You don’t have to spend a fortune on cleaning products or health products for your home if you have baking soda sitting in your kitchen cupboard. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or bicarb for short) is undoubtedly one of the most useful and overlooked substances that can be used around the home and chances are you are probably not taking full advantage of what this natural substance can do.
Sodium bicarbonate has many uses as a health remedy as well as almost endless problem solving possibilities around the home. The multitude of uses for baking soda include everything from stain removal on cookware and clothes to skin treatments and even purifying the air, the list is really endless.
Apart from its many uses around the home bicarb is extremely cheap, which makes it very accessible and affordable to families of all budgets. You can pick up a large box of baking soda at almost any grocery store for far less than half a dozen different cleaning and beauty products. Out of the endless list of practical uses baking soda has around the home I have picked out 4 of the best uses for baking soda to give you a head start.
Homemade Toothpaste
Many of the big-brand toothpaste sitting in your grocery store have one thing in mind, profits. To be honest the last thing most of these big-name brands have on their mind is your oral health. And what’s even scarier is the list of “toxic” ingredients most of these toothpastes have in them. If we shouldn’t be eating toothpaste, then it is probably an unwise choice to be brushing with it as well.
To protect yourself and your family and to dodge these unwanted chemicals and toxins why not make your own toothpaste from baking soda. As well as using sodium bicarbonate as general toothpaste it also has teeth whitening properties and is on-par with shop brought teeth whitening products, if not better. Okay so this all sounds great, but how do I make toothpaste out of baking soda? The foundation of virtually all homemade toothpaste is baking soda and when combined with a few other natural ingredients you have a great tasting, healthy homemade chemical free toothpaste.
One of my personal favorites is coconut and peppermint flavor, made using coconut oil and peppermint essential oil; it makes for a dense and all-natural toothpaste.
Making it is super easy here is how:
✓ For the base use 2 parts of regular baking soda.
✓ Add 1 part of coconut oil.
✓ And Stir in approximately 10 drops of peppermint essential oil.
✓ Just like regular toothpaste add sparingly to your toothbrush and brush away.
Making your own toothpaste at home allows you to know what exactly is going inside your body and will save you some money to. For the best, most effective toothpaste possible try to invest in only organic ingredients for your homemade toothpaste.
If you don’t want to make your own we have found some great pre-made baking soda toothpastes here, which are worthy of a place in your bathroom cabinet.
Laundry Stain Remover
Forget about those expensive stain removing products that promise to remove “even the most stubborn stains” and then deliver unsatisfactory results, what you need is our friend sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda makes light work or stubborn stains on clothing; this is due partially to its inherent ability to neutralize the pH of almost any substance.
To remove tough stains from fabric using baking soda:
✓ Apply the baking soda liberally to the stained area.
✓ For best result mix with a few drops of water, so the concoction is more paste-like.
✓ Slowly rub and massage to help to oxygenate the stain.
As well as a stain remover baking soda can be used in every wash cycle. By simply adding a few tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate into your next wash you will get a chemical-free fabric lightener and cleaner. There’s no need to worry about any discoloration on your fabrics, as baking soda has a gentle yet effective power, unlike bleaching agents found in other products. Baking soda can be brought from almost any grocery store and even comes in different scents like rose, lavender, and peppermint.
Natural Antacid
Suffer from Heartburn and stomach aches? Well this baking soda remedy is for you. Bicarb acts as a natural pH neutralizer and because heartburn and stomach aches are often related to a pH level that is too acidic baking soda can help to naturally remedy this discomfort, quickly and effectively.
If you want to give this heartburn natural remedy a try simply:
✓ Mix about 1 tablespoon of baking soda into a glass of water.
✓ Stir so that the bicarb is incorporated with the water.
✓ Simply drink the mixture.
Make sure you don’t ingest too much baking soda as this may lead to discomfort. Even though baking soda is entirely safe to consume, it can also be overdone, just like anything else.
Vacuum Room Refresh
If you own pets, like dogs or cats I’m sure you already use some sort of freshener whilst you are vacuuming the carpet to try and mask the musky smells. Shop bought carpet fresheners can be costly but yet again our friend baking soda can do a great job of freshening up your carpet. To combat almost any stench try a simple mixture of baking soda and sprinkling it onto the carpet just before vacuuming.
To make this homemade carpet freshener, combine:
✓ Roughly 1/2 cup of baking soda (per room).
✓ With 5 to 7 drops of your favorite essential oil (lemon or lavender are both pleasant and uplifting fragrances).
✓ Lightly sprinkle to mix over the areas you intend to vacuum.
✓ Simply vacuum over those areas, as you normally would.
Even after the essential oil scents have dissipates the baking soda will continue to help keep unpleasant smells neutralized until your next vacuum. Without lighting any fragrance candles or spraying any fragrance into the air you can lift and freshen the entire room, this is a fantastic routine to do just before having house guests over.
Baking soda is found in almost any household and can be purchased on the cheap. It can tackle a plethora of household chores and will also cut down on your toxic exposure and also decrease the cost of your household cleaning supplies.