I love items that have multiple purposes. It’s less items to have in your space and your money does more work for you.
One such item is Bicarb Soda.
This stuff is incredible – it’s a cooking product, it’s a beauty product, it’s a cleaning product and so much more. I’m continually finding new uses for it and my confidence grows and grows in its power with every experience.
A few of my favourite (non-cooking) uses…
- Dry shampoo – Distribute as much Bicarb Soda as you need through your hair (I’ve found it’s best not to get too much directly on your scalp) and then brush and style as normal to blend its appearance.
- Body exfoliant – Bicarb Soda can serve as an invigorating treat of a body scrub. Make a paste of Bicarb Soda and water to the consistency of your preference and then rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate your skin.
- Polish jewellery – To shine tired looking silver jewellery, combine three tablespoons Bicarb Soda with half the amount of water. Rub onto the jewellery piece with a clean cloth or toothbrush and then rinse thoroughly and dry. For a fantastic article on caring and cleaning for costume jewellery head over to Beck & Boosh Inc.
- Revive sports clothes – When sports clothes start retaining that sweaty odour that a normal wash can’t cut through, I add a cup of Bicarb Soda to the wash cycle and vinegar to the rinse cycle and viola! My sports clothes come back to health.
- Deodorise bins – Sprinkle Bicarb Soda on to the bottom of your bin to keep gross smells from creeping further afield.
- Deodorise shoes – Similar to above. Reduce odours from spreading in shoes by sprinkling Bicarb Soda into them when they are off duty. Make sure to shake the Bicarb Soda out before wearing though!
- Lift red wine from carpets – After blotting the spill, apply a Bicarb Soda paste (mix a three to one ratio of water to Bicarb Soda) and apply it to the spill. Once the paste has dried, vacuum the Bicarb Soda up.
- Smelly clogged drains – Pour a cup of Bicarb Soda followed by one cup of hot vinegar down the shower or kitchen drain to unclog and freshen the pipes.
- Clean stained mugs – Put a teaspoon of Bicarb Soda onto the bottom of the stained mug, add a little water to form a paste, and scrub with a toothbrush – just like new!
