16 Ways To Neutralize Odors Using Budget-Friendly Baking Soda

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Many of us grew up with a box of baking soda standing dutifully on a shelf in the refrigerator. It turns out that the simple baking staple does neutralize odors, making it an inexpensive and effective deodorizing agent. Baking soda (AKA sodium bicarbonate) and acids that cause bad smells have a chemical reaction due to baking soda's alkaline nature. That reaction changes the pH and turns the once stinky acid into a less smelly version. Whether or not you care about the science of it, what's important to know is that you can pop baking soda in your drains, closets, shoes, and many other small, smelly places to tame odors.

There are several baking soda cleaning hacks that are worth trying to freshen up your home. But we're focusing on deodorizing specific areas to make them smell better. Some of them also help clean, so it's win-win. Other baking soda hacks take a more passive approach, allowing the powder to sit and soak up the odors. For example, place it in your fridge, microwave, or closet. Or, sprinkle it on your carpet or mattress to soak up the stink before vacuuming.

If your fridge is stinky, the culprit is likely from acids being released from certain foods. Since baking soda is a base, it changes those acids to eliminate odors. Plus, it could keep flavors from transferring between foods. After trying cleaning hacks that'll make your refrigerator sparkle, add baking soda to keep the fridge smelling good. You'll want dedicated fridge and freezer baking soda as using the same one in a recipe could make the finished product taste odd.

For a super stinky fridge or freezer, spread baking soda on a plate — it has more surface area and can be more effective. Placing the baking soda near the vent could also improve its effectiveness. To keep the odors under control, a box of baking soda with both sides opened will do. Or, try Arm & Hammer Fridge-N-Freezer baking soda, which has a special design to remove the front and back panels. The Arm & Hammer Fridge Fresh packs attach to a wall to save shelf space. Whichever one you use, just make sure to replace the baking soda every three months or so. 

There's a reason you should keep a box of baking soda near your sink: It helps your drain smell better. Food, grease, oil, and gunk from the garbage disposal build up around the drain and in the pipes. Those particles can create acidic odors. Baking soda in a drain or garbage disposal neutralizes the odors. It also offers a gentle abrasiveness to clean the inside of a garbage disposal.

Turn the tap to warm and let the water run. Then, pour baking soda into the sink drain or garbage disposal. Shut the water off and let it sit for a few minutes before flushing with hot water. For a garbage disposal, try 2 cups of ice cubes with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Add some lemon slices for a citrusy smell. Turn on the garbage disposal with cold water running to deodorize and remove the food particles that are creating the odors. 

If you're a cat owner, you know how bad the litter box can smell. Deodorizing the litter box is one of the baking soda home hacks that pet owners swear by. When added to the litter, the baking soda balances the pH levels and neutralizes the odors. Baking soda also changes bases, like the alkaline ammonia that's in your cat's urine, so it can neutralize litter odors.

The key to using baking soda safely in a litter box is moderation. The baking soda can become airborne as dust, which your cat could breathe in. Pair it with a low-dust litter to minimize the issue. Also, keep an eye out for an irritation, like sneezing, from your kitties. When you empty the litter box, scrub it thoroughly to remove odors. Then, add baking soda into the empty, dry litter box before adding the litter. You only need 1 to 2 tablespoons in a small litter box and about ¼ cup for larger boxes.

Trash cans get smelly quickly, especially in areas like the kitchen and bathroom. The good news is that baking soda is one of the best ways to clean and deodorize your trash can to combat funky smells. Within the confines of the trash can, the baking powder neutralizes odors from food waste and other stinky items.

Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the can before you put the trash bag in and a little more inside the bottom of the empty bag. As the trash starts to smell, sprinkle a layer of baking soda on top of the trash. Continue adding more as needed until the bag is full of trash. To deep clean the trash can to remove lingering odors, add a cup of baking soda to a gallon of water inside the can — baking soda still deodorizes in water, so this cleaning solution will help the bin smell better.

The fibers of carpeting and area rugs often trap odors that make rooms smell bad. Baking soda settles deep into fibers, where it can neutralize base and acid odors caused by bacteria, dirt, moisture, and other sources. However, it's important to note you likely won't suck all of the baking powder out of your carpet because of the small particle size. It's also hard on your vacuum – baking soda can clog HEPA filters. If you use this method, do so sparingly.

It's a good idea to vacuum the carpet first before sprinkling baking soda evenly on the fibers. How long should you leave baking soda on your carpet to clean and deodorize it? Wait a minimum of 15 minutes to give the powder enough time to neutralize odors. However, waiting longer (or even overnight) could yield better results. Vacuum the area thoroughly to remove as much powder as possible.

Perhaps you've added baking soda to the wash cycle to brighten your clothes, remove stains, and soften fabrics. But the powder helps with odors even before you wash the clothes. In fact, you can use it to keep your hamper (and the dirty laundry in it) from smelling funky while you wait for laundry day. In the wash cycle, the baking soda continues to neutralize odors, but it also supports your laundry detergent by optimizing the pH levels, which can also help deodorize the clothes and make them cleaner.

In your laundry hamper, sprinkle a little baking soda as needed to keep the area smelling fresh. You can put it directly on the clothes, too. This works best in a hamper with solid sides, so the baking soda doesn't spill out. Once the laundry goes into the washing machine, simply add about ½ cup to improve smells, like sweat odors and sour smells, and to amplify the cleaning power of your detergent.

It's often said that the average person is sleeping for about ⅓ of their life, which means you and your mattress spend a lot of time together. Even if you shower before you go to bed and change your sheets frequently, you're still shedding skin cells, sweating, releasing oils from skin and hair, and drooling while you're in bed. Add in allergens, like dust mites and pet dander, and your mattress is a hotbed for odors and bad air quality. Baking soda can neutralize the odors that seep into your mattress to help your bedroom smell fresher overall. Keep in mind that, like your carpets, deodorizing your mattress with baking soda should also be done sparingly because of the potential wear on your vacuum.

You can use plain baking soda or add a few drops of essential oil (lavender is ideal to encourage sleepiness) to deodorize your mattress. With all of the bedding removed, sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress and wait for a few hours to allow the powder to react to the odors. Then, vacuum it up. It's also important to avoid damaging your memory foam mattress when cleaning with baking soda by being gentle as you vacuum. While you're at it, sprinkle baking soda on the pet beds in your house so your furry family members have an odor-free place to snooze.

Closets can smell a little musty or stale over time, especially if you store your shoes in the space. If your wardrobe has a funk to it, try the baking soda hack for an odor-free, fresh-smelling closet. Not only will the baking soda neutralize the acidic and basic odors, but it can also absorb some moisture in the closet, which is often responsible for mustiness.

An easy option is to use Arm & Hammer Fresh-N-Natural baking soda – it's similar to the fridge packs in that it lets air flow through the package without spilling. Or, place a shallow dish of baking soda (with or without a few drops of essential oil) in the closet. About a cup of baking soda should be enough. Choose a spot where it won't spill easily. If you have a large closet (or several sources of stinky smells), put multiple containers of the powder in the space.

Some areas could benefit from the odor-neutralizing power of baking soda, but you don't want to sprinkle the powder on those surfaces (or leave out open containers that could spill). Making a simple sachet filled with baking soda solves this issue. Breathable fabric creates a shell for the powder to keep it contained while still allowing it to neutralize odors. 

You'll need squares of fabric about 6 inches by 6 inches, but you can adjust the size based on how large you want the sachets to be. A sock also works as the outer packaging for your baking soda sachet. If you want to add scent in addition to neutralizing odors, stir in a few drops of essential oil. Put the baking soda inside the fabric, and secure it tightly with ribbon or a rubber band. Place the sachets in small or enclosed areas that need deodorizing, like hampers, shoes, closets, and drawers. You'll need to swap out the baking soda occasionally or make new sachets regularly.

Shoes are typically full of stink-causing bacteria that create acids. And as we've already discussed, baking soda interacts with acids to minimize the odors they produce. That's why it is part of one of the methods to clean and deodorize stinky shoes, and you can use it a few different ways. The powder can go directly inside your shoes when they're seriously stinky to neutralize the odors as needed. Or, keep baking soda near your footwear storage areas to keep the foot odor from overtaking your home. 

To deodorize shoes, sprinkle baking soda inside, shaking or tipping each shoe to make sure the powder reaches all areas. Wait overnight or even 24 hours, if possible, to give the baking soda ample time to absorb moisture and neutralize odors. Then, pour the powder out of the shoe. If you don't want to deal with a powdery mess, make individual sachets, and slide it inside your footwear when you're not wearing them. A bowl of baking soda placed near your shoe rack can also help tackle the foot smells.

Burnt microwave popcorn smells have a way of sticking around for what can feel like days. Despite how convenient the device is, it can harbor some serious food odors, including the lingering smells from the splattered-on food remnants. A thorough cleaning using your favorite method (which can include baking soda) often helps banish the smell, but the small, enclosed appliance may also benefit from having baking soda sit inside for an extended period. 

If you need to scrub away remaining food particles that are adding to the stink, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of water to use as the deodorizing cleaning solution. For any lingering odors, place a shallow dish of baking soda inside the clean microwave and let it sit overnight. Adding a sticky note to the front of the appliance as a reminder could prevent someone from accidentally using the microwave with the baking soda inside. 

We all know it saves water and energy to wait until the dishwasher is full before running it, but that can make the small, enclosed space really funky while you wait. Baking soda can cut down on some of those odors until you run your next load. If the empty dishwasher still smells bad after you run it, the useful powder can also help as part of a deep cleaning process to remove the lingering odors.

For regular odor control, sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher when you notice odors. It's okay to get the powder on the dirty dishes, too — it'll come off in the wash cycle. When you're ready to deep clean (about once a month), run a couple of cycles with no dishes. For the first round, pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container, and put it on the top shelf while you run a hot cycle. When that's done, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and set it for a shorter run. 

Deodorizing your toilet bowl is among the clever uses for baking soda in the bathroom. In addition to neutralizing odors in the toilet bowl, the powder also works as a mild abrasive to help remove buildup that could be contributing to bad smells. Your toilet tank also benefits from deodorizing with baking soda. 

To deodorize the bowl, make sure the toilet is flushed and relatively clean. Flush again right before you sprinkle the baking powder on the exposed parts of the toilet bowl — doing so leaves the surface wet to help the powder stick. Give it at least 15 to 30 minutes to sit, so the baking soda can neutralize the odors. Then, you can scrub the bowl like you would normally and flush it to rinse away the remaining baking soda. Additionally, you can add 1 cup of baking soda to the tank water, and let it sit overnight before scrubbing it with a brush and flushing a few times.

Many surfaces around your house, like countertops, cutting boards, and sinks, can smell because of buildup or smelly items that touch them. For example, your cutting board might smell like onion and garlic after chopping those ingredients. Grease splatters around your kitchen can also create unwanted odors. Using a baking soda paste to clean those surfaces and remove the offending buildup can make your space smell better. Applying baking soda combines its odor-neutralizing effect with its abrasiveness to scrub away the gunk gently. 

To make a cleaning paste, start with one part baking soda to two or three parts water. You're looking for a paste consistency that's wet enough to spread but not so wet that it floods the surface. Letting the paste sit on the surface for a few minutes helps neutralize odors and release the buildup. Then, you can use a microfiber cloth or gentle brush to scrub the area.

Soft surfaces and fabrics, like furniture upholstery, often absorb odors from nearby sources. Everyday life exposes your furniture to pet odors, sweat, body oils, dirt, and dust mites, which can all contribute to odors and cause cleanliness issues. Letting baking soda sit on the upholstery allows it to neutralize those odors and freshen up your furniture, which can also help the room smell better overall. You'll need to vacuum the baking soda when it's done sitting, so this is another deodorizing method that should only be used when necessary to keep your vacuum in good condition.

Vacuum the upholstery first to remove loose debris. Then, sprinkle the baking soda over the fabric and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. That said, waiting a few hours is even better. If the furniture is extra smelly, let the baking soda rest overnight. After it sits, vacuum the surface and crevices well using an upholstery attachment. 

No matter how often you travel, luggage can get stale or smell bad when it absorbs odors from dirty clothes. Even odors from planes, vehicles, or hotel rooms while you travel can become embedded in your luggage. Deodorizing your travel bags with baking soda overnight before you travel helps keep your fresh clothes smelling good. You can also stash sachets of the powder in your luggage while it's in storage to keep musty odors from developing. 

To deodorize a bag, simply place an open box or small bowl of baking soda inside the luggage, and zip it closed so the baking soda can neutralize odors overnight. Make sure the suitcase is on a level surface and doesn't get moved while the baking soda is inside, or you'll spend extra time cleaning it before packing. Try this method on other bags, like gym bags or purses, that need to be deodorized.