Cheap & Creative Uses for Baking Soda

Baking Soda is something you will probably find in everyone's kitchen, so why not think of some cheap & creative ways to use it? Baking Soda makes for a great ingredient in many DIY projects and cleaners. I am sure if you asked your parents or grandparents they would say the same thing. My grandma puts baking soda and vinegar down any drain that seems a little clogged, or combines baking soda with water to clean jewellery. Lavender Baking Soda Air Fresheners even make for great gifts, so read along and pick your poison. What are you going to use your leftover Baking Soda for?

Upset Stomach or Heartburn Remedy

Add about a teaspoon of baking soda to a full 8 ounce glass of water and drink up! Your stomach ache or heartburn is sure to disappear rather quickly. This may seem like an old wives tale but I have used this remedy several times and it has never let me down.

Cleaner

If you mix baking soda with a small amount of water it makes for a great cleaner. Use this solution to clean up old tarnished jewellery or even to make your vision a little more clear by cleaning your glasses. If you use a little more water then you can use the solution to clean our oven with a paper towel soaked in the solution. You can even mix baking soda with dish soap to make a soft scrub. This trick also works wonders.

Carpet Freshener

You know those classic sugar shaker bottles made out of glass with the metal top? Get one, trust me. Get one or something similar and fill it up with baking soda. You can usually find them at the dollar store actually. Then shake it and sprinkle it onto your carpets or couches. Wait a few minutes and vacuum it up, and there you have it: a simple and cheap DIY carpet freshener. You can even add a few drops of your favourite essential oil or scented oil to give it a fresh scent. I sometimes sprinkle a little in my kitty litter box too, to neutralize any odours.

Lavender Baking Soda Air Freshener

Grab a small mason jar, 1/2 cup of baking soda and your favourite essential oil and you can make a Baking Soda Air Freshener. I prefer the Lavender scent, but you can choose based on your own tastes. You will need about 10 drops of the essential oil. Then you are going to combine your baking soda and your scented essential oil really well in a small bowl (or mix it right in the mason jar). Once you have added your mixture to the mason jar, you can store it wherever you like to let out the fresh scent you have chosen. I would go as far as putting a piece of fabric in the lid piece instead of the tin piece. Then you can poke a few holes in the fabric and your scent will last longer.

Drain Cleaner

If you have a drain in the house that could use a little cleaning, or to be unclogged, then keep reading. Baking Soda makes for an excellent and quick drain cleaner. It is also super frugal! Just add a layer of baking soda in the drain (about 1/2 cup) and then pour a cup of vinegar on top. Follow that procedure by pouring a cup of hot water on top of the solution and then covering the drain. After about 10 or 15 minutes you are going to want to run hot water down the drain for a little bit. It works great!

Beauty & Hygiene

There are a few ways baking soda can help you with your daily beauty & hygiene routine.

• Exfoliant: Mix the baking soda with Cetaphil, coconut oil or your preferred lotion to make an excellent exfoliant. I do this a few hours before shaving my legs to ensure I don't get any ingrown hairs.
• Shampoo Aid: Mix Baking Soda with your shampoo every once in a while to do a deep clean. This solution is bound to remove any stubborn gunk off of your scalp. Have you ever had squeaky clean hair? Now you will.
• Teeth Whitener: Many toothpastes that you can buy in stores have Baking Soda within to whiten your teeth. My favourite toothpaste (Pearl Drops) does not, so I just add a little baking soda myself to add the teeth whitening aspect that I adore.
• Facial Scrub: Looking for an all natural facial scrub? Combine baking soda with a little bit of water to scrub your face. Say goodbye to face-cleansing chemicals and say goodbye to clogged pores too.
• Deodorant/Antiperspirant: Mix baking soda with coconut oil to make a natural deodorant or antiperspirant. I am assuming you would just wipe it on with a cloth. Has anyone used this trick before?

Prevent Weeds:

Weeds are a pain in the bleep during these hot summer months. You can prevent them though! Just sprinkle a bit of baking soda on your cement to prevent weeds from coming up. That is so much easier than pulling them all, trust me.

And there are so many other uses too! Moosers, what do you use Baking Soda for?