Practicing Voluntary Simplicity with Baking Soda: One Product, Many Uses

There are many reasons for voluntary simplicity. For me, it is mostly a spiritual action. In deep meditation, I have concluded all life to be sacred. When all life becomes sacred, one may begin to think, “How might I not harm?” One of my primary philosophies in regard to voluntary simplicity is, “Most amount of use for least amount of product.” This philosophy guides me to choose baking soda as it has diverse household uses.

I remember the first time I used Baking Soda to clean something. It was the bathtub in my parents’ house which hadn’t drained properly. The water must have steeped there for days. It was a disgusting mess. After several tries at the plunger and a bunch of cleaning products down the drain the water finally subsided.

I had a mess on my hands and only a day to get it clean because my Aunt was coming in town and the parents were dead set on letting her use it. At that point in time I had been interested in changing my lifestyle to include nature safe products. I asked my mom if there were any home remedies for this sort of problem. She looked both on the computer (internet) and this big old how to do book.

That book led me to using baking soda for the first time in cleaning. Amazingly, by simply making a past, the tub came clean with just a minimal of elbow grease. The recipe for a paste of baking soda may be found on most boxes along with other home remedies or uses. Basically how it happens is by using water to mix with the baking soda until there is a paste. The paste can then be applied to areas which need to be cleaned.

In so many commercials are cleaning products which use a phrase similar to, “that hard to clean ‘whatever it is.'” I have found that using contemporary products to clean the slimy mess out of bathroom borders is actually more difficult than the time honored use of baking soda.

I recently just moved into a new apartment. The apartment wasn’t all that dirty however, the bathroom was in a state of undesirable fortune. After I removed the rugs to be washed I simply poured baking soda all over the toilet, sink, shower stall and floor. After that I just took my big gallon jug of apple cider vinegar (any vinegar will do) and pour it on all surfaces. Then I set in with the elbow grease. After less than half an hour a bathroom which hadn’t been cleaned in who knows how long was clean with thanks to baking soda and vinegar.

Since cleaning my bathroom I have decided to use baking soda and salt mixture as a tooth paste. For mouth wash baking soda, salt and vinegar can be mixed. Baking soda can also be used as a primary ingredient for washing dishes and laundry. In most cases recipes are directly listed on most boxes of baking soda you might purchase.

Baking soda may not be an answer to everyone who enters into voluntary simplicity. There are many ideas and products out there which approach simplicity and environmental health. Different people have different priorities when seeking voluntary simplicity. For me, baking soda has answered many of my questions of voluntary simplicity in regard to cleaning and hygiene and those are two big necessities of living.