The Baking Soda Hack That Cleans And Removes Turmeric Stains (For Good)

After spending hours cooking a gourmet meal, the last thing you want to see is stains on your cookware or dishes. Unfortunately, some ingredients, particularly spices like fresh or dried turmeric, can leave stubborn, unsightly marks. And scrubbing with soap and water alone might not be enough to restore it to its original state.

Luckily, we have the perfect baking soda hack for cleaning turmeric stains off kitchen items. Making a baking soda paste can get rid of tough turmeric stains, even ones that have set into materials like ceramic, stoneware, and porcelain. All you need is baking soda and water. Don't use baking soda and vinegar together, as it doesn't work because mixing the two actually creates a chemical reaction that counteracts any cleaning power the ingredients would have on their own.

Instead, mix ½ cup of baking soda with ½ cup of water in a bowl to create a paste. Apply it to the stain and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Then use a soft, damp cloth or non-abrasive sponge to rub the baking soda into the material to gently remove the stain. If the stain remains, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice or a few drops of dish soap to the baking soda paste. The citric acid in lemon juice may amp up the stain-removing powers of the baking soda, and dish soap can break down the natural oils in turmeric, so it's easier to wipe away. However, you should avoid using lemons or baking soda on certain kitchen countertop materials like marble.

There is actually a scientific reason why turmeric stains everything. The spice contains curcumin, and its molecules change color when exposed to liquids with different pH levels. It looks yellow when added to acidic or neutral liquids, and red in basic liquids. It can leave yellow or red stains on almost any material, other than stainless steel. This happens because more porous materials are able to absorb color molecules from the turmeric. The spice also contains natural oils that make it non-water-soluble, so it's very hard to remove these molecules with water-based cleaning methods.

Baking soda works so well at getting rid of stubborn stains and odors because it is a neutral chemical compound. It is a crystalline salt that breaks down in water to form a mild alkaline solution of sodium and bicarbonate. Because this solution has a high pH level, it is a base rather than an acid. This means that it can neutralize more acidic compounds, breaking them down so that they are easier to clean away. Baking soda is also mildly abrasive and can lift turmeric stains without damaging the material beneath.