Keeping your home spotless and organised is no easy feat. Certain areas seem to attract dirt more than others, making it absolutely vital to keep a reliable collection of cleaning supplies close at hand, ready for anything.
As most of us are well aware, white vinegar is one of the unrivalled heroes of household cleaning. This natural yet effective ingredient can bring back a brilliant sparkle to glass, kitchen surfaces and beyond, without breaking the bank. However, during one particular cleaning session, I chose to swap my trusty white vinegar for something entirely different – and the results were truly superior.
Last year, I bought a bag of soda crystals, which I’d previously used to brighten a load of laundry. The outcome was impressive, but they’d since sat unused, collecting dust at the back of my cupboard.
That all changed when I came across countless cleaning fans online, praising soda crystals for their effectiveness on glass and limescale. The crystals dissolve stubborn deposits when combined into a thick paste and allowed to work on problem areas.
Three spots immediately sprang to mind as perfect candidates for this technique – the oven, shower glass and toilet. After placing some soda crystals into a bowl and gradually adding small quantities of water until reaching a nice thick consistency, I began my experiment.
Cleaning oven with soda crystals
This area of my home needed the most attention. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve only properly cleaned my oven glass a few times since moving in four years ago, so unsurprisingly there was a lot dirt and grime on there.
Using a cloth, I applied the soda crystals paste, ensuring it completely covered the glass in a thick, generous layer. The benefit of this method is that very little effort is required – simply allow it to sit for approximately an hour to effectively dissolve the grime.
Afterwards, I used a rougher cloth to work the paste in circular movements. I was amazed to discover how much dirt was immediately removed with so little effort.
I rinsed it away and repeated the process several times until the paste – and the dirt – had entirely disappeared, then gave it a quick spray with surface cleaner and wiped away the residue. It genuinely looked brand new, and I’ve recommended this trick to countless people since.
Cleaning toilet with soda crystals
Soda crystals aren’t just brilliant for cleaning glass – they can also be used to combat limescale. I had a small build-up in the toilet bowl, but since I don’t live in a hard water area, it wasn’t particularly bad.
Nevertheless, it definitely needed addressing. To deal with this, I simply scattered several cups of soda crystals into and around the bowl, and allowed it to sit for another hour.
To tackle the grime properly, I used an old toothbrush to scrub away any lingering stubborn areas before flushing it all away. The outcome was a gleaming toilet bowl, achieved entirely without resorting to any harsh chemicals whatsoever.
Cleaning shower glass with soda crystals
After seeing how impressively my oven glass reacted to treatment with the soda crystals paste, I was keen to test it on my shower glass too. Keeping this clean is genuinely my biggest cleaning headache – constant fingerprints, soap residue and water stains appear constantly, making it look so dirty.
I followed the same approach of applying the dense paste with a cloth, allowing it to sit for an hour before polishing it away using circular movements and wiping the area clean. As the pictures show, all the soap and water stains disappeared entirely, producing a remarkable shine that is typically hard to do.
If you haven’t yet tried soda crystals for household cleaning, they’re definitely worth attempting. Available from Savers for just £1.79, a single bag is sufficient to tackle numerous different cleaning tasks.
Ensure our latest cleaning headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
