When faced with tough stains, sometimes your usual cleaning products don’t do the job. These situations can lead to creative solutions in an attempt to successfully clean those hard-to-clean spots!
Natural home remedies like vinegar or lemon are often the solution. However, think and pause before mixing any products.
Just because a cleaning solution works well on its own, it does not always mean it will be better when combined with another. The chemical reactions that occur can turn a safe product into a toxic one. For this reason, read the warning and ingredient labels on cleaning products before use.
Is it Safe to Mix Bleach with Baking Soda?
The chemical make-up of bleach makes it susceptible to creating toxic fumes or adverse chemical reactions.
Very few chemicals are safe to mix with bleach. Sodium hydrogen carbonate or baking soda is one of them. Baking soda is a natural stain remover. When mixed with bleach, the chemical creates a natural boosting agent. You can mix baking soda and bleach safely. For this reason, people often use the mix to get out tough laundry stains.
What happens when you mix bleach and baking soda?
Bleach is found in many household cleaning supplies. While a common element, it is a highly hazardous chemical and can lead to very harmful effects if used unsafely.
Precautions should always be taken when working with bleach, especially if mixing with other products.
A mix of bleach and baking soda can help to alleviate tough stains. The solution is incredibly versatile and can be used to clean mold or whiten fabrics.
If applying this mix, only use an unopened box of baking soda. When mixing, combine in a separate container in a well-ventilated area. Any contamination within the baking soda could prove disastrous and produce chlorine gas.
What Can You Use the Mixture For?
Here are some of the common uses of homemade bleach and baking soda mixture.
Laundry
The most common use of the bleach and baking soda mix is for laundry. Over time, white clothing can fade, either turning dull or yellow. Many laundry products make the promise of restoring whites, but few achieve this.
Both bleach and baking soda are natural stain removers. Their oxidizing qualities make for perfect laundry detergent and whitens fabrics. Furthermore, baking soda can help mask the strong bleach smell. Mixing this solution into your next laundry load will result in fresh and bright clothes.
Black Mold
Black mold and mildew can accumulate in the corners of your shower. Small amounts are not harmful but letting them accumulate can trigger allergic reactions. Baking soda is a natural disinfectant so when combined with bleach, it can form an effective treatment for removing hard to combat mold.
Bleach and Baking Soda Ratio
The ratio for mixing the two products is dependent upon your task. If using the solution for laundry, mix half a cup of bleach and half a cup of baking soda for white loads. Add the mix and clothes to the water as usual.
When administering the mix to black mold, it is more manageable if the solution is in a paste form. You can apply the paste to walls or up-right surfaces without running or dripping.
To make a paste form, mix one to two tablespoons of baking soda directly with two cups of water. Mix the substance in a well-ventilated area while wearing safety gear. Bare skin should not come into contact with the chemicals. The protective equipment should cover your face, eyes, hands, and any exposed skin.
Once the mix is in a paste form, it can be left to soak in the grout lines of tile walls, or along with any caulking. The paste should sit for 24 hours in a well-ventilated room. Close off the room while the paste is soaking and keep any children or pets away from the area. After 24 hours, scrub the affected area. The mixture should successfully remove any of the black molds that has appeared.
Tips when Mixing Bleach & Baking Soda Together
Dilute the mixture with water
Mixing bleach with water will help to dilute the solution. Mixing baking soda and bleach creates a powerful cleansing substance. Unless you are creating a paste for small areas, dilute the solution to create a less intense cleaning liquid. Without doing so, surfaces or objects can be damaged by the strong solution.
Never mix with hot water
While it is safe to dilute bleach with room temperature water, mixing with hot water will start a chemical reaction. The reaction will release poisonous chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is harmful and will be fatal if used in an enclosed space.
Only use in a well-ventilated space
If using bleach and baking soda together to clean surfaces, make sure that windows and doors are kept open. With as much ventilation as possible, there is a decrease in fumes and the overall process is much safer. Opening windows for fresh air also helps to decrease any strong bleach smells and quickens the drying time.
Always test beforehand
Before applying the solution, mix a small proportion as a tester. A mix that is too light can be inefficient. On the other hand, a dense combination could destroy or damage the surfaces where you apply the mix.
What Not to Mix with Bleach
While baking soda is safe to mix with bleach, several chemicals are not. Any of the following chemicals will cause extremely volatile reactions if combined with bleach.
Vinegar and Bleach
Vinegar is an incredibly powerful natural cleaner. Its high acidity levels make for a great detergent. However, if mixed with bleach the acid will release poisonous gas. This gas, even at low levels, can lead to breathing problems and burning eyes. At its worst, it can cause chemical burns to your entire body. It is never to be mixed in any shape or form.
Ammonia and Bleach
While individually, ammonia and bleach are great cleaning products, if mixed they produce toxic gas. This gas is called chloramine and produces similar symptoms to the effects of bleach and vinegar.
Ammonia can be found in many window cleaning solutions, so ensure the two do not come into contact accidentally.