Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, And Frugal Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of

123 Pages·3.556 MB·English

by  Vicki Lansky

• • • • • •
Over
500
Fabulous, Fun &
Frugal Uses You've
Probably Never
Thought of
VICKI LANSKY
Contributing editor to FAMILY CIRCLE Magazine
BAKING SODA
Over 500 Fabulous, Fun
and Frugal Uses
You've Probably Never
Thought Of
by
VICKI LANSKY
illustrations by Martha Campbell
printed on recycled paper
BOOK PEDDLERS
MINNETONKA, MN
Editorial thanks to Brian Thomlinson, Wayne Sorensen, Cathy Marino, Ray
Brown, Cindy Shellum and Kathryn Ring.
Cover designer: Laurie Ingram-Duren
Illustrated by Martha Campbell
ISBN 0-916773-41-8
(lSBN-13: 978-0916773-41-0)
Copyright © 2004 by Vicki Lansky
First printing March 1995
Second edition January 2004
Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication
(Provided by Quality Books, Inc.)
Lansky, Vicki L.
Baking soda: over 500 fabulous, fun and frugal uses
you've probably never thought of / by Vicki Lansky.
illustrations by Martha Campbell.
~~des
bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-916776-41-8
1 . Home economics-Miscellanea. 2. Sodium compounds
Miscellanea. I. Title TX 158.136 1995
640.41
QBI03-200148
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.
BOOK PEDDLERS
2828 Hedberg Drive. Minnetonka, MN 55305
952/544-1154. fax: [phone]
[email protected]
PRINTED IN THE USA
os 09 10 42 41 40 39 37
• • • • • • • • • •
Ode by a Mother to Baking Soda
How do I use thee?
I can't count the ways . ...
You scrub my tub, presoak my clothes
Freshen my fridge, won't scratch stoves;
Eat odors in sneakers and diaper pails
Soothe bites and burns to stop kids' wails.
All of this without harming our earth,
You give far more than my money's worth.
Jane Fraser, Picton, ONT Canada
• • • • • • • • • •
,

Table of Contents
introduction
1 BAKING SODA:
WHAT IT IS, HOW IT WORKS, HOW WE USE IT and
HOW IT CANIE TO BE SO POPULAR!
How-and Why-Does It Work? ........................................... 2
Abrasive Ability ................................................................... 2
A Natural Neutralizer ........................................................... 2
A Baking Boon .................................................................... 3
Other Traits ......................................................................... 4
In the Beginning .................................................................. 4
The Baking Soda Industry Today' ............................................. 7
An Environmentally Friendly Product ......................................... 8
A Company with an Environmental Conscience ......................... 9
How Baking Soda Can Be Used ......................................... 1 1
2 COOKING TIPS
Basic Baking Tips .............................................................. 14
Best Chocofate Chip Cookie Recipe...................................... 15
Substituting Honey tor Sugar? .............................................. 15
Bakin9.. Powder Pointers ....................................................... 16
Stove Top Secrets .............................................................. 17
Main Course Magic ........................................................... 18
Wild Ideas ....................................................................... 18
Vegamatic ........................................................................ 19
Tomato Savvy ................................................................... 20
Whoops! ......................................................................... 20
Drinks Ahoy ...................................................................... 20
3 KITCHEN CARE
Counter Measures .............................................................. 23
A Homemade Scouring Powder ............................................ 23
Under the Counter .............................................................. 24
Sink Savers ....................................................................... 24
Drain Cleaner ................................................................... 25
Automatic Dishwasher Power ............................................... 26
Glass and Plastic ............................................................... 26
Brewing Up the Best .......................................................... 27
Fridge Freshness ............................................................... 28
Microwave Tips ................................................................ 29
A Fire-Extinguisher-in-a-Box .................................................. 30
Stove Top Cleanup ...................................................... 30
Disaster Detail ............................................................. 31
Oven Cleaner ............................................................. 32
Appliances ................................................................. 32
Greasy Kid Stuff ........................................................... 33
An Old Fashioned Recipe for a Cleaning Mixture ............... 33
Making Pots and Pans Shine .......................................... 34
A Silver lining ............................................................. 35
Keeping Rust at Bay ..................................................... 35
Garbage Cans ............................................................ 36
(IN)Dispensab!e Containers ............................................ 36
4 IN THE BATHROOM
Surface Savvy ............................................................. 39
Tub Sparklers ............................................................. 40
Shower Secrets ............................................................ 40
Curtain Time ............................................................... 41
Pofly Power ................................................................. 41
Air Fresheners .............................................................. 41
5 HOME MAINTENANCE
Window Wonders ....................................................... 43
Wood Workers ........................................................... 43
Surface Cleanups ......................................................... 44
Carpet Advice ............................................................. 44
Entree Ideas ................................................................ 46
Miscellaneous Maintenance ........................................... 46
Hearth and Home ........................................................ 47
Minimizing Musty Smells ............................................... 48
Closet Fresheners ......................................................... 49
Odor Eaters ................................................................ 50
6 LAUNDRY TIME
Ideas for Your Clean Machine ........................................ 52
Brightness Booster ........................................................ 52
Stain Pre-Treatment ....................................................... 53
The Nose Knows ......................................................... 54
For Sensitive Souls ........................................................ 54
Iron Ease .................................................................... 55
Dry Cleaning .............................................................. 55
For Shoe .................................................................... 55
Sweet Sweats ............................................................. 56
Personal Accent Cleanups ............................................. 56
7 HYGIENE AND GROOMING
Hair .......................................................................... 59
Skin Solutions .............................................................. 59
Deodorant Action ......................................................... 60
Hand Core ................................................................. 60
Eye and Visionwear Care .............................................. 61
Breathe Freshener ......................................................... 61
Dental Home Hygiene .................................................. 62
Keep Your Pearly Whites Looking That Way ..................... 63
Denture Soak .............................................................. 64
Ears ........................................................................... 64
Feet ........................................................................... 64
8 HOME REMEDIES
As on Antacid ............................................................. 67
Bladder Home Remedies ............................................... 68
Mineral Replacement Drink ............................................ 68
Stop Smoking .............................................................. 69
Sore Throat ................................................................. 69
StuffY. Nose ................................................................. 69
Bee Stings-Bug Bites ................................................... 69
Burns ......................................................................... 70
Other Skin Problems ..................................................... 70
9 LITTLE TYKES
New Baby TiQs ........................................................... 72
Coping with Cradle Cop .............................................. 72
Better Bottoms .............................................................. 73
Mother's Medicine ....................................................... 73
Kids' Stuff ................................................................... 74
Mother's Magic ........................................................... 75
10 PLAY PROJECTS FOR KIDS
Stencil CalJ)8t Fun ........................................................ 77
Arts & Crotts Ideas ....................................................... 77
Volcanic Action ........................................................... 77
A Do-If-Yourself Volcano Kit ............................................ 79
"Bouncing Balls" in a Bowl ............................................. 79
Inflatables ................................................................... 80
Classic Craft Cloy-Stove Top Method ............................ 80
Playdough-Microwave-Made ....................................... 81
Edible Cookie Sculpture Dough ...................................... 82
11 HUMANE ANIMAL TREATMENT
Pet Peeves ................................................................... 8. ..
Kitty Poos .................................................................... 84
Canine Come-Clean Ideas ............................................. 85
Pooch Puddles .............................................................. 85
Dog Ditties .................................................................. 86
Other Pet Problems ........................................................ 86
12 HANDY DANDY IDEAS
Outdoor Dos ................................................................ 89
Workshop/Garage ...................................................... 89
Assault Your Battery ....................................................... 90
Car Cleanup ............................................................... 91
Preventive Measures ...................................................... 92
Spas and Pools ............................................................ 92
13 A GUIDE FOR GREEN THUMBS
Outdoor Gardens ......................................................... 95
Make-Your-0wn Safe, Organic Pesticide .......................... 95
Compost Friendly .......................................................... 96
It's for the Bi rds ............................................................. 96
Indoor Flower/Plant Power ............................................. 96
14 CRAFTS, HOBBIES AND OTHER IDEAS FOR FUN
Handicratts .................................................................. 99
Money Mavens ............................................................ 99
Far the Aficiando ........................................................ 10 0
Holidays and Entertaining ............................................ 100
15 OUTDOOR FOLKS
RV Campers' and Boaters' Best Bets ................................ 102
Backpackers and Outdoor Campers ............................... 102
Sportsmen/women ...................................................... 103
INDEX ............................................................................ 105
introduction
Whenever I mentioned to people that I was working on a
book of everything you can do with baking soda and that I had over
SOO uses, I inevitably caught their attention. First they didn't believe
baking soda had more than a handful of uses; second, they would
then relate the one or two they knew of or used; and third, they
expected me to rattle off a dozen or so ideas right there and then
which I usually did, to their amazement!
Everyone, it seems, is interested in ways baking soda can be
used. As a contributing editor to Family Circle Magazine writing
about household hints, I was sent lots of great uses for baking soda
by readers. In my book, ANOTHER USE FOR. .. lOl COMMON
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, I had three pages alone of "other" uses for
baking soda. Browsing through my collection of tips books, news
paper and magazine clippings, I gleaned dozens more. AND THEY
ARE ALL HERE.
I have not tested each and every idea here. What I have done
is collect what has worked for someone-sometime-and in all
probability will work for you. But use common sense. Conditions
and situations are unique to each of us. I can not guarantee each and
every usage listed. I did want to share all the wonderful ones I know
about and let you be the judge of what is useful to you.
The folks at Church & Dwight, Co., Inc, who market ARM &
HAMMER®have been kind enough to provide me with information
and feedback, but this book has not been written for them. Though
they are enthusiastic about the book, they are not responsible for the
information printed here.
If I missed a use for baking soda that works for you, do let me
know. You can send it to me in care of the Book Peddlers or Practical
Parenting. (See last page for address.) My quest continues.
- Vicki Lansky