We always keep a box of baking soda near the washing machine

Do you own a box of baking soda already? This white powder gets used in a lot of baking recipes to make sure the baked goods end up nice and airy. But you can also use that same stuff you put through your food for a ton of cleaning tasks. In a previous article, we already wrote about all of the benefits of cleaning with baking soda and we’ve also written about what not to clean with it. This time, we’re focusing on the use of baking soda in your laundry routine.

Baking soda is relatively cheap and has a ton of benefits.

1. Odours

Bacteria and sweat can leave behind some nasty odours in our clothes. Different kind of towels and cloths can start to smell after a while as well. Usually, your regular old laundry detergent isn’t sufficient to get rid of these smells because it doesn’t contain enough enzymes to handle the bacteria. Luckily, we’ve got our baking soda nearby! Add half a cup of baking soda to your washing machine. It will regulate the pH value of the water and this will help the detergent do its job. Do your clothes have a particularly pungent sweat or smoke odour about them? Soak them in a bath of warm water and one or two cups of baking soda before washing them in the washing machine.

2. Combined with bleach

If you use baking soda in combination with bleach, the bleach often works much better and you’ll need a lot less of it too. For every half a cup of bleach, use half a cup of baking soda as well. Sprinkle the baking soda into the drum of your washing machine and then add the dirty clothes. Don’t put the baking soda in the laundry detergent compartment.

Go to the next page for the final two tips!

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