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Household Tips - A Few Of The Many Faces of Baking Soda
By Lara | March 24, 2008
By Clarissa Clemens
Created as a raising agent used in bakery, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has a multitude of household uses. Being only slightly alkaline and gently abrasive, this most versatile of substances is non-toxic and safe for most surfaces/fabrics.
Baking soda is an effective deodorizer. Place an open box on a shelf in the refrigerator to prevent strong odors from spreading to other foods; replace the box about every three months. Do the same in any cramped closet, storage area or basement room. Sprinkle at the bottom of the litter box to minimize offensive smells. Keep your carpets fresh by sprinkling it all over, letting stand for about 15 minutes and then vacuuming.
Baking soda gently cleans a range of hard surfaces. Apply it to your toothbrush, after brushing with toothpaste, to remove stains and whiten teeth. Dissolve four tablespoons in four cups of water and use the mixture to clean a variety of kitchen and bathroom surfaces; rinse and dry. Combine with hot water in a 50/50% mixture for difficult jobs such as cleaning a grimy windshield or headlights.
Baking soda whitens clothes and removes stains. Adding one cup to a load of laundry or ½ cup in a 50/50% mixture with bleach really boosts the effectiveness of your regular detergent. Apply in a paste to remove ring-around-the-collar, mildew and other stubborn stains; let it stand for several minutes, rub in and wash as usual. Remove the ammonia-like smell of urine by soaking fabric diapers or bed linens in a mild warm-water solution.
Among other uses, baking soda will put out a grease or electrical fire (sprinkle it on dry) and keep drains clog-free (once a week, pour ½ cup down the drain and follow with warm water).
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Topics: Baking Soda, Cleaning Tips, General Cleaning, Guest Articles, Natural Cleaners, Tips and Tricks |