You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive specialty cleaners to keep your home in great shape. Baking soda and vinegar are two inexpensive staples that can tackle dozens of cleaning and maintenance tasks. You can get a 10-pound bag of baking soda and a gallon of white vinegar from Walmart for less than $15, and they’ll go a surprisingly long way.
In the kitchen
Unclog slow drains by pouring ½ cup baking soda down a slow-moving drain, followed by 1 cup of heated white vinegar. Cover the drain with a wet cloth to force the fizzing reaction downward. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then flush with hot water.
Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring 1/4 cup of baking soda inside, followed by hot water. For more stubborn odors, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar and run the disposal after the fizzing stops.
Once you’ve cleaned your dishwasher filters, run an empty hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack. Then sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and run another short hot cycle to finish cleaning and deodorizing.
In the bathroom
Remove soap scum by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge with a little dish soap and scrub away soap scum from tubs, tiles and sinks.
Clean tile grout using an old toothbrush and a thick paste of baking soda and water to scrub grout lines. Spray with vinegar to enhance the cleaning power before rinsing.
De-gunk showerheads by removing and soaking it in a bowl of vinegar overnight. If it’s fixed or you don’t want to remove it, you can fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it securely with a rubber band. Just don’t forget to remove it before turning the shower on the next day (I know firsthand it can be a bit startling).
Clean your toilet by sprinkling a cup of baking soda into the bowl and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Spray with vinegar to accelerate the de-griming, then scrub away stains and hard water rings.
Around the house
Deodorize and clean the washing machine by adding one cup each baking soda and vinegar and running a hot, empty wash cycle. Wipe the inside of the drum with a rag after the cycle and it’ll look and smell brand new!
Deodorize fabrics by sprinkling baking soda liberally over carpets and upholstery; let sit for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming it up to neutralize odors.
Kill weeds by spraying a combination of dish soap, white vinegar, and Epsom salt directly on stubborn weeds growing in pavement cracks or patio pavers.
Remove oil stains from your driveway by sprinkling baking soda over the stain and scrubbing with a brush, then rinse.
Keep your HVAC healthy by slowly pouring about 1/3 cup of white vinegar into your air conditioner’s condensate line (typically a PVC pipe with a cap on the indoor unit) once a month. That will help keep your line free of mold, algae, and clogs.
Safe and affordable
There are a lot of specialty products on the market tailored for each of these tasks. If you were to buy each individually, also from Walmart, it would cost more than $90. Not only that, but many of these bottles come with big warning labels about the dangers of inhaling or touching or getting in or near your eyes. While you should still handle vinegar with care, as it can irritate eyes and lungs in high concentrations, it’s a much safer alternative to most commercial cleaners.
Simple, safe and effective, the baking soda and vinegar duo are proof that home maintenance doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.