It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Don t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors unless you intend to remove the wax. White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic they neutralize alkaline substances such as scale from hard water.
Acids dissolve gummy buildup, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.
Liquid Soaps and Detergent Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease, and they are not the same thing. Soap is made from fats and lye. Detergents are synthetic materials discovered and synthesized early in this century. Unlike soap, detergents are designed specifically so that they don t react with hard water minerals and cause soap scum. For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant it must go through extensive and expensive tests.