Vinegar's First Cousin, Baking Soda

In a recent post I told you all about how I use vinegar in my cleaning. I also promised you that I would return with a post about vinegar's first cousin, baking soda, and tell you all about how to clean with it. Well, here I am, as promised. 

Ready for a quick science lesson? Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO₃. Betcha didn't know that. I'm betting you also didn't know that ancient Egyptians used a form of baking soda as soap. I'm really wowing you, aren't I? 

I said all that to say this, baking soda is all natural and time proven. It's way better for you than Comet, or Fabuloso, or whatever else you've got under your sink to scrub away at nasty stuff. And, in my opinion, it works a lot better than those products do too. 

Exhibit A: My refrigerator. As I have referenced many times before, the previous owners were not big on cleaning. Actually, that's the biggest understatement of the century. I am convinced that there were areas of this house that they NEVER cleaned. The side of the refrigerator being one of them. When we pulled the fridge out from the wall, the side closest to the wall was caked in some combination of drips, goo and dirt. How did I conquer this colossal mess? Well, I sprayed it down with a solution of vinegar and water, and let it sit for a minute. Then, I sprinkled some baking soda onto my rag, and started scrubbing. Baking soda is abrasive, and the reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar meant that in no time at all my fridge was sparkly clean. 

Exhibit B: Clogged Drains. Old House + Girl with Long Hair + Other Yucky Stuff = Frequently Clogged Drains  The best way I have found to clear these clogs is the winning combo again. Sprinkle some baking soda down your drain (be generous!) followed by a healthy splash of vinegar. After all the foaming settles down, place a plastic lid (from a Tupperware) over the drain for 10-15 min. In the meantime, heat up some water in the tea kettle. Then remove the cover and pour the boiling water down the drain. Works like a charm, everytime. I also do this to my kitchen sink drains on a monthly basis, as a preventative measure. 

Exhibit C: Smelly Fridges and Garbage Cans. Baking Soda naturally absorbs odors too, so be sure to keep an opened box in your freezer and in your fridge, and sprinkle some in the bottom of your trash can. Seriously, what can't this stuff do?

Still not convinced? Here's a whole list of other uses for baking soda. Tell me, what are your favorite uses for the white stuff?