10 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is one of the most well-known yet woefully underused items you have stored somewhere in the depths of your refrigerator. You know it has deodorizing properties and is sometimes used in baking, but did you know that this wonderful chemical compound can also be used an antacid? Or for green homemade cleaning products? Here are 10 awesome, money-saving uses for baking soda that you might not have known about!
1) Rash Relief
Adding anywhere from 2 tablespoons to a cup of baking soda to bath water can help relieve all kinds of rashes, such as a baby's diaper rash, heat rash, and poison ivy.
2) Super Deodorant
Baking soda can deodorize more than your refrigerator. You can also use it to deodorize underarms (just apply it with a powder puff), shoes (sprinkling some in), dish rags (soaked in water), ash trays, and litter boxes.
3) Fruit and Vegetable Wash
Scrubbing your fruits and vegetables before eating is good, but washing them with baking soda is even better! Sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge, scrub, and rinse off your food for super clean eating.
4) Bug Bite and Bee Sting Relief
Mix baking soda and water to create a paste and put this on a bee sting or bug bite to relieve pain. Since the pain is caused by acid, the baking soda should neutralize it!
5) Natural Antacid
Baking soda is an alkaline, so drinking a glass of water with half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of baking soda can act as a natural antacid and help heartburn!
6) Pain Reliever
Baking soda can provide minor pain relief for burns and sores. If you've been sunburned, a baking soda bath can be very soothing; if you have canker sores, a baking soda and water mouthwash can relieve the pain.
7) Pest Repellent
Get rid of unwanted ants or cockroaches with baking soda! Also, sprinkling some baking soda around flowerbeds can keep bunnies and other critters from eating your garden fresh veggies!
8) Homemade Modeling Clay
With 1 cup of cornstarch, 2 cups of baking soda, and 1 1/4 cups of water, you can make your own modeling clay. You can add food coloring to the water before mixing or paint the clay after its dried!
9) Household Super Cleaner
Baking soda and water is a great cleaner for porcelain, toilets, garbage cans, mirrors, and tons more items. Putting a pan with baked-on food or grease in a baking soda and water soak before washing makes them much easier to clean. You can pour a cup of baking soda into a toilet, leave it for an hour, and flush which will clean and deodorize it quite effectively. A baking soda and water paste also makes an excellent polish for chrome.
10) Personal Care Products
With a few extra ingredients, you can use baking soda to make your own face wash, shampoo, toothpaste, and mouthwash! For the toothpaste, you also need half a teaspoon of peroxide paste. If you don't want to make your own vinegar-baking soda shampoo, just adding a little baking soda to your shampoo can help remove the build-up from styling!
Photo Credits: BHG, Spa Baby Tubs, FNB News, Everyday Health, Shelterpop, Immagine