Oh, The Many Uses of Baking Soda!

From the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first baby, I was on the hunt to find all natural cleaning products. I traded in my traditional mop for a steam mop so that chemicals weren’t necessary. I also researched cleansers that would be good for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. I was amazed to find out I had everything I needed right at home AND it was one of the most inexpensive items in my pantry: Arm & Hammer Baking Soda! I had some in my fridge to keep it fresh, and I had another box that I used for baking, but what I didn’t realize was this little box could do so much! From baking, to cleaning your teeth, read on for some great tips and usage!

Make a Quick Pit Stop: Natural Deodorant
Dust ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda under arms as needed to feel fresh all day.  The magic of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda actually absorbs odors instead of just covering them up.

Relax Your Tired Feet: Exfoliating Pedicure
Blend 2 tablespoons of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in a basin of warm water. After a nice soak, make a scrub using 3 parts ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and 1 part water. Follow with an application of a rich moisturizer and a warm towel foot wrap. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Feet will feel smooth and clean.

Give Yourself a Natural Glow: Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliant
For smooth, radiant skin, give yourself a gentle facial and body scrub with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda.  Make a paste of 3 parts ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to 1 part water.  Consider enhancing the treatment by including 1 part ground oatmeal. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate skin and remove dead skin cells. (Be careful to avoid eye area.)  Rinse clean with warm water.  Leaves skin feeling nourished and refreshed. Gentle enough for daily use!

Show Off Locks that Rock: Hair Care Help
Get rid of product buildup by sprinkling a small amount (quarter-size) of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo.  Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly.  The ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.

Clean Your Cuticles: Brightening Manicure
Dip brush into ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and scrub nails and cuticles. Make a paste of 3 parts ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle, circular motion over hands and fingers to exfoliate and smooth. Rinse clean with warm water and apply polish as usual.

Polish Jewelry
Make sure your special holiday jewelry sparkles as much as your smile by shining with baking soda.  Clean gold and silver jewelry with three parts ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to one part water. Rub on gently, then rinse and buff with a soft cloth. Shine platinum jewelry by buffing with dry ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda.

Pamper Yourself 
After all your hard work cleaning for your holiday parties, it’s time to treat yourself to a relaxing bath to unwind. Add ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to your bath for a refreshing soak. Your skin will feel silky smooth.

Pearly Whites
For holiday photos filled with gleaming smiles, brush teeth with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Just sprinkle baking soda into your palm, dip a damp toothbrush into it, and brush*. For a refreshing mouthwash, use 1 teaspoon baking soda in ½ glass of water. Swish the solution through your teeth and rinse.

*ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda does not contain the anti-cavity ingredient fluoride. Use it where water is fluorinated or when non-fluoride toothpaste is desired for adult use or as directed by your dentist of physician.

Freshen Upholstery
Before guests arrive, remove lingering odors for fresh-smelling upholstered sofas and chairs with ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Sprinkle baking soda on upholstery, wait 15 minutes and vacuum up.

Deodorizing Wastebasket
Keep the kitchen garbage can and bathroom wastebaskets fresh with just a sprinkle of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Apply regularly as you add to the container, or when you empty it, wash the container with a solution of 1 cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda per 1 gallon of water.

Santa’s Footprints
Lead the way to holiday gifts using a footprint stencil and ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to create a trail of footprints on the carpet. After opening up gifts, simply vacuum up the baking soda for easy party prep. Bonus! Your carpet will smell fresh and clean.

Polish Silver Flatware
ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda can shine all your holiday silver in no time at all.  Before your guests arrive for dinner, make a natural cleaning paste with three parts ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda to one part water.  Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge.  Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.

Fluffier Mashed Potatoes and Spruced Up Cocktails
During the holidays, we turn to our favorite comfort foods.  Throw a pinch of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into potatoes while mashing to make them fluffier. Sprinkle a dash of ARM & HAMMER™ into your holiday drink concoctions to add some fun fizz.

Wash Fruits and Vegetables
ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda is the food-safe way to clean dirt and residue off fresh fruit and vegetables.  Sprinkle a little baking soda on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse.  For soft-skinned produce, sprinkle baking soda in a bowl of water. Add produce, agitate, and rinse.

Food Safe Surface Cleaning
Clean your food prep area and tools with natural, food safe ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda instead of harsh cleaners. Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda onto a clean damp sponge or cloth and wipe clean, rinse thoroughly and then dry.  Great for counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, wooden spoons, oven tops, range hoods and more.

Freshest Flavor
Be sure to keep an open box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda in your refrigerator to ensure the freshest tasting ingredients for holiday entertaining.  This is especially important when storing garlic, onions or fresh holiday herbs and spices, which will transfer flavors to more delicate vegetables, meats and cheeses in the fridge.  Be sure to change the box once a month for optimal freshness.

I’ve even used it to scrub my stove top and unclog my drain! I just sprinkle some Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in the drain and follow with some white vinegar. the mixture creates and effervescent that powers through the clog!  It seems like there isn’t anything you can’t do with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda! I never thought of using it to polish my flatware, and this is a great tip right before the holidays! I also love the idea of using it as Santa’s footprints, but we don’t have carpet and I imagine it would be very messy on the hardwood floor. Maybe we can put some tracks on the area rug and have some fun with my toddler. Speaking of area rugs, I didn’t realize this was a great way to freshen up the rug! Now all I do is sprinkle, let the baking soda sit for a few minutes, and then vacuum. Easy and safe! No worries about harmful chemicals or scents!
Do you use baking soda for various household jobs? Please share if you have any ideas!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in an Blog Tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Arm & Hammer and received product samples to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for participating.