Baking Soda the Ultimate Multi-tasker
09/01/09
A few years ago I stopped buying cleaners from the store. I banished bleach from the house (we still use it in the pool, though), and I started to replace my favorite cleaners with natural non-petroleum based substances. My home is just as clean as it has ever been, but I spend a fraction of what I use to on cleaning products.
In this process, I have discovered how versatile and multi-purposed baking soda is in the house. Bicarbonate of soda is a naturally occurring earth mineral called nahcolite. It is a component of natron. Baking soda is alkaline so it acts to neutralize acids and break down proteins. This quality is why baking soda is so effective at so many things.
Most commonly, baking soda is used as a leavening agent in baking. In combination with a liquid and an acid, baking soda releases carbon dioxide gas bubbles causing dough or batter to rise. Also, the ubiquitous box of Arm & Hammer in the back of the refrigerator is indicative of baking soda’s ability to neutralize bad smells making it an effective deodorizer. Baking soda also enhances ph levels so when added to the laundry, it enhances the detergent’s effectiveness.
In cooking, a pinch of baking soda added to tomato sauce while cooking will reduce acidity. Personally, I add a teaspoon to my beans while they are soaking and/or cooking in order to reduce the beans ability to cause flatulence. Everyone around me appreciates this, I am sure. Baking soda can also be added to stews or rubbed directly on meat as a tenderizer.
As a cleaner, I use baking soda to clean my pots and pans, my sink, my shower and even the toilet. Baking soda has a fine gritty texture which makes it a gentle abrasive cleaner. It does not scratch the finish on my pots and polishes the porcelain in the bathroom.
It is commonly known that baking soda can be used as a toothpaste. However, I use it as a gentle face scrub and body exfoliator. I keep a small container in the shower and rub it over my clean skin to brush away dead skin cells. Added to the bath, baking soda can be soothing to a sunburn (although I think aloe is best). Although there are differences in opinion about whether you can actually remove toxins from the skin thorough a bath, adding baking soda to your bath is believed by many to aid in this process. As a paste, baking soda will ease the burn from bee stings. One-half teaspoon of baking soda mixed with water can be taken as an antacid.
Sprinkled around the entrances and foundations to your home, it may prohibit insects from crawling in, as it is irritating to their exoskeletons and they avoid it.
In my home, baking soda has replaced Comet, Softscrub, SOS pads, expensive face and body scrubs, and reduced the amount of laundry detergent I use. A large bag of baking soda (12 lbs) from the buying club store costs around $13 and lasts around six months. Definitely, baking soda is a more economical choice.
For more ideas on ways to use baking soda in your home go to Arm & Hammer’s website where they show different uses for each room in your home.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
In this process, I have discovered how versatile and multi-purposed baking soda is in the house. Bicarbonate of soda is a naturally occurring earth mineral called nahcolite. It is a component of natron. Baking soda is alkaline so it acts to neutralize acids and break down proteins. This quality is why baking soda is so effective at so many things.
Most commonly, baking soda is used as a leavening agent in baking. In combination with a liquid and an acid, baking soda releases carbon dioxide gas bubbles causing dough or batter to rise. Also, the ubiquitous box of Arm & Hammer in the back of the refrigerator is indicative of baking soda’s ability to neutralize bad smells making it an effective deodorizer. Baking soda also enhances ph levels so when added to the laundry, it enhances the detergent’s effectiveness.
In cooking, a pinch of baking soda added to tomato sauce while cooking will reduce acidity. Personally, I add a teaspoon to my beans while they are soaking and/or cooking in order to reduce the beans ability to cause flatulence. Everyone around me appreciates this, I am sure. Baking soda can also be added to stews or rubbed directly on meat as a tenderizer.
As a cleaner, I use baking soda to clean my pots and pans, my sink, my shower and even the toilet. Baking soda has a fine gritty texture which makes it a gentle abrasive cleaner. It does not scratch the finish on my pots and polishes the porcelain in the bathroom.
It is commonly known that baking soda can be used as a toothpaste. However, I use it as a gentle face scrub and body exfoliator. I keep a small container in the shower and rub it over my clean skin to brush away dead skin cells. Added to the bath, baking soda can be soothing to a sunburn (although I think aloe is best). Although there are differences in opinion about whether you can actually remove toxins from the skin thorough a bath, adding baking soda to your bath is believed by many to aid in this process. As a paste, baking soda will ease the burn from bee stings. One-half teaspoon of baking soda mixed with water can be taken as an antacid.
Sprinkled around the entrances and foundations to your home, it may prohibit insects from crawling in, as it is irritating to their exoskeletons and they avoid it.
In my home, baking soda has replaced Comet, Softscrub, SOS pads, expensive face and body scrubs, and reduced the amount of laundry detergent I use. A large bag of baking soda (12 lbs) from the buying club store costs around $13 and lasts around six months. Definitely, baking soda is a more economical choice.
For more ideas on ways to use baking soda in your home go to Arm & Hammer’s website where they show different uses for each room in your home.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
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