Are you hooked on those wonderfully bubbly cleaners that smell of a pine covered forest? I understand. They are fun to use, but they are also toxic and expensive. Let\’s get rid of them, shall we? If I told you that there is an everyday household product that will clean your house without poisoning your children or the environment would you try it? Well, there is such a product, and you\’ve probably already got a box in your kitchen.
I\’ll bet you have a box of Baking Soda in your refrigerator. Like most folks, you have been putting a box of Baking Soda in your fridge for as long as you can remember, probably because your mother or grandmother did the same thing. You know it\’s a good idea, but do you have any idea the multitude of jobs your Baking Soda can do around the house?
Baking Soda is non-toxic, which is one of the reasons you use it to deodorize your refrigerator. What you may not know is that Baking Soda is also a food-safe cleanser. Does it make you a bit nervous to spray some of those super-powerful cleaners on your countertops and around your food preparation areas? Well, it should. Those toxic cleaning products have no business being around your food. Instead, dissolve 1/2 cup of Baking Soda in about a gallon of warm water. Swish it around until it dissolves and then, using some clean clothes or paper towels, wash off your stove, counters, cutting boards, and any utensils or appliances that are used in food preparation. Be sure to rinse all your surfaces very well with warm water. Now, your kitchen is fresh, free of grease, and non-toxic!
I like to wash my fruits and vegetables when I get them home from the farmers market or grocery store; not just with running water, but with something to really get them clean. I know there are special food washing solutions that I could buy, but I much prefer using a little Baking Soda in my water to ensure that I get all the outside world dirt and germs off my food. Just mix about a tablespoon or so of Baking Soda in a big clean bowl of fresh cold water. Swish around your veggies and fruit, like apples, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, or whatever you normally would wash. Use a paper towel to give them a good scrubbing if you wish, then rinse them all under cold running water. Now they should all be squeaky clean. That\’s some REALLY fresh food!
If your coffee pot is like mine, it can be an eye-sore sitting there on the kitchen counter. A nice soak in a sink filled with hot water and about 1/2 cup of Baking Soda will get rid of those awful stains and leave your coffee pot sparkling. Do the same with your tea pot, cups, mugs, and glassware to banish that unsightly tinge we all find distasteful. If your pots and pans suffer the same fate, give them a scrub with a little Baking Soda on a clean, wet sponge. There won\’t be a dull pan in the house, nor will there be any scratching because Baking Soda is safe to use on any surface, even fiberglass.
Now, we\’re off to the laundry! I used to love all those great detergent boosters and fabric softeners, but they\’re expensive and not necessary safe for everyone to be around, especially babies and people with allergies. Baking Soda, on the other hand, is safe, effective, and inexpensive to use. In the wash water, adding Baking Soda balances the pH which helps your detergent work better. In the rinse water, adding Baking Soda freshens and sweetens your laundry so it smells like you just hung it outside to dry. Just add 1/2 cup of Baking Soda to both your wash water and then your final rinse water and you\’ll notice the difference right away.
Back to your refrigerator to retrieve that old box of Baking Soda. You should be replacing your box of Baking Soda every month, so what should you do with the old box? Just toss it down the drain! That\’s not to say you just dispose of it because it\’s useless. That\’s just another use; cleaning and deodorizing drains. Go ahead, throw it down your drain or garbage disposal, wait ten minutes or so, and then start running some hot water down the drain for a minute. Your drain has now been degreased and deodorized all with a box of Baking Soda that has already done its share of work in your refrigerator. That\’s a real work horse!
You may also want to grab that old box of Baking Soda and use it to clean your bathroom. Baking Soda doesn\’t scratch, so you don\’t have to worry about your fiberglass shower or tub. I like to wet the shower and tub down, then sprinkle on the Baking Soda and let it sit like that for a few minutes. Then I take a nice big sponge and a bucket filled with warm water and scrub down the whole area from top to bottom. Follow that up with a good rinse with warm, running water to remove any grit. It\’s a good feeling knowing that the next time you or your children climb into the tub, you won\’t be exposed to toxic residues.
There are many ways to use Baking Soda in and around the house. These are just a few examples of how you can replace your toxic cleaners with Baking Soda to keep your household safe for people and pets, too. Not only is Baking Soda safe to use, but it\’s inexpensive and effective, too! Stock up now… you\’re going to be hooked!
Many of us have to learn how to Create A Budget With One Income because we have no choice. Whether by choice or not, Stretching A Dollar is a new talent that we have to develop. Use every resource available to you and start saving your hard earned dollar.
