The Many Uses for Baking Soda

[Diane Lane]

I have always used baking soda not only in baking, but also for a variety of other purposes, but some of the ones on this list are new to me, and I know there are other lists with even more uses. I've used it in the fridge, the litter boxes, and also have sprinkled it in the carpet. Not only does it help remove odors, but I've heard it also helps discourage fleas, which are quite prevalent here in South Texas. I wasn't aware of using baking soda to make a fluffier omelet or take the bitterness out of tea.

http://www.allyou.com/budget-home/live-green-save/baking-soda

How many of these do you use baking soda for?

 

[ChesterV]

South Texas???????

We are neighbors!!!!! I'm up in the DFW area!!! HOWDY NEIGHBOR!!!



If you have washable, reusable air filters, you can wash them out with warm baking soda water.
Gets the stink out and makes them smell fresh after they have dried out.

I don't know if I saw it on the list or not, but you can use baking soda as flea powder on outside pets (as long as they aren't allergic to it)....you can also use it in their bath water.

Use baking soda and hot water to scrub the water stains off of glass. This includes glass windows that have been dulled by dirt, wind, rain, and time. Once they glass has been scrubbed with baking soda and hot water, let them dry and then use a soft cloth to rinse them off with a solution of white vinegar and warm water. Supposedly this washes off the left over baking soda and also shines the glass.

Sprinkle baking soda along the front of your doors (outside) to help keep away bugs from crawling into your house. (I also use dry laundry soap for this, for bad bug problems)

Sprayed by a skunk? Tomato juice might work, but a bath in heavy baking soda water will help a lot.

Bad feet smells in your shoes? Make some homemade sachets and place in your shoes overnight, this will help alleviate some smells from bad feet.

Musty smelling a/c? Large sachets of baking soda can help alleviate that. Place sachets inside vents/behind vent panels, or you can place them inside the main housing of the vents (where there is no machinery). You will have to replace them every few weeks, as they do suck up moisture and can start to stink themselves.

Baking soda can be spread on oil stains on the driveway to help soak up some of the oil that has seeped into the concrete.

Baking soda is also good for making CAKE!!!!!!
LOL

 

[Diane Lane]

South Texas???????

We are neighbors!!!!! I'm up in the DFW area!!! HOWDY NEIGHBOR!!!



If you have washable, reusable air filters, you can wash them out with warm baking soda water.
Gets the stink out and makes them smell fresh after they have dried out.

I don't know if I saw it on the list or not, but you can use baking soda as flea powder on outside pets (as long as they aren't allergic to it)....you can also use it in their bath water.

Use baking soda and hot water to scrub the water stains off of glass. This includes glass windows that have been dulled by dirt, wind, rain, and time. Once they glass has been scrubbed with baking soda and hot water, let them dry and then use a soft cloth to rinse them off with a solution of white vinegar and warm water. Supposedly this washes off the left over baking soda and also shines the glass.

Sprinkle baking soda along the front of your doors (outside) to help keep away bugs from crawling into your house. (I also use dry laundry soap for this, for bad bug problems)

Sprayed by a skunk? Tomato juice might work, but a bath in heavy baking soda water will help a lot.

Bad feet smells in your shoes? Make some homemade sachets and place in your shoes overnight, this will help alleviate some smells from bad feet.

Musty smelling a/c? Large sachets of baking soda can help alleviate that. Place sachets inside vents/behind vent panels, or you can place them inside the main housing of the vents (where there is no machinery). You will have to replace them every few weeks, as they do suck up moisture and can start to stink themselves.

Baking soda can be spread on oil stains on the driveway to help soak up some of the oil that has seeped into the concrete.

Baking soda is also good for making CAKE!!!!!!
LOL

Howdy, Neighbor . Hope it's not as oppressively hot up there as it has been here, although I think sometimes the interior gets it worse than we do here on the coast. I'll have to try the flea powder trick for the outside kitties. I feed strays, and have considered flea collars for them, although I'm always concerned about them catching on fences, etc., so perhaps the baking soda will be the answer. I'll also have to look into removing the water stains. I currently use vinegar for that, but it doesn't always get all of the stains. Thanks for the tips!

 

[cupcakechef]

I use it for plenty of cleaning tasks too - I prefer to try and stick to natural cleaners around the house, so baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice are all things that get a bit of a workout around here! There were plenty of items on the list you had though that I hadn't even considered baking soda for, so I'm glad now that I have discovered even more ways to use it!

 

[ChesterV]

Howdy, Neighbor . Hope it's not as oppressively hot up there as it has been here, although I think sometimes the interior gets it worse than we do here on the coast. I'll have to try the flea powder trick for the outside kitties. I feed strays, and have considered flea collars for them, although I'm always concerned about them catching on fences, etc., so perhaps the baking soda will be the answer. I'll also have to look into removing the water stains. I currently use vinegar for that, but it doesn't always get all of the stains. Thanks for the tips!

UGH!!!! Yes, it is hot up here. But since the first "El Nino" hit us back in the late 90's that screwed up the weather patterns here, it's been HUMID.

I can take heat, but I cannot take humidity! The two mixed together though is just killer.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

Actually I am an avid fan of baking soda and every time I go to the grocery I see to it that it is always on my list of the things I will buy. I use baking soda not only for my cooking and baking needs. I use it also for cleaning purposes in a lot of ways. For cleaning the greasy kitchen stuffs and utensils like the dishes,pans and pots. For removing the stains on stoves and steels with rust. In cleaning the bathroom, washing smelly shoes, wiping the floors and other things that need to be clean. It is very useful and helpful.

 

[Finella]

I also use baking soda for cleaning. It's more useful as a cleaning tool than a baking ingredient to me. I use it to clean the kitchen, the bathroom and all around the house. The most recent use of baking soda for me is unclogging our clogged drain.

 

[Lisa Davis]

The best uit is a must tryse for baking soda is to boil bread dough in a baking soda bath to make pretzels! Pretzels are one of my all-time favorite indulgences and they are all about the crust!

National Public Radio (NPR) wrote a great article about getting the perfect pretzel crust:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...pretzel-crust-count-on-chemistry-and-memories

Before I started making pretzels myself, I thought it was the type of dough that produced this wonderful crust. I was shocked after taking a class all about pretzels to find out it was the baking soda bath that produced this wonderful texture. If you have never made pretzels, try it. Whether you enjoy them sweet or savory, there's nothing better that a hot, warm pretzels!

 

[rz3300]

Well thank you @Lisa Davis for posting that, because I had no idea, and I am with you, I love pretzels. I could eat them any day at any point, in any form. Few things can beat a good soft pretzel, though, and so I would prefer those. I really have a new-found respect for baking soda now, and am glad that someone found out how to use it to make my favorite snack.

 

[Lisa Davis]

Yes, I was in awe when I first discovered it was a baking soda (or lye, if you're insanely old fashioned) bath that gives pretzels their shiny, dark exterior. I love pretzels. I love the traditional twisted ones that are classically recognized for their shape. However, I have recently gotten into making pretzel buns. They are great for turkey or ham sandwiches, particularly if you are going to use mustard or honey mustard as a condiment.

 

[mommy42]

I've used baking soda for keeping the fridge from smelling too. Although the newer fridges don't seem to get funky like the old ones used to! I'm excited to have some extra uses for it. Some I had never heard of! I'm going to try using it for some sticky burnt on stuff on my glass top range - as nothing else seems to help! Thanks everyone!