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Two
Dozen Uses for Baking Soda
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| Inexpensive, versatile, and environmentally friendly, baking soda has a myriad of uses. I have compiled two |
| dozen of them , some you may have never tried before. From reducing baby’s fever to cleaning dentures, and |
| ridding your garden of pests, baking soda can be an easy and cheap solution to your problems. |
| Homemade Scouring Powder |
| 1 cup baking soda |
| 1 cup borax |
| 1 cup salt |
| Drain Cleaner |
| 1 cup baking soda |
| Add 1 cup hot vinegar |
| Wait a few minutes, then flush the drain with 1 quart of very hot water. |
| For garbage disposals, use 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar. |
| Automatic Dishwasher Powder |
| Use 2 Tablespoons baking soda and 2 Tablespoons borax per load. |
| Drip Coffee Maker Cleaner |
| Mix 1 cup warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda. Let it drip through the coffee maker. |
| Then drip a pot of plain water to rinse. It will keep your coffee maker clean and fresh. |
| Teapot Cleaner |
| To remove rust stains and mineral deposits, fill the teapot with water and add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and |
| the juice of half a lemon. Boil gently for 15 minutes. Rinse and repeat if needed. |
| Microwave Cleaning |
| Make a cleaning solution of 4 Tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of warm water. Use it to clean the inside |
| surfaces of the oven.---or place a few spoonfuls of baking soda in water in a microwave safe cup. Boil the water |
| 3-5 minutes. The walls of the microwave will be damp. Simply take a sponge or paper towel and wipe down the |
| insides of the oven. |
| Unclog Gas Stoves |
| To unclog burners on a gas stove, simply add 1/4 box of baking soda to 2 quarts of water and boil for a few |
| minutes. |
| Easy Toilet Cleaner Sprinkle |
| 1/2 box of baking soda into the toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight before flushing. The tank and |
| the bowl will be both clean and deodorized. |
| Economical Air Freshener |
| Simply mix equal parts of baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put it in a soap dish or in small |
| sachet bags wherever you would like to freshen the air. |
| Economical Carpet Deodorizer |
| Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and 15 drops of essential oil fragrance for scent. Sprinkle on |
| the rugs before bedtime and let it sit overnight. If you like, you can work it into the carpet the next morning with |
| a stiff bristle brush or broom. Then vacuum. |
| Laundry Booster |
| Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the washing machine along with your usual amount of liquid laundry soap. It will |
| make whites whiter and colors brighter. ( NOTE: It doesn’t work with powdered laundry detergents! ). |
| Clean Brushes and Combs |
| Fill sink with hot water and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Watch the dirt and oil dissolve away! |
| Underarm Deodorant |
| Sprinkle under your arms, even after shaving. It won’t irritate your skin. If you prefer a smoother textured |
| deodorant, mix it with a little talcum powder. |
| Clean Glasses |
| Hold your eyeglasses over a sink and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on them. With wet fingers, gently |
| rub the lenses. Rinse clean and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. |
| Breath Freshener |
| Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into a cup of water and rinse. It will eliminate even morning mouth, garlic |
| and onion odors! Make your own mouthwash by combining 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 |
| cup of water. Add a few drops of flavoring if desired. |
| Tooth Whitener Mix |
| 1 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Using a cotton swab, apply it to your teeth, brush |
| clean with water and rinse. Coffee and tea stains will disappear! ( NOTE: This is an occasional treatment only. |
| Lemon juice contains a lot of acid and shouldn’t be overused, or used alone. Combined with baking soda, the acid |
| is buffered and won’t destroy the tooth’s enamel). |
| Denture and Retainer Cleaner |
| Combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda. 1 tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent and 1 cup of water. Soak |
| the dentures or plastic retainer for 30 minutes and rinse well. If you prefer, you can use 1 cup of water and 2 |
| teaspoons of baking soda in a glass. |
| An Inexpensive Sports Drink |
| For each quart of boiled water add 1 level tablespoon of salt, 1 rounded teaspoon of baking soda, 4 rounded |
| teaspoons of sugar, and 1 package of sugar free Koolaid. Stir until clear and refrigerate. |
| Clear Up a Stuffy Nose |
| Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer. It will unblock nasal passages and keep the vaporizer clean as |
| well! |
| Baby Fever Reducer |
| Bathe the infant in a tub of lukewarm water with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Use less if you are using a plastic |
| infant tub. This is also an effective remedy for diaper rash. |
| For Dogs and Cats |
| Sprinkle baking soda on your pet’s brush or comb to deodorize their skin and fur. Adding 2 tablespoons of baking |
| soda to your dog’s bath water and rinse water will make their coat clean and shiny. |
| Using baking soda on pet stains will eliminate the odor and prevent the pet from returning to the same spot in |
| the future for another accident. |
| Sprinkling the litter box with baking soda keeps it fresh and deodorized. |
| Paint Brushes |
| To restore brushes stiffened and hardened by paint, simply boil them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water mixed |
| with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. |
| Non-toxic pesticide |
| Put baking soda under sinks near pipe openings and along basement windows to repel ants, silver fish and |
| roaches. Roaches will dehydrate and die after eating baking soda. |
| In the Garden |
| Occasionally, lightly sprinkle baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from nibbling at your buds. |
| Sprinkle baking soda on slugs to get rid of them without having to resort to costly and toxic pesticides. |
| To sweeten your tomatoes by reducing their acidity, sprinkle baking soda lightly on the soil around your tomato |
| plants. The soda from an old box used to absorb odors in the refrigerator is fine for this purpose. |