Imagine cutting your shopping list down from ten standard household items that cost about $4 or $5 each to just one inexpensive item. Sounds nice, right? That one inexpensive item is baking soda, and it\’s not just for baking, folks. With its expansive resume of uses, baking soda can be a hero in your household when used to its maximum potential. By replacing many of the products already found in your bathroom, kitchen and under your sinks with this inexpensive and handy product, your wallet will thank you, your clutter-free cabinets will thank you, and you will thank yourself for being so darn savvy around the house.

Removing Odors

Don’t waste money on air fresheners when nature gave us the most effective one. Go baking soda crazy to remove, not cover up, those stinky household odors. Sprinkle baking soda in your shoes, boots, socks, cat’s litter box and ash trays to remove odors. One already popular use for eliminating food odors is to place baking soda in freezers and refrigerators. When vacuuming, sprinkle small amounts on your carpets and rugs; not only will the odors be removed from your floor, but also the vacuum bag. Here is a great tip for all the moms and dads out there. After feeding your little bundle of joy, wipe down their shirt down with a moist washcloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove any lingering odors and do clean off left over food debris. With baking soda on your side, your house will smell fresh and clean.

Hygiene

Ah, medicine cabinets. Most medicine cabinets are full of a large array of random products, but now you can cut down on the clutter by using baking soda as a replacement for your antacids, calamine lotion, denture and retainer cleaner and so much more. When you feel heartburn and indigestion coming on, a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a half glass of water can relieve the discomfort. Gargling with the same mixture will leave your breath nice and fresh, and reduces the soreness caused by canker sores. The uses for this mixture don\’t stop there; soak your dentures or retainer in it for a thorough cleaning. Baking soda can be applied to the skin to help relieve wind-burns, insect bites, rashes, bee stings, sunburns, irritation caused poison ivy and more when made into a paste or dissolved into your bath water. Stuffy nose got you down? If you have a vaporizer handy, a teaspoon added to your vaporizer will help clear a congested nose.

Beauty Tricks

When it comes to pampering, baking soda does it best. To attain soft, supple skin, add baking soda to your bath water. As an added bonus for the moms and dads out there, this method will also sooth diaper rash. To whiten and brighten your smile while you brush, make a paste out of baking soda and 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for whitening non-fluoride toothpaste. Now on to cleaning and exfoliating your face and body. Thanks to the round form of its particles, baking soda proves to be a very gentle and effective exfoliate. Simply mix it with water to form a runny paste, and rub your skin or your nail cuticles gently in a circular motion. To keep your hair looking its best, baking soda used alongside shampoo will help remove the heavy buildup caused by hair products. You can also clean your combs and brushes easily and regularly by soaking them in a water and baking soda mixture.

Cleaning

Now it’s time to replace all those cleaning supplies you have hidden around your house. With more products available than ever before, the cleaning supply aisle at the store can entice even the best us, but many of them are unnecessary and add clutter to your space. Baking soda can take care of most of your household cleaning, from bathroom fixtures, to the laundry room and kitchen sink. Add a cup of baking soda to your toilet and let it sit for an hour before scrubbing and flushing. While the toilet is cleaning and deodorizing itself, use the time to wipe down or scrub your bathtub, shower, sinks, fridge, garbage can, counters, floors, mirrors and walls. Baking soda will take care of them all and leave them clean and odor free. However, using baking soda on aluminum is not recommended and you should always be careful not to create scratches when scrubbing some surfaces too hard. But don’t be afraid of this wonderful product, baking soda works magic on almost anything. It cleans plastic, porcelain, Formica, marble and vinyl surfaces and can even polish stainless steel, chrome and enameled cast iron.

Dishes and Laundry

Dirty dishes got you down? Greasy dishes, dirty grills and burned on food are no match for the cleaning action of baking soda. Soak or boil water and baking soda in the pot or pan, and finish the grime off by scrubbing those stubborn food particles away. Since the words grease and grit were mentioned, you should know that baking soda will clean your greasy, stained garage floor to help it look its best. But, as tough as baking soda is on your garage floor, it is gentle and safe enough to use to clean baby bottles and fresh produce. It can also help extend the life and effectiveness of your laundry detergent; just sprinkle a handful in with your dirty clothes and they will come out softer, cleaner, and smelling lovely.

So there you go, folks. There are so many wonderful and amazing uses for baking soda, the everyday uses are endless. Other products can put quite a dent in your wallet and take up a lot of space in your cabinets and recycle bin. Baking soda is truly a marvelous and economical product, just waiting to be put to good use. It’s time to buy less and live more, and baking soda will be there through it all.