Description
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate or monosodium carbonate
Baking soda is an inexpensive ingredient with many laundry uses, such as removing odors, boosting detergent and bleach performance, softening clothes, cleaning an iron, and controlling detergent suds. It is safe for use in standard and high-efficiency washers, and, like distilled white vinegar, it isn’t a harsh chemical with adverse environmental effects.
Baking soda is often combined with water to form a paste to remove any acidic stains like coffee, fruit juices, and various bodily fluids like blood. Here’s how:
- Make a paste. Mix equal parts baking soda and water into a paste that you will use to help lift the stain.
- Apply it to the stain. Apply your paste to the stain, rubbing it in with your fingers or a toothbrush.
- Let it sit. Let the garment and the mixture sit until it dries.
- Rinse and wash. Rinse away the mixture, and you should discover that the stain is reduced or gone. Repeat the first steps if needed, and then wash as usual.
