Vinegar, lemons, baking soda, and other natural homemade cleaners do a fabulous job of cleaning, disinfecting, removing stains, and more.
People have been cleaning with household staples like vinegar, baking soda, and lemons (or lemon juice) for a long time. These items are safe and effective, allowing you to clean without worries about harsh chemicals.
Yes, baking soda is a good cleaning agent. Baking soda acts as a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water for effective removal. Because baking soda is a pure, natural product that is also a food, it is non-toxic, unlike many other household cleaners.
When baking soda is mixed with lemon juice, bubbles formed because of evolution of carbon dioxide gas. This is a chemical change, because in this reaction new substances are formed.
Baking soda is basic, and lemon juice is acidic. When you mix lemon juice with baking soda together, they not only balance each other out, but they also produce a potent mixture that has all kinds of household and personal care uses.
Start off by mixing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Next, moisten a cotton ball with the mixture and apply directly to your face in a gentle circular motion and leave on the skin for 15-20 minutes.. Once you've covered your face, remove with lukewarm water.
The other thing to be careful of with baking soda is combining it with something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. As the chemicals combine with that satisfying fizz, they form a gas. If you combine them in a sealed container, like a soda bottle, it could potentially explode and harm you.
Baking soda and lemon, both these home ingredients contain bleaching properties which can help to fade away the dark spots on the face. It helps to lighten the spots and also promotes healthy and glowing skin.
Lemon juice.
Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for each 1 teaspoon baking powder your recipe calls for, and add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice to the wet ingredients. The acid in the juice will create the reaction your goodies need to puff up.
"Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock. "When you put them together you get mostly water and sodium acetate. But really, just mostly water." Plus, vinegar causes baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture can explode.
Separately, both vinegar and baking soda work well for cleaning. Alone, baking soda can dissolve grease and dirt, while distilled white vinegar breaks down minerals without adding any coloring to stain surfaces (as apple cider vinegar might).
Another way to use lemon juice for cleaning your shower is to dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda. Rub the lemon on the glass. Rinse and dry the surface with distilled water. To reduce soapy build-up, coat the interior of the glass with a layer of lemon oil.
In a small bucket or 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine vinegar, baking soda and hot water. Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon, then drop the rind in as well to infuse the cleaner. Stir well to dissolve the baking soda and allow to cool.
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda in a bottle and grab yourself a sponge. For the bathroom and whiteware, the baking soda will act as the scrubbing agent while the vinegar will remove the dirt and grime. Grab your sponge and use the mixture on your bathroom and kitchen surfaces and scrub clean.
Baking soda is activated when it is mixed with an acid. So in baking, we activate baking soda by pairing it with an acidic ingredient (such as lemon juice, buttermilk, or yogurt) in our recipes. Note that heat can also activate baking soda.
The US Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and other scientists agree: use a cold water soak with baking soda to effectively help remove dirt, chemical residue, and other unwanted materials from your fresh vegetables and fruits.
It's a myth that you can safely whiten teeth with lemon juice and baking soda. Unlike toothpaste, baking soda is abrasive and will wear away your tooth enamel over time. Likewise, lemon juice is too acidic to sit on the surface of your teeth.
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.
White vinegar – the best choice.
Using Lemon/Citrus Cleaning Spray
Based on my research, vinegar has the most effective disinfecting powers when it is used full-strength. Thus, we do not dilute it with water. Vinegar is also most effective at killing bacteria if is is allowed to sit for several minutes before wiping up.
Remove Stains With Fresh Lemon and Baking Soda
Simply: Cut a lemon in half. Cover the stain with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Rub the lemon over the baking soda, working the juice into the fabric.