Baking soda and bleach are known for their excellent cleaning properties.
Many of you might hesitate to mix bleach with any other cleaning agent, knowing that this might produce toxic fumes.
Can you mix bleach and baking soda to enhance their cleaning power? Yes, it is perfectly safe to combine these two for cleaning. Many people use this mixture to deal with tough stains and fight mildew.
Can you mix bleach and baking soda?
Baking soda is one of the safe cleaning agents to mix with bleach. You can use the mixture for a wide range of cleaning tasks that require strong cleaning power. Bleach is a standard cleaning product in many households, and baking soda will enhance its ability. Also, it will mask the unpleasant smell of bleach.
How to mix bleach and baking soda
Making the perfect mix for cleaning depends on the purpose. If you want to whiten the laundry, add half a cup of each to the load. Mixing one part baking soda and one part bleach creates a perfect cleaning agent for whitening clothes.
If you want to use baking soda and bleach mix to clean surfaces, making a paste is ideal. The thickness of the DIY cleaning paste will easily stick to any surface, allowing the substances to penetrate the dirt without dripping. To make a paste, mix ¾ cup of baking soda with ¼ cup bleach. This ratio is perfect for making a thick paste that will stick to vertical walls without dripping. If you feel like the thickness isn’t the right size, you can adjust it to your requirements.
Remember that bleach is a potent cleaning agent, and it might damage some surfaces. Feel free to dilute the bleach with water if the solution appears too strong. Before cleaning, always test the solution on a less visible spot. This step will help you avoid any unwanted damage to delicate materials.
However, there is one thing to keep in mind before you decide to dilute the bleach with water. Make sure to avoid hot water at all costs since it can trigger a chemical reaction. Always use cold water to dilute the bleach and decrease its intensity.
For safety, make sure to clean in a well-ventilated area. Even though the combination isn’t dangerous, bleach itself releases vapors. The toxic fumes will be trapped in an enclosed space, increasing the concentration of gasses as you clean. Therefore, always make sure to clean in a well-ventilated area. Open the window to dilute the fumes and keep your kids and pets away.
When you use the cleaning mix, rinse the spot when you finish. Bleach is a very abrasive cleaning agent and might damage some materials if left too long.
How to use bleach and baking soda for cleaning
Can you mix bleach and baking soda for laundry and cleaning mold? Yes, this mixture is powerful enough to remove stains from white clothes. Also, it will kill the black mold in your shower, up to the tiniest crevices and the grout.
Laundry
Removing tough stains from clothes can be challenging. That’s why many rely on the good old mix of baking soda and bleach. In addition, the whitening properties of bleach are ideal for white clothes. White fabrics can get an ugly yellowish tone over time, so this mix will restore the pure, crisp white color. Use the combination when washing white towels to correct the color or remove tough stains from your socks. However, keep in mind that bleach can dissolve color and isn’t suitable for dark or colored clothing.
Mold
Mold thrives in humid environments such as the bathroom or the basement. If you have noticed dark patches in your home, you should immediately tackle this issue to prevent the mold from spreading. Keep in mind that the spores can trigger allergic reactions, so cleaning mold is essential. Both bleach and baking soda have powerful disinfecting properties, so mixing them is excellent to fight mildew.
To clean the walls from mold:
- Make a paste that will adhere to the spot.
- Leave the baking soda and bleach paste for 15 minutes, allowing the solution to penetrate the cracks and crevices and kill the mold.
- Scrub it with a cleaning brush to remove the mold and rinse.
- Use protective equipment when cleaning mold, as the process itself will create a chemical reaction.
Toilet cleaning
Bleach is commonly used for cleaning the toilet bowl. Together with baking soda, the powerful combo will work into the stains and remove them. Mix one part baking soda and two parts bleach and distribute it evenly in the toilet bowl. Let it work for half an hour before you scrub with a brush.
Garbage can disinfectant
The garbage can is a source of bacteria and unpleasant odors. Mix one part of baking soda and two parts of bleach to make a powerful disinfectant for the garbage can. Let it sit for fifteen minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Chemicals that shouldn’t be mixed with bleach
Although mixing bleach and baking soda is completely safe, you should be very careful when considering other chemicals. Bleach can trigger a chemical reaction and release toxic fumes when combined with other substances.
Which are the chemicals that you shouldn’t mix with bleach? Vinegar is a non-toxic cleaning agent with excellent cleaning power. But it would be best if you never mixed vinegar and bleach, as the reaction will release poisonous chlorine gas. Always make sure to use these cleaning products individually and never mix them.
Ammonia is another standard household cleaning product that you shouldn’t mix with bleach. When combined, these substances will create poisonous fumes. Also, make sure not to mix these two by mistake. Always use bleach individually since other cleaning products might have ammonia in them.
Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful cleaning product, but it shouldn’t be mixed with bleach. The reaction releases toxic and flammable gas, so never combines these two to enhance their cleaning power.