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Uses for Baking Soda
Uses for baking soda includes money saving ideas for cleaning your home, going green in your garden and everything in between.
Baking soda an economical alternative to commercial products that are costly and may contain harmful chemicals.
Uses for Baking Soda for Home Maintenance
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Surface Cleanups
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- To remove crayon, grease, pencil and marker stains from washable walls
use baking soda on a wet sponge.
- To remove black scuff marks on linoleum floors, make a paste of baking soda and water.
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Carpet
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- Shampoo carpet with 1/2 cup baking soda mixed with 1 gallon water
(test for colorfastness, first).
- Remove grease or wine stains by lightly sprinkling area immediately with baking soda
(table salt works too). Dab it up and add more if needed. Leave on until wine or grease has been absorbed,
then vacuum.
- To distribute baking soda evenly use a flour sifter, if you don't have a shaker.
- Make your own signature fragrance by mixing a box of baking soda with a few drops
of you favorite potpourri oil, cinnamon, or powdered cloves. Then just sprinkle on carpet and vacuum.
- To eliminate the dirty smell that vacuums can sometimes get, add a small amount
of baking soda to your vacuum bag.
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Entree Ideas
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- To clean and deodorize indoor welcome mats, sprinkle baking soda then vacuum.
- To melt ice and provide traction on your front steps, sprinkle baking soda.
If more traction is needed, mix with sand.
- To clean outdoor mats, scrub baking soda into outdoor mat with broom.
Then hose mat down or wait for rain.
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Toilets and Drains
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- To maintain or restore pH of septic tank, wash a cup of baking soda down
a toilet or drain once a week.
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Nail Holes and Cracked Plaster
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- Make a paste of baking soda and household white glue.
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Minimize Musty Smells
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- Fill old nylons with baking soda and suspend them from your basement ceiling
to fight damp and musty smell.
- Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the water in your humidifier
to eliminate musty smell.
- Leave open boxes of baking soda in your home workshop to
remove paint and varnish smell.
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Closet Fresheners
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- Keep a small open box of baking soda in closets.
- Toss a large homemade baking soda sachet in your clothes hamper or
sprinkle baking soda right into the hamper, to keep dirty clothes fresh smelling until you
are ready to wash them.
- Fight stinky shoes by filling the toe section of an old sock with baking sada and tie shut.
Put this in each shoe and the odor should be history.
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Uses for Baking Soda In The Kitchen
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Sink and Drain Cleaner
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- Pour 1 cup baking soda down the drain. Then add 1 cup hot vinegar
(warm vinegar in the microwave). Wait a few minutes then flush with hot water.
To clean garbage disposal use 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot vinegar.
- Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt down the drain.
Then pour 1 cup of boiling water into drain. Let it set overnight and then flush with hot tap water.
- Remove hard water stains on faucets with a paste of toothpaste and baking soda.
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Glass and Plastic
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- Make good crystal shine by giving it a short soaking in baking soda and warm water.
- Clean plastic containers with a paste of baking soda and water. It won't scratch the surface.
- Remove teapots and coffee pots of mineral deposits by adding 1 cup vinegar and 4
tablespoons of baking soda. Boil mixture in the pot, them let it simmer for a few minutes.
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Refrigerator and Freezer
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- Place an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to guard
against unwanted and stale odors. Replace the box every 3 months.
- Remove rust streaks and food residue from the inside of your refrigerator with a paste of baking soda and water.
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Microwave
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- Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 2 cups of warm water to clean microwave.
- For stuborn stains, add a few spoonfuls of baking soda in a cup of water
and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, wipe microwave down with sponge or paper towel.
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Stove Tops
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- Use baking soda and water to clean stove top.
An old toothbrush is great for getting into tight corners.
- Unclog burners on gas stove by boiling them in
1/4 box of baking soda and 4 cups of water.
- Remove cooking oil from stove top with a solution of white vinegar and baking soda.
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Tarnish Remover
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- Place tarnished silverware on a square of aluminum foil in your sink or in
a plastic dishpan. Cover the silverware lightly with equal amounts of baking soda and salt.
Then, add enough hot water to cover them. Let this sit for 5 to 15 minutes.
Rinse items with hot water and wipe with soft cloth.
- Make a paste of 1 1/2 tablespoon of water and 1/4 cup baking soda.
Apply paste to tarnished silver with damp sponge. Then, rinse and buff dry.
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Garbage Cans
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- Neutralize odors in kitchen garage can by sprinkling baking soda in the bottom
of the can before inserting plastic liner.
- Fight ordors under your sink by placing an open box of baking soda
in areas that are susceptible to smells.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking soda in trash compactor 3 or 4 times
during the course of filling and compacting, to eliminate unwanted odors.
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Uses for Baking Soda In The Bathroom
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Clean Grout
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- Make a paste of baking soda and warm water. Scrub grout with old toothbrush.
Add a little chlorine bleach to paste if mold is heavy. * Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia.
The combination can create dangerous fumes.
- To clean stained marble, make a paste of baking soda and white vinegar.
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Clean Tub
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- For old, porous tubs or sinks, clean with a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Let paste sit, then rub with sponge.
- For fiberglass tub, saturate a cloth with vinegar, then sprinkle tub with baking soda.
Use saturated cloth to wipe down tub. Rinse well and wipe dry for a spotless shine.
- Add 2 tablesppons of baking soda to your bath water and you won't have to worry
about ring-around-the-tub. Your bath water will be soft too.
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Clean Shower
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- Clean shower head by pouring 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar into a strong,
sandwich size plastic bag. Then tie it onto and over scummy shower head.
Let the bubbling mixture set for an hour. Remove the bag, then turn on the water.
Hardwater build-up will be gone and your shower head will sparkle.
- Remove hard water deposits, mildew and rust stains from fiberglass shower stalls
without scratching. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe down stall.
Rinse with water and wipe dry.
- Clean shower stall doors by first spraying them with clear vinegar.
Let it set for a few minutes, then scour with a sponge sprinkled with baking soda.
Rinse with water and wipe dry.
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Clean Toilet
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- Sprinkle 1/2 box of baking soda into the toilet tank each month and
let it stand overnight before flushing.
- Sprinkle baking soda liberally into the toilet bowl and scrub with toilet brush.
Let it set for 5 minutes before flushing.
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Uses for Baking Soda for Laundry
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Washing Clothes
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- Add 1/2 cup of baking soda along with your normal amount of liquid laundry
detergent for more effective cleaning. Clothes will be whiter and brighter.
This doesn't work with powdered detergents.
- Add baking soda to your rinse cycle instead of fabric softener.
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Uses for Baking Soda for Hygiene and Gromming
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Combs and Brushes
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- Drop combs and brushes in the sink in a solution of hot water and
1/4 cup baking soda. Watch the dirt fizz away.
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Dental Hygiene
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- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to your dental waterpik.
Leaves mouth feeling clean and fresh.
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Uses for Baking Soda for Outdoors
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Gardens
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- Sprinkle baking soda lightly on soil around tomato plants.
It sweetens tomaotes by lowering their acidity and discourages pests.
- Remove or prevent grass and weeds from growing in sidewalk crack by
sprinkling baking soda on the cement and sweeping it into the cracks.
- Dip cut flowers in a solution of baking soda and water to extend their life.
- To clean plants (real or silk), wash them in a solution of 1/2 cup baking soda in
1 gallon of cold water. The leaves will shine with no risk of damage.
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Remember, new things are constantly being added,
so don't forget to check back often!
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