TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares ideas for using baking soda around the house.
- To improve the power of your liquid laundry detergent, add a 1/2 cup baking soda to the recommended amount of laundry detergent.
- For extra bleaching power, add 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid bleach.
- If your trash constantly smells bad, even when there's no food or other trash in the can, then it is most likely the can itself that smells. To solve this problem, just sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda into the bottom of the can. Replace it whenever you take out the garbage.
- Remove stains from a coffeepot or mug by scrubbing with a baking-soda paste, water and a plastic scrubber.
- To eliminate the strong odor of onions on your hands after slicing them, just rub them together with a paste of baking soda and water.
- Moisturize your hands by adding three tablespoons baking soda to the dishwater when doing the dishes.
- Freshen up dishwasher by adding a 1/2 box of baking soda and running the machine through the rinse cycle only.
- Baking soda should last in the freezer for three months. It will still work as a drain cleaner after that.
- To relieve itching when suffering from chicken pox, bug bites or sunburn, make a paste of baking soda and apply liberally to the affected area until dry. Rinse.
- Keep a diaper pail fresh by putting some baking soda on each diaper.
- Deodorize pet beds by liberally sprinkling with baking soda. Wait 15 minutes, then vacuum.
- Brush your teeth with baking soda.
- Use baking soda as a scouring powder for countertops.
- Clean combs and brushes in hot water and baking soda.
Did You Know?
More refrigerators are likely to have a box of baking soda in them than a working light bulb.
