The wonders of Baking Soda

I was working on a post about the best way to eliminate household smells, and almost every tip I read made some mention of baking soda so I decided that a wrap up of the wonders of baking soda was in order. Its widely available, inexpensive, and has a lot more to offer than just adding height to baked goods a teaspoon at t time. Here are just a few things that you can use baking soda for in your home:

1. Refrigerator Odors: This is probably baking soda’s most common task for those of us who aren’t bakers
2. Lingering Garbage Odors:
3. Paint fumes: place several open boxes of baking soda in the room with the offending fumes or leave shallow bowls of them around to help absorb odors. If the painted rooms are carpeted, sprinkle the carpets with a light layer of baking soda and let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming.
4. Pot & pan cleaner: Baking soda can be used to banish stubborn stuck on food particles without damaging your cookware. Just let them soak in baking soda for 15 minutes and the grease and grime will come right off.
5. Drain Cleaner: Mix baking soda with apple cider vinegar to create your own drain cleaner. This is a much safer option than the harmful chemicals that are typically used to clear drains. Let the combination bubble for 15 minutes, then rinse it with hot water. PRO TIP: To deodorize a drain, pour about ½ cup baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup vinegar. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clean residue. NOTE: Use this method only if your pipes are metal. And never mix with other cleaning solutions. Don’t try this if you’ve recently used a commercial drain product.
6. Coffee pot cleaner: To remove coffee stains and funky tastes from your coffee or tea pot, make this quick mixture: one-fourth cup of baking soda with one quart of warm water. Rub the mixture on and in your pots; if you are battling tough stains, let it sit for a few hours first and then rinse. You can also run an empty cycle with baking soda to clean the coffeemaker.

Is there any smell that white vinegar, coffee grounds, or baking soda can’t handle? It seems like these household remedies are powerhouse cleaners which can tackle everything from paint fumes to lingering garbage smells without breaking a sweat.