Organic & Natural Living Thursday

20 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda

by All You Magazine

What did we used to think baking soda was for? To sit in the back of the fridge? Read why it’s back where it belongs―in every room of the house!

1. To put out a grease fire, scatter baking soda over it by the handful to extinguish flames.

2. Clean the dishwasher and coffeemaker by running an empty cycle with baking soda.

3. Add ½ cup baking soda to your bath for an at-home spa treatment.

4. Polish jewelry with a paste made of water and baking soda. It’s safe on both silver and gold.

5. Scatter baking soda in the kitty box, then add litter on top to keep smells to a minimum. Or make a DIY litter, mixing a small box of baking soda with 3 inches of sandy clay.

6. For instant relief from bug bites, sunburn and poison ivy, mix baking soda with a little water and apply it directly to the sore.

7. Make a fluffier omelet by adding ½ teaspoon baking soda for every three eggs.

8. Pour in 1 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup hot vinegar to quickly unclog the kitchen drain.

9. Fight dandruff by tabling the shampoo for a few weeks and massaging your wet scalp with a handful of baking soda instead.

10. Gargle with baking soda, or use it as mouthwash.

11. Soak toothbrushes in a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda and ¼ cup water; let brushes stand overnight for a thorough cleaning.

12. Use a pinch in a gallon of freshly-brewed iced tea, to take out the bitterness and prevent cloudiness.

13. Use baking soda to brush your pets’ teeth.

14. Scatter baking soda on icy sidewalks―it’s not as corrosive as salt.

15. Discourage weeds by sprinkling baking soda into the cracks on your driveway and walkways.

16. Surround Fido’s food bowls with baking soda to keep pests away.

17. Mix a little baking soda into your conditioner and lather on your hair to keep it healthy and resistant to split ends.

18. Have heartburn? Create an antacid by mixing ½ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ cup of water.

19. To clean a toilet, add ¼ cup baking soda to the bowl, swirl, then scrub.

20. Exfoliate your skin with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Apply gently with your fingertips in a circular motion, then rinse.

Erika