Baking Soda - many uses at home.
Have some baking soda around your home? Many household surveys state that baking soda is a great product to have at home because it can be utilized for many household purposes. Some uses are listed in the picture above but below I have also included more uses for what I personally call a "magical and brilliantly created product".
PERSONAL HYGIENE CARE USES FOR BAKING SODA
1) Make Toothpaste - a paste can be made with baking soda or sprinkle some over your tooth paste and brush thus giving you an extra boost to cleansing.
2) Freshen Your Mouth - Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors get neutralized, not just covered up.
3) Soak Oral Appliances - such as retainers, mouthpieces or dentures. Dissolve in a glass or small bowl of warm water. The baking soda loosens food particles and neutralizes odors to keep your oral appliances fresh. You can also brush/clean your oral appliances using baking soda.
4) Use as a Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliation - Give yourself a facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin, then rinse clean. This should be gentle enough for daily use.
5) Use as a Deodorant - Simply pat baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor.
6) Use as an Antacid - Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn or acid indigestion. Usually you can find the "how to" instructions on the sides of the package and/or container.
7) Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin - For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as an ointment/cream onto affected skin. To further ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower.
8) Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener - You can "do away" with harsh soaps and gently scrub. This process is meant to neutralize odors on hands, then thoroughly rinse clean.
9) Help Your Hair - baking soda has its place in the shower also. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly. Baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.
10) Clean Brushes and Combs - For lustrous hair with more shine, keep your hair brushes and combs clean. Remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl of warm water. Rinse and allow to dry.
11) Make a Bath Soak - add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft.
12) Soothe Your Feet - Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub/container of warm water, soak feet and gently scrub. Some call this process a spa soak for your feet.
CLEANING WITH BAKING SODA
13) Make a Surface Soft Scrub - for a safe effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tiles, sinks and yes even fiberglass and glossy tiles... simply sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub with a light force. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.
14) Hand wash Dishes and Pots & Pans - add baking soda (along with your regular dish detergent) to the dish water. This helps to cut grease and foods left on dishes, pots and pans.
15) Freshen Sponges - soak the stale smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of any odors emanating from the sponge.
16) Polish Silver Flatware - Make a paste made with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for a shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.
17) Clean Coffee and Tea Pots - Remove coffee and tea stains plus eliminate bitter tastes by washing mugs, tea pots and coffee makers with baking soda.
18) Wash your hands - Cleaning fish or chopping onions? Take the smell off your hands by washing them with baking soda and water.
19) Clean the Oven - Sprinkle baking soda onto a cleaning cloth and scrub. Or for more stubborn spots, sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of the oven, spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge and rinse.
20) Clean Shower Curtains - Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean.
21) Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent - Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder thus getting clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.
22) Gently Clean Baby Clothes - As you know, baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers but some odor and stain fighters are often harsh on the baby skin. Therefore, for tough stains it is recommended to add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent.
23) Clean and Freshen Sports Gear - Use a baking soda solution (4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water) to clean and deodorize smelly sports equipment. Sprinkle baking soda into golf bags and gym bags to deodorize and you can clean golf irons (without scratching them!) with a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water) and a brush. Rinse thoroughly.
24) Clean toys - make it a sanitary playtime! Soak to clean and deodorize baby toys in a baking soda solution. Note: This also works for dog toys that are sticky with slobber and lint.
25) Remove Oil and Grease Stains - Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
FOOD & KITCHEN RELATED USES
26) Fluff up an egg omelet - Omelets will be fluffier when you add a half-teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs you crack and stir.
27) Clean plastic containers (such as Tupperware) - Leftovers can make their mark on plastic containers. Wash these containers with baking soda and watch the stains "be gone", also removes red sauce stains on plastic.
DEODORIZING WITH BAKING SODA
28) Deodorize Your Refrigerator - Place an open box towards the inside-back of the refrigerator to neutralize odors.
29) Deodorize the Cutting Board - Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub then rinse.
30) Deodorize Trash cans - Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your trash can to keep stinky trash smells at bay. You can also scrub the inside with baking soda and rinse with a power nozzle sprayer.
31) Deodorize sink Drains - To deodorize your sinks, tub drains and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water–it will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain. (This a good way to dispose of baking soda that is being retired from your refrigerator).
32) Deodorize and Clean Dishwashers - Use baking soda to deodorize before you run the dishwasher and then as a gentle cleanser in the wash cycle.
33) Deodorize Garbage Disposals - in order to deodorize your disposal and keep lingering odors from resurfacing: pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors.
34) Remove Odor from Carpets - Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest.
35) Freshen the sleeping mattress - Every so often apply a thin layer of baking soda atop the mattress. In a few hours, vacuum it up.
36) Deodorizing Cars - Odors do settle into car upholstery and carpet, so each time you step in and/or sit down, the odors are released into the air again. To help eliminate these odors try sprinkling baking soda directly on fabric car seats and carpets. Wait about 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odors) and vacuum up the baking soda... Bingo! …your car should now smell fresher.
37) Deodorize the Cat Litter Box - Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, periodically sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter.
38) Deodorize Pet Bedding - Eliminate those odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling liberally with baking soda, wait 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odors), then shake and/or vacuum up.
39) Deodorize Sneakers - Keep odors from spreading in smelly sneakers by shaking baking soda into them when not in use. Shake out before wearing.
40) On Clothing - To remove perspiration stains, make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Rub paste into the stain, let it sit for an hour, and then launder as usual.
41) Eliminate odor from luggage - Got an old trunk or suitcase that smells suspicious? Say good bye to bad smells by sprinkling in some soda, closing up the luggage, letting it sit for a couple of days, and then vacuuming.
MISCELLANEOUS USES
42) Freshener for patio seat cushions - Or putting away or covering up your patio furniture for the year? Sprinkle baking soda on the chair cushions and vacuum when ready for use again.
43) Camping uses - Baking soda is a must have for your next camping trip. Its uses are for dish washing, pot scrubber, hand cleanser, deodorant, toothpaste and many other uses.
44) Keep bugs out - Lay down a barrier of baking soda under sink-pipe openings and along windows and/or sills in order to keep ants, silverfish, and roaches from invading your home. Roaches and others tend to eat the baking soda, dehydrate, and die.
A little tidbit here:
• Did you know that in 1843: Alfred Bird - a British chemist, made the first known version of baking powder to help out his wife who was allergic to yeast.
• Most baking soda in the United States comes from a small town named Green River in the state of Wyoming. Green River supplies "one quarter" of the world with baking soda. The baking soda is created from the mineral named trona. Trona is a sodium carbonate odorless compound mineral: Has a greyish and yellow appearance that consists of hydrated sodium carbonate and is created from salt deposits formed by the evaporation of lake beds in the areas known as "trona mines". After being "mined", trona goes through a chemical process to create the widely used product commonly known as Baking Soda.
Oscar Castillo : BROKER - REALTOR® (San Diego, CA)
(858) 775-1057
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