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Loading...51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
- a Care2 favorite by Melissa Breyer
- 1060 comments
Personal Care
1. Make Toothpaste
A paste made from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes. (Or here’s a formula for a minty version.) You can also just dip your toothbrush with toothpaste into baking soda for an extra boost.
2. Freshen Your Mouth
Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up.
3. Soak Oral Appliance
Soak oral appliances, like retainers, mouthpieces and dentures, in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a glass or small bowl of warm water. The baking soda loosens food particles and neutralizes odors to keep appliances fresh. You can also brush appliances clean using baking soda.
4. Use as a Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliant
Give yourself an invigorating 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. Rinse clean. This is gentle enough for daily use. (For a stronger exfoliant, try one of these great 5 Homemade Sugar Scrubs.)
5. Skip Harsh Deodorant
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, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion. Refer to baking soda package for instructions.
7. Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower. For specific tips on bee stings, see Bee Stings: Prevention and Treatment.
8. Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean. You can try this honey and cornmeal scrub for hands too.
9. Help Your Hair
Vinegar is amazing for your hair, but baking soda has its place in the shower too. 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 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 small basin 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. Epsom salts are pretty miraculous for the bath too; read about the health benefits of epsom salt baths.
12. Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub. You can also make a spa soak for your feet.
Read more: General Health, Green Kitchen Tips, Health, Holistic Beauty, Home, Natural Remedies, Non-Toxic Cleaning, Pets, Surprising uses for ..., baking soda, slideshow
Melissa Breyer
Melissa Breyer is a writer and editor with a background in sustainable living, specializing in food, science and design. She is the co-author of True Food (National Geographic) and has edited and written for regional and international books and periodicals, including The New York Times Magazine. Melissa lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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+ add your ownlove it!!!! i just shared to my new FB page about living cleaner cheaper!!
love it!!!! i just shared to my new FB page about living cleaner cheaper!!
Alot of good ideas! Thanks!
Great stuff...learned some new uses .
I knew it had a lot of uses. Learned a few more
If you burn your hand by touching a hot oven or pot handle, a good way to relieve the pain is to make a paste of baking soda with a little water added and leave it on to dry. If necessary cover with a gauze. The effect is immediate and you don't get blisters forming if you apply it early enough.
Thank you, found new usages for baking soda
We have completely replaced all the commercial cleaners with only vinegar and baking soda. We use it for cleaning, cooking (especially when making our own bread, add just 1 tsp of baking soda and some honey, instead of yeast), unclogging drains, and tons of other uses. Vinegar is a perfect companion for baking soda, if used rationally.
References: http://www.bakingsodavinegar.com/
Fantastic! I already use in many ways but there is more there that I have known. thanks!
I intend to try all these ways to be a clever and green homemaker :) I would like to suggest that for vegans and animal-lovers out there, we can choose to get baking soda brands that are not tested on animals. One brand that comes up when i googled 'baking soda not tested on animals' is Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda.
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