Baking Soda

"Fish and visitors smell in three days."-Benjamin Franklin

There are some items that have hundreds of uses and should also be kept on-hand; examples include duct tape, vinegar, and baking soda. Can these really have over 100 uses? How about 500? Website ShelterPop.com recommends Vicki Lansky's book from 2003, Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of. From the book ShelterPop has identified 15 unusual (but useful) ways to use baking soda:

1. Washing food
Wash toxins off the skin of fruits and vegetables with a baking soda paste on a sponge. Rinse the fruit/veg. well before eating.

2. Drain cleaner
Not as powerful as, say, Drano but much cheaper. Pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by half cup of white vinegar. Wait two hours, then rinse with hot water.

3. Smelly Vacuum?
Sprinkle baking soda on the floor, then vacuum it up to kill odors in your vacuum.

4. Stinky Door Mat?
Deodorize your front door mat by sprinkling baking soda on it.

5. Soft hands
If you wash dishes with a baking soda paste, it'll remove tough baked-on food and soften your hands at the same time.

6. Musty books
Sprinkle baking soda between the pages of musty books, and brush it out a few days later for a fresh scent.

7. Remove Mothball smell
The smell of mothballs on clothing can be removed by adding ½ cup of baking soda to your washing machine's rinse cycle.

8. Oil and grease
Sprinkle soda on the garage or basement floor to soak up oil and grease.

9. Weathered look for a Deck
Remove mildew by washing your deck with a solution of two cups baking soda in one gallon water, and using a stiff straw brush to work the solution into the wood, then rinsing with cool water for a clean desk with an aged patina look. Try this in a hidden corner first to see if you like the weathered look.

10. Weed killer
Sweeping large amounts of sodium-rich baking soda into the cracks of your paved walks and driveways will eliminate weeds and dandelions.

11. Canvas cleaner
To clean canvas, rub on a paste of baking soda, then rub off.

12. Burnt pots
To eliminate seriously burnt-on food, pour in a thick cushion of baking soda, add an inch or so of water, and put the pot on the stove to boil. After boiling for a minute, try scrubbing again. Don't burn yourself!

13. Plastic shower curtains
Wash mildewed or dirty plastic shower curtains in the washing machine on the gentle cycle with a couple of bath towels, and add in a half cup of baking soda and detergent during the wash cycle. Add in one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle, then let drip dry.

14. Automatic dishwasher detergent
Mix two tablespoons baking soda and two tablespoons borax, as a alternative to commercial dishwasher detergent.

15. Smokey or Smelly clothes
Place the clothing in a plastic bag with baking soda for two days, then wash as usual.

Bottom Line
Baking soda is famous as an odor remover and a cleaner. Do you know the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder? If not check out my blog from a year ago at http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2009/07/baking-powder-food-science.html