http://www.care2.com/greenliving/annies-top-10-baking-soda-uses.html
My Top 10 Uses of Baking Soda in the Home
By Annie B. Bond
The one item that I can’t do without when I clean is baking soda. I use it for so many things, if I don’t have a box of it around I’ll make a special trip to the store 5 miles away just as I would if I were out of a mainstay like milk.
What do I use so much baking soda for? Here are my top 10 uses of baking soda for cleaning in the home:
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (it’s pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and absorbs odors from the air.
1. Drain cleaner: Pour one cup down the drain followed by three cups of boiling water.
2. Chemical smells out of clothes: Soak clothes for two to three hours or overnight, in one cup of baking soda. Agitate the machine occasionally. Repeat if necessary. Wash as usual. (This method is great for removing the new smell out of clothes.)
3. Cat urine: Alternate sprinkling baking soda, which will neutralize acid odors, with white distilled vinegar.
4. Dog odors and urine: Sprinkle with baking soda. Let set for a few hours before sweeping up.
5. Silver polish: Make a paste of baking soda and water, scoop some onto a clean, soft rag, and polish the silver. Rinse and polish dry.
6. Soft scrubber: Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl and add enough liquid soap or detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop onto a sponge and clean the bathtub or tiles. Rinse.
7. Scouring powder: Simply sprinkle baking soda into a sink and scrub.
8. Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Squirt with enough water that the baking soda is damp. Let set overnight, making sure the baking soda is damp before you go to bed. In the morning, simply scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge. Rinse.
9. Refrigerator deodorizer: Place an open box in the back of the fridge. It will “absorb” odors, which means that it will draw odors to the baking soda molecules.
10. Cutting board deodorizer: Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse.
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14 comments
add your comment »Hi, several months ago I got a e-mail about baking soda and this said: baking soda cure cancer. Cancer is a spred of fungus, I had this e-mail bus Im looking for in my computer but I dont find it. This treatment is made by a italian doctor, the great transnational chemist laboratories dont permit the use of baking soda because they will lose a lot of money PLEASE, CAN YOU INVESTIGATE THAT?
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Years ago my oldest son worked in a cheese factory. His clothing had a bad smell after working, so I would put a whole box of baking soda in the washing machine along with regular laundry detergent, and that would remove the bad odor from his clothing. Detergent alone would not work. I also use baking soda to clean sinks and on my toothbrush to clean my mouth and tongue.
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My mother had us mix baking soda and salt and brush our teeth with it and we have great teeth.
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baking soda in the out door trash cans, keeps the flys away..really give it a good dose
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Cheri - I don't get your point. Using the search spec you suggest lead me to sites that simply confirm the efficacy and usefulness, not to mention safety, of baking soda. The worst they could say was that inhaling large quantities could be harmful - well duh! Any powder inhaled can to damage! I fully intend to continue using it, and am trying new uses all the time.
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A friend sent me here because I am opposed to the overuse of baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate. So I went to her book at amazon.com and read her story. While I am VERY pleased to hear that she overcame health problems by switching to baking soda, I saw that she did not consider the ripple effect from recommending it. Before you decide that baking soda is a good idea, put 'msds sodium bicarbonate' in your search window and read what the manufacturers have to say. Then consider that more and more of your neighbors start using this for numerouse uses. Personally, I use a coconut oil surfecant that does a beautiful job and smells like lavendar. Yes, I do have a box of baking soda (the smallest box) in my refridgerator, but that is the only thing I use it for.
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I have been using Baking soda around the house for well, ever! It is a great scouring powder and good for cleaning things like fridges. However, I have never found it very good at lifting smells. I used it for years in the fridge and tried umpteen times at removing odours from clothes but nada. The best thing for keeping the fridge fresh is charcoal - it is miraculous.
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i am now a devotee of baking soda!
i have long used it for household cleaning and polishing, but it has so many more uses.
my newest finds?
-facial scrub
-shampoo
this stuff is amazing! make a paste with a little water in your hand, gently rub on face. finish with a mild vinegar rinse. My skin felt really clean without feeling 'squeaky' clean. The same can be done with the scalp. My hair looks and feels great, i saved a bundle of money, and the earth is a little bit happier. No need to buy numerous 'green' products when you can make such effective cleaners from one little box!
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My mother taught me that baking soda is the best cleaner for everything, I have been using it for all your listed ideas for years, it is wonderful and safe for stainless steel sinks, and I always sprinkle a little on the rug when vacuuming
it freshens the rug, and I ask why spend all the money on expensive cleaners when the little orange box works wonders, how long have people been using baking soda, as I said my mother taught me to use this and I am 64 years old, this ia a tried and true product, I also add some to my cat's litter box, I never have an odor from the box, after I clean it out I always add another scoop of baking soda, the best part of it is you don't inhale the fumes from all the cleaners on the market.
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Our city is accepting food scraps for compost. I put some baking soda in the food scrap container to reduce odors.
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