Baking soda serves as a great multi-purpose cleaner that is affordable, eco-friendly, and non-toxic, making it the perfect alternative if you want to reduce the amount of chemical cleaners in your kitchen.

As a bonus, it doesn't leave a strong odour in the room you use it in, unlike many leading cleaning products in the supermarkets today. Once you see how well it cleans, we promise you will consider buying it in bulk. Sometimes baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate) is all you need to clean in the kitchen. Depending on the surface and the tough stains, some of the cleaning in your kitchen may require mixing the baking soda with a natural acid, such as white vinegar or lemons - but don't worry, we'll talk you through it.

Here are 5 ways to use baking soda to clean your kitchen:

Clean the microwave

The microwave gets messy fast - one minute its sparkling clean, the next its ridden with food spillages. But did you know baking soda will have it sparkling again in no time? Just sprinkle some baking soda onto a sponge and wipe down the inside of your microwave until clean. It's that simple and effective - how cool is that!?

Reduce smells in the fridge

This one is probably the most simple way in keeping the fridge odourless. All you have to do is place baking soda into a small container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months. If you wish, you can set multiple containers throughout the fridge where there tend to be smellier foods, and the baking soda will absorb the strong odours from lingering in the fridge and maintain the neutral smell you want.

Remove grease and other tough stains from your pots and pans

Getting rid of grease and tough stains can be time-consuming and difficult but there's a trick that will simplify the cleaning process for you. All you need to do is sprinkle some baking soda directly on greasy pots and pans. Then, add some boiling vinegar to it. Wait 20 - 30 minutes for the mixture to work on loosening hardened food particles and stains. Then use a clean sponge to wipe the pots and pans. The stains should lift easily and quickly - if the grease and stains are more stubborn than you thought, simply just repeat the process again.

Clean the oven

Cleaning the oven is one of the most hated chores when it comes to a clean kitchen, but combining baking soda and a little bit of white vinegar will make it so much easier. First, you need to mix sodium bicarbonate and water to create a little paste. Then spread on the bottom and all sides of the oven. Spray some white vinegar over the paste and it will begin to foam up. Let the foam work it's magic for a few minutes and then scrub with a clean sponge or dishcloth. If the grease and stains don't lift, simply spray some more vinegar until it's easy to remove the gunk.

Unclog drains

Having a clogged drain can cause some horrible odours to occur in your kitchen, not to mention stop you from using the sink. But don't fret. Jus add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and pour some hot vinegar over the baking soda. This will cause a sizzle and foam reaction and should break up the blockage. Then run some hot water from the tap down the drain to rinse and everything should be running smoothly again.