Baking soda paste stuck on my bathroom floor — can't really clean it.

February 25, 2023 8:58 AM

The paste is stuck to the bathroom tile floor and congealed. Details inside.

Last night, I threw up. Let's just say that some of the barf didn't... make it into the toilet bowl. It was a nasty mess. I immediately used my Rejunivate spray mop to clean it up the best I could, and then shook a good amount of baking soda on the floor to help absorb the odors.

This morning, I tried vacuuming up the baking soda, which didn't really work that well. I then tried using Rejunivate again to spray it, but it ended up being a congealed mess and some of the baking soda won't come off the floor.

What would your recommendation be? The smell is gone, blessedly so, but now my bathroom floor is a weird, sticky, gritty mess of baking soda paste, and Rejunivate won't help. Should I just leave it be to dry completely, then mop up? How do I get rid of this sticky baking soda paste? Thanks in advance!

posted by dubious_dude to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

Maybe try pouring some vinegar on it? If I learned anything from elementary school science...
posted by jozxyqk at 9:03 AM on February 25, 2023 [10 favorites]

Is the floor tile? A putty knife or bench scraper.
posted by cocoagirl at 9:05 AM on February 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

Baking soda dissolves in water. I would just wet it thoroughly and scrub with a scrubber or, if you have none, a wet rag. Then wipe dry. (Though vinegar would give you some entertaining fizzling.)
posted by trig at 9:14 AM on February 25, 2023 [12 favorites]

A spray mop is unlikely to get the stuff wet enough to remove. My feeling is you’ll need water, let it soften properly and then mop it up. I am not convinced a mop pad will get it all, you may need a large cleaning cloth you rinse out between passes so you don’t simply spread the paste around. At the very least you need to clean your mop pad before you try again and keep rinsing that between passes.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:14 AM on February 25, 2023

It’s going to need to sit for a long time with water, not just be sprayed or run over with a damp mop. I would put very wet towels on it for an hour or so, then try again.
posted by FencingGal at 9:20 AM on February 25, 2023 [6 favorites]

Man just get it wet. It’s too dry to remove so get it wet.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:32 AM on February 25, 2023 [29 favorites]

Put a rag on it. Pour hot water on the rag. Wait 10 minutes, use the rag to remove all the loosened baking soda paste. Repeat ad nauseam.

...pun intended
posted by erst at 9:58 AM on February 25, 2023 [5 favorites]

Soaking in water will do fine, but vinegar will be more fun. Start with a tablespoon.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:59 AM on February 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

Making an assumption based on some previous ask history here. You are going to have to touch it. Yes, with your hands.

You can use gloves, towels, a tool, whatever to give you distance, but you're going to need to get down close to your barf spot and use a bit of elbow grease to gain traction.

It's just barf, your own barf, it came out of your own face. You can wash your hands after or even take a whole shower if you want. I promise you, you will survive this interaction.
posted by phunniemee at 10:45 AM on February 25, 2023 [8 favorites]

Is the floor tile? A putty knife or bench scraper.

Be careful you don't scratch the tile, if so. Definitely try soaking with vinegar before using a putty knife.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:52 AM on February 25, 2023

Best answer: Yeah, no need to scrape, very probably.

I'd make a water poultice out of toilet paper and paper towels - very, very wet - and just let it sit a long time. Try to wipe up with the poultice, and then some dry towels, after that.
posted by amtho at 10:56 AM on February 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would rough it up a little with a brush, then try sweeping or vacuuming it up, THEN try the wet towel approach.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 12:19 PM on February 25, 2023

Put an old towel on it and get it really wet so the towel keeps the water against the mess. Let it sit for 15 mins or so. Then scrape with the edge of a credit card (don’t use a metal scraper, it might scratch the tile. A plastic credit card is a good scraper - I always keep an old hotel door key or expired gift card for this purpose). Repeat a few times as needed. All the mess you described is water soluble (vomit, baking sofa, cleaning products) so just get it wet and wait while the water gradually dissolves it enough that it can be scraped.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:05 PM on February 25, 2023

I'd be cautious about putting vinegar on a spot with the cleaning product on it. If it was just baking soda it wouldn't matter but no idea if it would react with any chemicals in the cleaner.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:13 PM on February 25, 2023

+1 amtho’s water poultice! Have used exactly this on gross stuff that’s hardened and hard to scrape off.
posted by cotton dress sock at 6:00 PM on February 25, 2023

Response by poster: Amtho saved the day—did that, only with old T-shirts, and left the floor soaking wet for about 30 minutes. Returned and presto, all the paste has magically gone away.

Thanks!
posted by dubious_dude at 12:14 AM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Hello, sorry for the unrelated comment on this thread, I came across your post from 2021 about a “strong chemical odor upon entering apartment”;
I’m having the exact issue and it’d really ease my anxiety to know what it turned out to be in your case, Thanks in advance!

(Extremely sorry for spamming here, The older thread is closed for comments and I’m new to Metafilter)
posted by madzie3110 at 11:40 AM on February 28, 2023