11 Things You Should Never Clean With Baking Soda

As professional cleaners, we often get asked about natural cleaning solutions. Baking soda is one of our favorite eco-friendly cleaning agents - it's effective, affordable, and safe for most surfaces. However, after years of experience in the cleaning industry, we've learned that baking soda isn't suitable for everything. Here are the items we never clean with baking soda, and what we recommend instead.

Electronic Devices

In our professional experience, baking soda should never come near your electronic devices. The abrasive texture can easily scratch screens and damage sensitive components. For electronics, we recommend using specialized electronic cleaning solutions or simply a slightly damp microfiber cloth.

Some Jewelry

We've seen too many damaged pieces of jewelry from improper cleaning methods. Baking soda's abrasive nature can scratch gold and silver, and even remove protective finishes. For your precious jewelry, we always recommend using specific jewelry cleaners designed for your particular type of metal or gemstone.

Aluminum Cookware

While we use baking soda on many types of cookware, we strictly avoid it on aluminum pots and pans. Through our cleaning experience, we've found that baking soda can react with aluminum surfaces and cause discoloration. Instead, we recommend warm water and gentle dish soap for aluminum cookware.

Waxed Furniture and Antiques

When it comes to waxed furniture and antiques, we're extremely careful with our cleaning methods. Baking soda can damage these delicate surfaces by scratching the finish. For these items, we use specialized furniture cleaners or, in some cases, recommend professional restoration services.

Stone Countertops

In our daily cleaning work, we see many natural stone countertops, and we never use baking soda on them. Stone surfaces are more porous than you might think, and baking soda can not only scratch the surface but also penetrate and damage the stone. We always use pH-neutral cleaners specifically designed for natural stone.

Cast Iron

As cleaning professionals, we know that cast iron requires special care. Using baking soda will strip away the seasoning that makes cast iron non-stick. When we clean cast iron, we prefer using coarse salt as a gentle abrasive, followed by proper re-seasoning. The only exception is when dealing with rust - then we might use baking soda, but the pan will need complete re-seasoning afterward.

Marble Surfaces

In our cleaning service, we treat marble surfaces with extra care. We never use baking soda because it can both scratch the surface and chemically react with the marble. Instead, we use a simple solution of water and pH-neutral dish soap, which effectively cleans without risking damage.

Clogged Drains with Aluminum Pipes

While the baking soda and vinegar method is popular for unclogging drains, we avoid this if the home has aluminum pipes. We've learned that baking soda can cause chemical reactions with aluminum plumbing. For these situations, we recommend professional drain cleaning solutions or calling a plumber.

Glass Surfaces

In our years of cleaning homes, we've found that baking soda is too harsh for glass surfaces. It can leave scratches on mirrors, windows, and glass tables. We achieve better results using professional glass cleaners or a simple mixture of water and white vinegar.

Wood Floors

Wood floors require gentle care to maintain their beauty. We never use baking soda on them as it can scratch the finish. Instead, we use specialized wood floor cleaners that protect and preserve the wood's natural finish while effectively cleaning the surface.

Smooth Stovetops

For glass or ceramic stovetops, we avoid baking soda completely. These surfaces are easily scratched, and we've seen how baking soda can leave both scratches and a difficult-to-remove residue. We prefer using specialized stovetop cleaners that cut through grease without damaging the surface.