Baking Soda & Vinegar On Window Tracks: What It's For And Why It's Recommended

Baking soda and white vinegar are two different products that are increasingly used in various home cleaning tasks. These are often used for separate tasks, though, as the two products inevitably neutralize each other when they're mixed together, as baking soda is alkaline and vinegar is acidic. With this in mind, the purpose of using baking soda and vinegar on window tracks may raise some eyebrows. Using baking soda and vinegar in a specific order may assist with removing caked-on dirt on this often-overlooked area when cleaning windows, thanks to the bubbling reaction.

Baking soda is abrasive and may help to displace dirt on a micro level thanks to its very fine particles. Adding white vinegar as a follow-up creates a fizzing reaction that can physically lift some of this gunk to the surface, making it easier to reach with a cloth or cleaning brush. This can be especially helpful in the corners of the tracks that may be difficult to effectively clean. Once the solution stops bubbling, though, the two ingredients effectively turn into saltwater and can no longer provide much cleaning action. To this end, do not want to combine vinegar and baking soda before applying it to your window tracks.

While you can use baking soda followed by vinegar to clean window tracks, there are a few important caveats to know. First, it's helpful to vacuum up loose debris and dust from the window tracks before using any cleaning method. This is especially true when liquid solutions are involved, as excess grime and moisture make sticky, hard-to-remove mud. 

If you ever made a baking soda and vinegar volcano for a grade school science project, you know that the bubbling action can develop quite rapidly. The same can be true of any surface you mix these two ingredients together on. If you decide to use this method, Merry Maids recommends using a very small amount of baking soda and vinegar, or else you might be left with a large mess foaming out of the window tracks. They also recommend scrubbing the area with a small brush after spraying with vinegar, and then wiping the entire area clean with a cloth.

You might have some success with this method, but you can also simply scrub the area with a baking soda and water paste. If you stick with baking soda, take care not to scrub any glass portions of the windows, as this mildly abrasive substance may cause scratches. Finally, if you want to stick with mild cleaning ingredients for your windows and tracks, you aren't limited to either baking soda or vinegar. Another option is to remove the tracks and clean them thoroughly with dish soap and warm water in the kitchen sink before drying and replacing them. You can also use the power of water alone if you have a steam cleaner on hand.