There is a close link between baking soda and dogs! If this is new to you, you'll love reading this post! The good old, baking soda has a solid reputation for being a versatile and natural cleaning product. Even the early egyptians used a form of baking soda as a cleaning agent several thousand years ago. It is a safe product to use, not only around the house and dogs, but also ON your dog!
Having dogs around means you'll have to do a fair amount of cleaning and maintenance. Not only will the dogs need the occasional bath or grooming, but as will your house! Dogs will bring messes and odors to your house - there's no way around this.
And this is where the baking soda comes into play!
Grooming Your Dog With Baking Soda
Baking soda is both mild and natural, and can be used for both cleaning and deodorizing your dogs. As this is an all natural product, you can stop worrying about toxins and chemicals in the products you use.
Baking soda is perfectly safe for dogs, as long as they don't ingest large amounts. Which will never happen when using it for grooming. As much as a teaspoon ingested baking soda per pound of body weight, is the amount considered dangerous. I can't really see how that could happen when taking a bath!
Dry baths
For a quick rince when there's no time to run a bath or taking the time to properly groom your dogs, this is a great option.
Make sure your dog is completely dry
Brush to remove loose hairs
Sprinkle some of the baking soda on their coat, avoiding their face.
Lightly rub the baking soda in, and leave it for 5-6 minutes
Use towel and a brush to comb the powder out
Wet baths
By making a mixture based on baking soda, you can give dogs a wet bath. Perfect for when you run out of your ordinary shampoo, or when you just need a quick, cheap washup!
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with 1.5 cups warm water
Wash your dog with the mixture gently massaging it into the coat
Did you know that many shampoos already contain baking soda?
Dental hygiene
Brushing your dogs teeth should be done regularly. Of course you can get a toothpaste made especially for dogs at a store or the vet, but baking soda will also work.
Dip a soft toothbrush in baking soda, and gently clean the gums and teeth.
Better Smelling House and Car With Baking Soda
When you share the house with dogs, at some point they will make a spill, a mess, have an accident or what have you not! Baking soda will help you get rid of the smell and odors in an evironmentally friendly way.
Baking soda is known for its ability to absorb unwanted odors, so why not give it a shot?
Dog Beds, Carpets, and upholstery
To take odors out of carpets and upholstery, sprinkle baking powder and leave it there for about an hour before vacuuming it.
Cleaning up after an accident
This is one of the lesser fun sides of owning dogs, but we've all been there. Suddenly a pool of "something" appears on the kitchen floor or elsewhere in the house.
After removing the pool of whatever was there, sprinkle generously with baking powder, and let it sit for a while before vacuuming or rinsing with water.
Cleaning dog dishes
The smell of dog bowls, isn't always very pleasant. Using equal amounts of baking soda, salt and water, make a paste to wash and polish the dog bowls with. Rinse thoroughly with running water afterwards.
Cleaning dog toys
Dog use their mouths when playing with their toys, and they will start smelling at some point. Toys made of fabric or rope can be sprinkled with baking soda to remove odors. Sprinkle, leave to work, shake the toy, or throw to the ground a few times to knock the powder off.
Rubber and plastic toys can be cleaned with a mixture of baking soda and water. One tablespoon of baking soda to 1.5 cups of water should do the trick. Rinse with clean water.
Deodorizing the car
By sprinkling baking soda on the seats and floors in the car, and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes before vacuuming, you can remove much of the unwanted odors in your car.
Final Thoughts
Who knew the baking soda could be so versatile and helpful in keeping our dogs and houses clean?
Baking soda has been a home remedy for centuries, helpful to a lot of things, but most of all as a cleaning agent and deodorizer.
Curious about more uses for baking soda? Check out this post on Healthline.com.