Simple Tips: Baking Soda

I'm not Real Simple magazine. I'm not Martha Stewart. I don't have a ton of secret "grandma" tips and tricks. This blog isn't meant to sound like I know all there is to keeping your home nice and fresh...but...I am nearly convinced baking soda is the cure for almost everything and I wanted to share this great, simple find with you.

I always knew it was a necessary ingredient for baking cookies and for clearing out bad smells in your fridge, but little did I know all the other great uses for it. A friend shared with me her secret to great skin: wash with baking soda. That's it? Yep! So I tried it and absolutely love it! It exfoliates, is the correct Ph balance for skin, and leaves your skin feeling so so soft. (Do I sound like an infomercial yet?) After discovering this little trick I began investigating other uses for baking soda.

There are probably a million and one more uses for it, but here are the ways I use baking soda.

Face Washing: Put some baking soda in your hand, add some water to make a paste, then scrub lightly and rinse! (Note: I have a friend who didn't like baking soda to wash her face because she has really sensitive skin, but try it once a day or every other day and see if it works for you. Don't be afraid if some zits come to life the first few times...that means it's bringing everything out!)

Teeth Brushing/Whitening: Add some baking soda to your toothbrush/toothpaste for fresher breath and whiter, cleaner teeth.

Get the smells out: Leave a bowl of baking soda in your fridge to get rid of all the different food smells, sprinkle baking soda over your carpet before vacuuming,  pour some in the bottom of your trash can before putting the bag in, sprinkle some in the bottom of your shoes after you take them off for the day, leave some baking soda in a cup in your car, pour some down your sink to clean out your garbage disposal. Basically anywhere that stinks...using baking soda. I even add a 1/2 a cup of baking soda to my laundry detergent for added freshness. I've ditched fabric softeners because baking soda is just that good!

Cleaning: Scrub your sinks, bathtub, and toilet bowls with baking soda to get the grime and dirt off.

Safety First: Keep this stuff close when cooking with oil and grease. It will put out grease fires...something water can't do!

More uses for your skin: Use baking soda to help sun burns, insect bits, and bee stings.

It seems as though baking soda can do it all. It's such an inexpensive and simple product...I think I'll keep life a little simpler by clearing my shelves of whitening strips, cleaners, face wash, antacids, etc and just reach for my Tupperware jar full of the magical do-it-all substance called baking soda.