Mountain Art Works
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Nestled in the Hills of Home - Heart of Appalachia
60 Uses for Baking Soda
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, has many different uses in the household. Although much
more expensive products have been developed over the years to do the same jobs, baking soda
can work just as well for you, if not better. Use it in the following ways.
1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part
baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.
2. Be sure to keep a box of baking soda next to your stove in case of grease or electrical
fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.
3. Keep a box of baking soda in your garage as well as your car to put out a fire. It won't
damage anything it touches.
4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, wood, fuel, upholstery, and rugs.
5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak, and rinse the
produce.
6. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.
7. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.
8. Oil and grease-stained clothing washes out better with baking soda added to the washing
water.
9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. Rinse with clear
water.
10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open box of baking soda to absorb
odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every two months.
11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with one part soda,
then add three parts kitty litter on top.
12. Always add 1/2 cup of soda to your washing machine load.
13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.
14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.
15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tbsp of soda in 1 quart of warm water.
Let stand awhile, then rinse.
16. Clean Formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.
17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale
smells.
18. To remove stubborn stains from Formica, marble, or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste
of soda and water.
19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution (3 tbsp
soda to 1 quart water).
20. Run your coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.
21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.
22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.
23. Sprinkle soda on a greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub, and rinse.
24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse, and dry.
25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on
aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. of baking soda. Let stand,
rinse, and dry.
26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling soda on the bottom.
27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it to give it a good cleaning.
28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water for 10 minutes
before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.
29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda
directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten
the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean the next day.
30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry soda to shine it up. Rinse and
dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain.
31. Clean plastic, porcelain, and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.
32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.
33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor.
34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge - sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc.
35. Keep your drains clean and flowing by putting 4 tbsp of soda in them each week. Flush
the soda down with hot water.
36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.
37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda,
then rinse.
38. Sprinkle wet soda on your toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.
39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, boots, socks, and slippers to eliminate odor.
40. Add 1/2 cup or more of baking soda to soften your skin.
41. Putting 2 tbsp of baking soda in your baby's bath water will help relieve diaper rash
irritations.
42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes, and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a
paste with water.
43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.
44. Take 1/2 tsp. of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.
45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth.
46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain.
47. To relieve sunburn, use a paste of baking soda and water.
48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.
49. Bee stings: use a poultice of baking soda and water.
50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.
51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1-1/4 cups of water, 2 cups baking soda, 1
cup cornstarch.
52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant.
53. If your baby spits up after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda, and dab at the
dribbled shirt. The the odor will go away.
54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come
off easier and the flesh will be clean and white. The kind of thing every self respecting
mountain woman would know.
55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe
windows inside and out.
56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.
57. Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.
58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.
59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.
60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild
abrasive with baking soda.
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, has many different uses in the household. Although much
more expensive products have been developed over the years to do the same jobs, baking soda
can work just as well for you, if not better. Use it in the following ways.
1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part
baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.
2. Be sure to keep a box of baking soda next to your stove in case of grease or electrical
fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.
3. Keep a box of baking soda in your garage as well as your car to put out a fire. It won't
damage anything it touches.
4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, wood, fuel, upholstery, and rugs.
5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak, and rinse the
produce.
6. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.
7. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.
8. Oil and grease-stained clothing washes out better with baking soda added to the washing
water.
9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. Rinse with clear
water.
10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open box of baking soda to absorb
odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every two months.
11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with one part soda,
then add three parts kitty litter on top.
12. Always add 1/2 cup of soda to your washing machine load.
13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.
14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.
15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tbsp of soda in 1 quart of warm water.
Let stand awhile, then rinse.
16. Clean Formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.
17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale
smells.
18. To remove stubborn stains from Formica, marble, or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste
of soda and water.
19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution (3 tbsp
soda to 1 quart water).
20. Run your coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.
21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.
22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.
23. Sprinkle soda on a greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub, and rinse.
24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse, and dry.
25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on
aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. of baking soda. Let stand,
rinse, and dry.
26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling soda on the bottom.
27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it to give it a good cleaning.
28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water for 10 minutes
before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.
29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda
directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten
the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean the next day.
30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry soda to shine it up. Rinse and
dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain.
31. Clean plastic, porcelain, and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.
32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.
33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor.
34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge - sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc.
35. Keep your drains clean and flowing by putting 4 tbsp of soda in them each week. Flush
the soda down with hot water.
36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.
37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda,
then rinse.
38. Sprinkle wet soda on your toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.
39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, boots, socks, and slippers to eliminate odor.
40. Add 1/2 cup or more of baking soda to soften your skin.
41. Putting 2 tbsp of baking soda in your baby's bath water will help relieve diaper rash
irritations.
42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes, and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a
paste with water.
43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.
44. Take 1/2 tsp. of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.
45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth.
46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain.
47. To relieve sunburn, use a paste of baking soda and water.
48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.
49. Bee stings: use a poultice of baking soda and water.
50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.
51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1-1/4 cups of water, 2 cups baking soda, 1
cup cornstarch.
52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant.
53. If your baby spits up after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda, and dab at the
dribbled shirt. The the odor will go away.
54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come
off easier and the flesh will be clean and white. The kind of thing every self respecting
mountain woman would know.
55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe
windows inside and out.
56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.
57. Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.
58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.
59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.
60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild
abrasive with baking soda.