What To Avoid When Cleaning Aluminum Kitchenware With Baking Soda

Baking soda might just be one of the most valuable items in your pantry. Not only is it the key to fluffy breads and cakes, thanks to its leavening agent properties, but it's also an effective deodorizer, sucking up those stinky fumes that linger in the back of your refrigerator or at the bottom of your trash can. It's also a powerful cleaner, but you'll want to avoid letting it sit on certain surfaces for too long, such as aluminum kitchenware.

That's because baking soda is alkaline, and the low pH level can cause the aluminum surface to oxidize and become discolored. This will only usually happen if the baking soda is sitting long enough for the reaction to occur, so rinse it off quickly to prevent your pots and pans from taking on an unsightly hue.

But that's not all you'll want to be mindful of when cleaning aluminum cookware with baking soda. Because baking soda is naturally abrasive, you can easily create a paste by adding a few drops of water and using the mixture as a scrub. Use caution, though, when cleaning aluminum — and also think twice before cleaning your ceramic stovetop with baking soda – because it can end up scratched.

Besides scrubbing away baked-on buildup from cookware, baking soda is also a secret weapon to revive those old, beat-up cutting boards. Bacteria love to breed wherever there are leftover food particles, but you can easily clean and sanitize your cutting boards with baking soda and half of a lemon. Simply toss some baking soda on the cutting board and use the acidic lemon like a scrub brush to buff its surface. 

This common kitchen ingredient is good for taking care of other household chores, too. Make the most of baking soda's deodorizing and stain-sucking abilities and refresh your bed with the stuff. Sprinkle baking soda on the surface of the mattress. and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Use a vacuum to clean it up. If there are any stains on your mattress, you can spray them with white vinegar first before using baking soda. Note that you'll need to wait a bit longer for the spot to dry before vacuuming the powder up.