Fabric cleaning solution - saturated sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

I was searching PC for a safe fabric cleaner formula for my Prius 4 roof and pillar liners and noticed a number references to baking soda and Dawn liquid. Here is a formula that I came up with that works for safely removing grease and dirt smudges.

Materials:

Distilled water
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)
Dawn dish-washing liquid
Pint spray bottle
Synthetic applicator pad (microfiber towel can also be use, but may leave lint)
Toothbrush
Portable vacuum cleaner


To make 16oz/570ml of saturated bicarbonate cleaning solution:

Measure out a pint of distilled water into a saucepan. Gradually stir in baking soda, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing it to completely dissolve without heat. At room temperature the solution will temporarily become cloudy and then gradually become clear as you stir. Continue adding baking soda until the solution remains cloudy even after stirring. A small amount (less than a half teaspoon) will be left undissolved at the bottom of the pan. Heat sauce pan on stove and occasionally stir until the solution is just about to boil. All of the baking soda should be completely dissolved at this point and the solution should be clear again. Turn off the stove, then add one drop of Dawn dish-washing liquid and stir slowly while the solution is still near boiling temperature. Solution will become soapy on the surface - fine soap bubbles may make the solution appear cloudy at first, but the solution will clear up when the soap bubbles float to the surface. Allow solution to cool to room temperature, then pour saturated bicarbonate solution into a pint spray bottle. Store at room temperature.

Use for cleaning fabric: Harsh cleaning products can damage/discolor some fabrics over time. To avoid this, use saturated bicarbonate (baking soda) cleaning solution, as described below, before trying other cleaning solutions.

Dampen a synthetic applicator pad or microfiber towel with saturated bicarbonate solution and lightly rub it into the fabric. The bicarbonate will absorb dirt and oil released by the soap. Allow fabric to dry for two hours, then vacuum area with a portable vacuum cleaner. Lightly brush the fabric with a tooth brush to help pick up any dried baking soda with the vacuum.

Clean up required: After drying, nearby vehicle trim panels will be covered with baking soda spots. Clean with ammonia-free window cleaner and microfiber towel.

 

You are allowed... ...Also, I agree with your selection of tracks (The Doors play real well on my 10 JBL premium!)

Note, next to the last para in my thread starter recommends STARTING with a safe cleaner before trying harsher ones - it does not preclude stronger solutions when necessary.

The only strict/detailed part is in cooking up the solution, and that was specifically to produce a SATURATED solution. For reasons that I still don't quite understand, it makes the cleaner surprisingly effective. When I first used it, I was surprised, because baking soda is not an active ingredient - it merely acts a an absorbent (in this case a saturated super-absorbent). I chose dawn liquid as the safest cleaner since it was already neutral. However, using Ajax or Tide should be even more effective (Joy should be at least as effective) and should be safe since saturated bicarbonate will easily balance ph (I also use it as a neutralizer following degreasing with citrol)

 

Yes. As stated above, the bicarbonate solution is intended as a "safest" cleaner, to start with, before trying other remedies. The bicarbonate is an absorbent, not the active cleaner ingredient. The boiling and mixing is solely for producing a saturated solution. As such, it becomes a super-absorbent, and combined with Dawn, is very effective at safely removing simple oil and dirt stains. Other stains will require stronger chemicals, which you would probably be better off using commercial products that are designed specifically for the application. E.g. you probably need a ketone based solvent for ink stains, but I would be leery about using home brewed "hairspray" (acetone) based solutions as they tend to attack synthetic material.

 

Your welcome. But to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention. If I like something I read, I hit the "like" button. It's not like it's there to be hoarded, or anything - tho some people seem to be that way.

Have a nice day!

 

BTW. If you get a chance to try the recipe, post a comment here and let me know what you think. Or if you have even more time. Try the same thing with other detergents and compare them. As I indicated in the thread starter, I was just looking around for a good safe cleaner, and when I kept seeing references to Dawn liquid, and baking soda, I decided to try putting the two together in a super-saturated solution. I wasn't even sure it would stay together and half expected the sodium bicarbonate to condense and come out of solution as soon as I added the detergent... ...but I got lucky, I guess.