Going green and saving green with baking soda!

Since I am not able to work on any projects to feature in my blog this week,  I thought this would give me a great opportunity to share with you all the "green" ways to clean your home. You see, I am frugal in all areas of my life!  But it's not just that, I really don't like using toxic cleansers unless it is necessary. And seriously, these are tips that I think everyone can use, especially if you have young children! One of the cleansers I use is baking soda and it is one staple that I can not be without, because it is so inexpensive and it's uses are endless! I have been cleaning with baking soda long before the term "green" was ever invented! It's got just enough of an abrasive in it to cut grease and soap scum without scratching the finishes, and makes everything sparkle and smell so fresh! And in case you didn't know all the different uses for baking soda I wanted to share with you so you can stop spending money on expensive cleansers!


I use baking soda for cleaning:

bathtub, shower and sinks
microwaves
toaster
remove crayon from walls
removes tea and coffee stains from cups and teapots
polishes silver
removes scuffs from furniture
clean tennis shoes
trashcans
drains and garbage disposals
refrigerator
cleaning jewelry
putting out small kitchen fires

what I learned you can use soda for:

scrubs fruits and vegetables
can use as a face and body scrub
relief from insect bites
wipe windsheild to repel rain
improve smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and waters
scatter around our vegetable garden to prevent rabbits from eating veggies
sweeten tomatoes by sprinklling baking soda on soil around tomato plants
put some under the sink to repel ants and roaches

things we always knew:
using as a deodorizer for refrigerator
works as an antacid
mixed with peroxide it can be used as toothpaste
      
I hope you found this to be helpful because as I was researching new uses for baking soda I was glad to find the tip about using it to clean fruits and vegetables and as a insect bite reliever. I know when I grab for an apple I always wonder if just rinsing it under running water really cleans it well enough to eat! And when my grandson appears with mosquito bites all over his little body I can just soak him in the bathwater with a cup of soda to ease the itching!