Baking soda has natural properties that can cleanse household items in the kitchen while removing stains and neutralizing odors for a fresh finish.

Not only is using baking soda an inexpensive way to wash dishes but also a convenient way to avoid harsh chemicals often found in household cleaners.

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Here are just a few ways to use baking soda to wash dishes:

1. Add two heaping tablespoons of baking soda and your regular dish detergent to the dish water as an easy way to remove grease and debris from food left on your dishes, pots and pans. You can also let dishes soak in the baking soda and detergent before using dry baking soda on a damp sponge or cloth for scouring that doesn’t leave scratches, according to Melissa Breyer at Care2.com.
2. Keep your sponges clean with a solution that includes four tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in a quart of warm water. Soak the sponges for clean, fresh results.
3. Baking soda also provides safety in the kitchen. It will help smother out flames in case of a minor grease fire while cooking, notes Dr. Joseph Mercola. He recommends soaking pots and pans in baking soda and hot water for about 1 minutes, which makes it easier to wipe away cooked-on foods. Baking soda also works when scrubbing clean your barbecue grill.
4. Soak silver utensils by filling the kitchen sink with hot water, adding baking soda and a sheet of aluminum foil to let the pieces soak clean without harmful or toxic silver polish, Mercola explains.
5. You can also polish silver flatware by using three parts baking soda to one part water for a baking soda paste. Rub the paste onto the silver with a cloth or sponge and rinse thoroughly.
6. To get rid of stains from coffee and tea pots, make a solution by dissolving a quarter cup of baking soda in a quart of warm water to wash cups and coffee makers. Leave them soaking overnight for tough stains, then clean by scrubbing with baking soda on a sponge, advises Breyer.

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