12 Drain Cleaner
If you let drains deteriorate to the point at which they simply don’t drain, you’ve got a problem and will probably have to call in a professional plumber. But if you keep your drains clean 24:7 it’s possible that this will never happen. Often people avoid cleaning drains because the only way they know how is with strong, potentially dangerous products. A good, safe and effective method is to sprinkle baking soda down the drain, then add apple cider vinegar, let it bubble for a good 15 minutes, then flush with hot water.
11 Natural Deodorant
Even though it isn’t a very sophisticated homemade product, those who have used it swear that a little baking soda mixed with a little water makes a really effective natural deodorant. The pundits say you can make a paste and apply this, powder on dry baking soda, or even spray the water mixture under your arms to avoid smelly armpits. It’s certainly one way of avoiding the nasty additives that are part and parcel of commercial deodorants and antiperspirants on our pharmacy and supermarket shelves today.
10 Insect Bites and Skin Rashes
Whether you’ve been bitten by a mosquito or a multitude of fleas, or have rubbed up against something like poison ivy or stinging nettles, baking soda is a magical ingredient to help relieve the inevitable itching. What it does is neutralize the irritants and toxins on the surface of the skin often better than expensive medications. All you do is wash the affected skin area and then apply a fairly thin paste made by mixing baking soda with a little water. Leave it on for a few hours before rinsing with clean water.
9 Heartburn and Indigestion
You can buy a non-prescription antacid formula or give bicarb a try first. Certainly if you cannot get to a pharmacy, baking soda is a really good option when it comes to the relief of heartburn, indigestion and even more sever ulcer pain. While this is not recommended as a chronic treatment, a safe dose would be half a teaspoon dissolved in half a glass of water. You can take it (or give it to someone suffering from these symptoms) every two hours, provided no more than seven doses are given in a 24-hor period. If the person taking it is over 60 years, then the maximum does for this period is three half teaspoons.
8 Foot Bath and Body Soak
Baking soda has an amazing effect when you soak your feet in or even use it in the tub for a spa-like body-soak. If your feet are sore, add three heaped tablespoons to a tub of warm water; swish it around until all the baking soda has dissolved, and then soak your feet in it. If you’re going to do a full body dip, then try adding a little apple cider for an additional effect. They say it will also help clean the tub and the drain!
7 Exfoliator
If you have hard, dry skin on your heels or other parts of your feet, once you’ve soaked them (see #8), use a water/baking soda paste to scrub your feet. It makes a very good exfoliator and will remove all those tough bits naturally. It’s also great for exfoliating dry, cracked cuticles, and you can make a simple but safe paste that you can use to treat your face and body with. Just don’t add more than three parts of baking soda to one part of water or it could be a little harsh on the skin (especially facial skin).
6 Hand cleaner
A light paste of three parts baking soda mixed with one part water makes the most amazing hand cleaner and cleanser that you can use to scrub off dirt and neutralize horrid odors from oil and grease to garlic and onion. Rub a little baking soda on wet hands, scrub and then rinse with clean water. Alternatively you can make a paste and add a little coconut oil to nourish your skin. Keep this next to the sink for convenience.
5 Sunburn Remedy
If you’ve ever been badly sunburnt you’ll know how painful it can be. Incredibly just half a cup of baking soda added to lukewarm water in the tub is one of the best home remedies for relief. When you get out of the bath don’t use a towel, but rather allow the air to dry your damaged skin. The baking soda from the water will stay on the skin and continue to relieve it, and help prevent blistering. You can also mix baking soda with water and use it for a cold compress that you apply directly to small areas of sunburnt skin.
4 First Aid Splinter Removal
Baking soda isn’t a quick fix for getting rid of splinters, but it softens the skin and, used for a day or two will usually force them out naturally. All you need to do is add a heaped tablespoon of baking soda to a glass of lukewarm water (so it dissolves easily) and soak the area that has the splinter two or three times a day. If the splinter is in your finger you can put your finger in the water; if it’s in a less accessible area, soak cotton wool and use it to apply the baking soda liberally. Generally splinters will push their own way out of the skin after just a couple of days, though you can use tweezers for those that are more stubborn.
3 Tooth and Gum Paste
Some toothpaste products contain baking soda because it has been proven to be a mildly abrasive formulation that effectively removes plaque, helping to clean and polish the teeth, and even deodorize the mouth. Baking soda has also been found to have an antibacterial action that kills harmful Streptococcus mutans bacteria that contributes to tooth decay. You can make your own effective tooth and gum paste by mixing and blending together six parts of baking soda to one part natural sea salt. To use, just lick the tip of your finger, dip into the mixture and smear onto your gums and teeth. After 15 minutes rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Not everyone agrees; some believe that it can damage the tooth enamel and even kill useful bacteria.
2 Sports Performance
Known as soda doping, distance runners have been known us take baking soda capsules prior to races to enhance their performance. It has also been shown to improve the speed of swimmers. Probably not totally legal, and perhaps not very safe, this is not something we recommend, but rather mention because it illustrates yet another potential health benefit of baking soda. According to researchers, sodium bicarbonate – which is an alkali that increases the blood’s pH – reduces and offsets acidity produced in the muscles during intense, aerobic exercise (like running and swimming). So that’s how it works!
1 Household Cleaner
Baking soda gets rid of grease and grime with little or no effort. You can use it mixed with essential oils instead of proprietary kitchen and bathroom surface cleaners, and you can add a little lemon juice to the mixture for added effect. You can use this homemade household cleaner to make grimy pots and pans easy to clean. You can also use baking soda (on its own) instead of a proprietary carpet cleaner – sprinkled on the carpet and then vacuum after about 15 minutes. Instead of buying silver polish that is probably toxic, you can soak silver in hot water and baking soda (and lemon juice if you wish) and then rinse it, dry it and polish it clean.
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