Most of us already know that a teaspoon of baking soda in the batter will make the muffins rise, but who knew that a pinch of it mixed with scrambled eggs will make them fluffier or added to water will make steamed vegetables stay green?
Aside from cooking, however, everyone knows that an open box of baking soda in the fridge will absorb strong odors. But did you also know that baking soda in the bath water can relieve itchy skin caused by bug bites or poison ivy? And that pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of hot vinegar down a stopped up drain will unclog it? Baking soda also can be used to polish tarnished silver, remove rust stains, extinguish a grease fire, freshen toothbrushes and clean dishwashers and coffee makers. Add it to kitty litter and the laundry to help freshen and deodorize. Sprinkle baking soda on a wet sponge to scrub residue off a cast-iron skillet. Or use it on sidewalk and driveway cracks as a non-toxic weed killer. A dusting of it around pet food bowls will keep ants away too.
A couple of cautions about baking soda, though: Its magic powers fade with time, so check the expiration date on the box. Most important, don’t mix it with other cleaning products. The chemical reaction could be toxic.
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