Baking Soda is another one of those amazing products that can do almost anything. It's dirt cheap and completely safe and natural.
Quick science lesson... Baking Soda is actually the mineral, sodium bicarbonate, which occurs naturally in all living things. It's function is to balance pH (keep them from being too acidic or too alkaline). It can be manufactured by mining sodium carbonate and dissolving it in a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled. Baking soda's ability to balance pH is one of the things that makes it such a useful, multi-purpose product.
So, here's the list...
To Deodorize:
1. Small bowl or box in the refrigerator and freezer.
2. Sprinkle in garbage and diaper pails and inside each new bag.
3. Soak containers in a solution of baking soda and water.
4. Sprinkle in drains and garbage disposals and then run warm water.
5. Sprinkle carpets, let sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum.
6. Sprinkle in litterboxes.
7. Sprinkle your dog and then brush.
8. Sprinkle in your laundry hamper between washdays.
9. Add to each load of laundry.
10. Sprinkle camping gear and sports gear before putting it away for the off season.
To Clean
11. Sprinkle on a damp cloth or sponge to use as a light scrub. Rinse with water.
12. Clean silver with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rinse with water.
13. Remove scuff marks from floors by sprinkling and wiping up with a damp cloth.
14. Clean pans with baked on food or grill racks by sprinkling and then soaking overnight.
15. Clean stains off kitchen or bathroom surfaces with a paste of baking soda and water.
16. Clean hairbrushes and combs by swishing in baking soda and water.
17. Clean a carpet spill as normal, but then sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum.
18. Clean toys or lawn furniture with 1/4 cup baking soda per quart of water. Rinse.
19. Pre-treat grease stains with a baking soda paste.
20. Clean mildew from kiddie pools with baking soda and warm water.
21. Clean thermoses and coolers with baking soda and warm water.
22. Run your (empty) dishwasher through a cycle with baking soda instead of detergent.
23. Clean/deodorize garlicky or fishy hands by scrubbing with baking soda paste.
24. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.
Other Ideas
25. Throw handfuls of it at the base of grease or electrical fires to put out.
26. Can be used in pools to balance pH... see Arm and Hammer website for details.
27. Keep drains clear by occasionally pouring 1/4 cup down and and then running hot water.
28.1/2 tsp in 4oz of water every 2 hours as an antacid. (Not more than 7 times per day-- not more than 3 times per day if you are over 60 years old).
29. Sprinkle on ant piles.
30. 2 TBSP in baby's bath to relieve diaper rash.
31. Sprinkled liberally in an adult's (cool) bath to relieve sunburn.
32. Paste on insect bites, rashes, and poison ivy.
33. Used as a mouthwash it will relieve canker sores.
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