7 Times Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide Make a Stellar Cleaning Combination

To the long list of things that go together (think: peanut butter and jelly, peas and carrots, Ina and Jeffrey), we’d like to add baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. While mixing chemicals and cleaners can sometimes be dangerous and is generally not advised, BS and HP (as we like to affectionately call them) can be a powerful and effective cleaning combo.

Whether used in tandem or as a potent paste, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide deserve to be the next power couple … of your cleaning arsenal. Here are some of the best ways to use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide around the home.

Note: A mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide should never be stored in a closed container because a buildup of carbon dioxide can cause the container to leak, explode, or spray when opened. Only make as enough paste for one cleaning session at a time. 

If you struggle with the effects of hard water, your cooking utensils could be covered in an unsightly white film of mineral deposits that ordinary dish-washing methods won’t touch. To get your utensils looking good as new, make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, spread it over your utensils, and let sit for about half an hour before washing as usual. 

Bathroom fixtures covered in not only hard water stains, but also a veneer of hairspray and soap scum will shine again after undergoing the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide treatment. Make a paste, spread it over your lackluster fixtures, let sit for a few minutes, and wipe away with a rag. Rinse with a clean, damp rag, and buff dry to a polished sheen. 

Hate long sessions spent cleaning cooked-on residue from your pots and pans? Rather than expend unnecessary energy scraping and scrubbing your cookware, combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and spread over trouble spots before you start the rest of the dishes. Once you turn your attention to the big stuff, burnt-on food should lift right off your pots and pans. 

Related: My Mom (and the Internet) Was Right: Dawn Powerwash Is the Best Way to Spend Less Time Doing Dishes

Baking sheets inevitably end up with a patina (even after just a few uses). While these stains are a point of pride in our kitchen, we realize they need to be cleaned off eventually. Sprinkle the sheet liberally with baking soda, spritz with HP, and let things sit overnight. By the morning, you’ll be able to easily scrape off the baking soda — and the loosened gunk.

Related: We Tried 5 Methods for Cleaning Baking Sheets and Found a Clear Winner

Dirty grout is everyone’s cleaning nemesis and it’s not an easy one to defeat. To whiten grubby grout lines, spray with hydrogen peroxide, let it sit a bit, and then come back and sprinkle with baking soda. Scrub with an old toothbrush or small cleaning brush. Rinse and wipe clean. 

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide make a great stain remover — especially on yellowed whites. Spread a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide on stains, let it sit for half an hour, and launder as usual. Take care with darker colors, which could be damaged by hydrogen peroxide.  

A paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide cuts through soap scum and hard water stains on tubs and tiles. Mix a paste of two thirds baking soda to one third hydrogen peroxide, spread it over affected areas, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then rinse away. Follow with a mist of distilled white vinegar if necessary. 

Got any other uses to add? Leave them in the comments below!