For a safer, healthier, and happier home, replace the harsh and toxic household cleaners you buy from the grocery with baking soda. Before you think it's too good to be true, read below.
1. Simple Air Freshener
"Not all commercial air fresheners eliminate bad odors. Instead, some simply release fragrance molecules that mask bad smells." Healthline
And if you read between the lines, this only means one thing: we're releasing toxic fumes in the air for our bodies to absorb. No wonder air freshener manufacturers won't tell us what they contain.
This recipe from Healthline makes an excellent and safe alternative to commercial air fresheners. It interacts with odor particles and neutralizes them, rather than masking them.
A small jar
1/3 cup baking soda
10–15 drops of your favorite essential oils
A piece of cloth or paper
String or ribbon
Add the baking soda and essential oils to the jar. Cover it with the cloth or paper, and then secure it in place with the string. When the scent starts to fade, give the jar a shake.
2. Dust Stuffed Animals
These stuffed toys can easily get stuffed with dust and dirt so imagine how much it can hold for years it's been sitting in your room. To clean, place in a large plastic bag with a cup of baking soda. Secure the top and shake well. The baking soda helps draw out soil and dust.
3. Toothbrush Soak
Disinfect toothbrushes with 1 tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in water. Soak for 2-4 hours and “rinse” with hydrogen peroxide to kill germs. Do this especially after someone has been sick.
4. Remove Odors from Your Hands
Finally, garlic or onion smell won't have to last a day on your hands. Simply rub baking soda and water to get rid of strong odors.
5. Keep Flowers Fresher Longer
"Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the water in the vase."
6. Neutralize Gassy Beans
Starch in beans and other vegetables tends to make us feel gassy. To prevent gassy issue and improve digestion, sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda in the water and soak beans before cooking.
7. Clean store-bought fruits and veggies
Unless the produce is organic, your store bought fruits and veggies are coated with pesticides that are toxic to our bodies. One study found that soaking fruit in a solution of baking soda and water for 12–15 minutes removed nearly all of the pesticides
Mixed with water, baking soda can remove dirt and that waxy coating that comes on produce from the supermarket.
8. Whiten Laundry
It may seem like an old wives tale but adding baking soda to your usual detergent will make your colored clothing brighter and your whites whiter. It also softens the water which means you can use less detergent.
9. Stain Remover
From laundry to mug stains, baking soda can be very effective at removing stubborn marks and spots. Clean the coffee/tea stains on your mug and make it look brand new again by placing a tsp of baking soda in and a cup of water. Wipe clean with a cloth.
It is also a natural stain remover for most fabrics. Just make a paste of baking soda and water and apply directly to the fabric for an all-natural spot treatment.
10. Buff out water rings
Other than stains, baking soda also has a way with water rings on tables. Combine one part white non-gel toothpaste with one part baking soda, add the mixture to a damp cloth and rub with the grain to buff out the ring. After this, take a dry cloth and wipe off.
11. Keep Ants Out
Sprinkle a mixture of baking soda and salt in equal parts wherever you see the ants coming in.
12. Extinguish Fires
Baking soda reacts with the heat to produce carbon dioxide, which smothers and extinguishes the fire. 23 Benefits and Uses for Baking Soda
Interestingly, some fire extinguishers contain baking soda which means that baking soda can be used to extinguish small oil and grease fires, not larger house fires.
13. Septic Care
"Most enzymes and bacteria grow in a non-acidic environment. By adding baking soda into your septic system, you raise the pH to a neutral condition which makes the bacteria grow faster and digest more of the waste." Earthcare
According to Keuttle's Septic Service, any harsh chemicals like bleach can actually eat away at the good bacteria in your drain which will cause clogs that could lead to future septic repairs.
With a handful of things baking soda can do, it might seem like this white wonder is too good to be true. But, it really is true! That with as simple and inexpensive as baking soda, we can actually help clean our homes even without all the stuff we grew up needing. Plus aside from being economical, this product is good for the environment too! Remember, whatsoever we put down the drain, goes to the ocean, and eventually finds its way back to us. I don't know about you, but I would rather take in baking soda than toxic chemicals.
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