Baking Soda Can Do What?
10 Household Tips Using Baking Soda
Freshen your garbage disposal. The baking soda in your refrigerator has worked for months getting rid of food odors. And it’s not done yet. When it’s time for a new box, pour the old baking soda down the drain. It will clean and deodorize your garbage disposal.
Curb car odors. Next time you clean the inside of your car, clean more than meets the eye. Sprinkle some baking soda on the seats and carpet before you vacuum. You’ll suck out the smell of cigarette smoke and other odors that have seeped into the upholstery.
Poultices from your pantry. Feeling the sting of an angry bee? For instant relief, mash some fresh papaya and apply it to the site of the sting. If you don’t have any papaya handy, a paste of meat tenderizer and water will offer similar relief. If you don’t have any meat tenderizer either, it’s probably a good bet you do have baking soda. A paste of baking soda and water will also have soothe stings. All of the above will reduce swelling and relieve pain and itching.
Ease acid indigestion. Baking soda helps neutralize stomach acid, which can cause indigestion and heartburn. For quick relief, drink a half glass of water mixed with a half teaspoon of baking soda.
Countertop stains. It’s easy to banish coffee and tea stains from your countertops. All it takes is a good rubbing with baking soda and water made into a paste.
Plaster in a jiff. A few small cracks in the ceiling don’t have to mean a whole new plaster job. Just mix a little white glue with baking soda, and use the paste to cover the small cracks. If the ceiling isn’t white, use food coloring to match the color of the plaster.
Attack water marks. When water damage leaves white spots on your furniture, try this simple solution before calling in the big guns. Mix equal amounts of toothpaste and baking soda to form a mildly abrasive paste. Dampen a cotton cloth with water and rub the paste into spots. Now buff the area with soft, dry cloth. If the damage is not too serious, this should restore your furniture.
Rid your dig of roaches. Control roaches by scattering a mixture of equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar in the infested area. (The sugar attracts them; the soda kills them.)
Easy way to clean your pet’s bed. Simply sprinkle baking soda on the bed, leave it for at least an hour, and then shake it off. Your pet’s bed will be fresh as new.
Sweeten up sour sponges. When your kitchen sponge gets that yucky, stale, smell, you know it’s full of germs and bacteria. Soak it in a mixture of two tablespoons of baking soda and one pint of water.
© FCA Publishing
Excerpt from FC&A's Easy Does It.
