful and black items. Baking soda doesn’t
bleach clothing, so it’s safe to use for all clothing and linens.
4. Adds extra cleaning power to detergent
If you live in an area with hard water, you’ll find that regular
detergent is often not enough to remove persistent stains, as the
detergent cannot get soapy enough. Instead of using more detergent, add
some baking soda - it will even out the pH level in the washer and
boost the effectiveness of your detergent.
5. Removes excessive suds
Have you accidentally added too much detergent to the load? Overflowing
suds are a real issue, especially if you have a high-efficiency
front-loading washing machine. To keep those suds in control, grab some
baking soda and add it to the washer. You can also sprinkle some of the
powder on the overflowing suds to stop them from spreading and make the
cleanup process easier.
6. Cleans the washing machine
Is there buildup on the inside of your washing machine? Or maybe, you
noticed some unpleasant smells coming from the washing? Baking soda can
remove and odors and buildup, we explain how in detail below.
How to Use Baking Soda in the Washer
First and foremost, let’s clarify that
baking soda is an addition and not a substitute for detergent. To
actually remove stains and dirt from your clothing and linens, you’ll
need to use an actual laundry detergent.
Using Baking Soda to Wash Clothes
There are a few ways to use baking soda in your laundry. You can add 1
cup of baking soda directly into the empty drum of the washing machine
right before placing the dirty laundry. Add your regular detergent and
wash the clothing as usual. It’s important NOT to place baking soda in
the detergent dispenser of the washing machine. If a specific article of
clothing needs extra odor removal, you can pre-soak the item in a tub
of lukewarm water using 1-2 cups of baking soda. Place the clothes in
the baking soda and water mixture and let them soak overnight before
laundering as usual.
Using Baking Soda For Cleaning the Washing Machine
Simply add 1 cup of baking soda into the drum of the machine and use a
damp sponge or cloth to scrub the inside of the machine. Then set the
washer to the highest temperature setting and run it empty for 1 cycle,
no detergent is necessary. The baking soda will dissolve any buildup and
unpleasant smells, and the sponge will help scrub down any limescale.
All done - enjoy your clean and fresh-smelling washing machine!