Many Uses of Baking Soda
Baking soda was imported from England during colonial times and was not produced in American until 1839. This little product has been around for ages and has just as many uses today as it did when it was first imported.
One can put an open box of baking soda in the fridge and freezer marked with the date to neutralize odors, just remember to change the boxes every couple of months. Sprinkle on the carpet under your car seats, in sneakers, slippers or boots to neutralize odors. If you are planning to move and need to leave an appliance closed up for any length of time, sprinkle inside the appliance (refrigerator, washing machine, dish washer, free standing freezer) before you close it up to keep odors at bay while in transit. I would not recommend using inside a dryer as you can not clean it out easily.
Baking soda mixed with a little water to make a paste can be used as a poultice for insect bites, a gentle abrasive for scrubbing formica, porcelain or other surfaces that you want to be gentle on.
Keeping a box of soda in the kitchen, garage, next to the grill, or any other source of flame is handy. In case of a fire you can smother the flames by sprinkling over liberally without worry of it harming anything. Just remember not to put it over the stove since you do not want to have to reach above a potential flame to grab it in case of an emergency. It is also wise to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, basement, or garage as well.
If you need to clean silver pieces that do not have any type of cement or raised patterns on them shine here is something that works. Take a piece of aluminum foil and place it in the bottom of an enameled pan or pot. Put your silver pieces on top and 4 tablespoons baking soda and cover with boiling water, let stand for 20 minutes then rinse in tepid water and dry. The tarnish has gone and you haven’t had to polish by hand. For items you need to polish by hand you can sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth and use it for polishing.
In the bathroom, baking soda can be used as toothpaste as well as mouthwash. Sprinkle on a dampened toothbrush and you brush your teeth and not worry that you are harming the enamel on your teeth. A half teaspoon mixed in half a glass of water will freshen breath but also can relieve canker sore pain. It can be used for deodorant if they are caught off guard and forgot to purchase. If you are out of bath salts, mix half a cup of baking soda in your bath water to not only soften the water but your skin as well. Sunburn pain can be helped the same way just lower the temperature of the bath water before soaking. For cleaning the bathroom, baking soda can be used instead of scouring powder for different surfaces, just make sure that it will not mark the surface. You can try it in an inconspicuous area first.
Use baking soda for soaking and laundering diapers and washing out diaper pails to neutralize the odor. Keep a small container in a diaper bag for emergencies. Should baby spit up on you while you are out you can wipe the spot first then take a dampened napkin or cloth and put some dry baking soda on it and rub the area to neutralize the odor and still be able to carry on through what you had planned without having to worry about odor.
Baking soda can be used for cleaning and polishing many surfaces. On a soft dry cloth it will polish chrome both in the house and on your vehicle. On a dampened sponge to scrub and remove grease on grills and car rims. Mixed with water to clean out garbage pails and cans both in the house and outside. Gently clean fresh fruits and vegetables without harming them or those that will eat them.
It can be sprinkled in litter boxes under litter to help in odor control. Should pets or people accidentally stain the carpet, sprinkle baking soda on the area, rub it in with a paper towel gently, allow to dry, then vacuum. If it was a pet accident, spray with vinegar and water solution afterwards to ward off another.
You can make homemade baking powder with baking soda. For this you will need to sift then stir together, 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch. I make this every year around Thanksgiving so that I have fresh baking powder in my kitchen for holiday baking.
Something fun for you to make for children with baking soda is clay. You will need a bowl to mix this in and a plastic zip bag to store it in. Mix together, 2 cups baking soda, 1 cup cornstarch and 1 �½ cups water. This clay is completely non toxic and children love to play with it. They can mold it, let it dry and paint their creations.
Just one small box of baking soda has so many different uses in and around the home. It is something we can all use in one way or another and be certain we are not harming ourselves or our family with chemicals we can not even pronounce. Keep a few boxes in the house; you never know when you might find another use for baking soda.
