Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, first hit the mass market in 1846, when Dr. Austin Church and John Dwight began selling their red-labeled soda packages. “Not only does baking soda neutralize odiferous fatty acids but it also attacks grease by turning it into – believe it or not – soap,” says the University of Pittsburgh’s Wolke. Fact: More than 100 tons of the refrigerator staple were used to clean the Statue of Liberty’s inner copper walls during its 1986 restoration.

Use Baking Soda to:
1. Exfoliate skin. Wash your face, then apply a soft paste made of three parts baking soda and one part water. Massage gently with a circular motion, avoiding the eye area; rinse clean.

2. Erase crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle soda on a damp sponge, rub clean, and rinse.

3. Unclog a drain. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water.

4. Remove tough stains from enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Scrub enameled cast iron with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water. Clean stainless steel with a soft cloth and 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

5. Scrub pans. Sprinkle soda on crusted casseroles and roasting pans and let sit for five minutes. Lightly scrub and rinse.

6. Brush teeth. Use a paste of baking soda and water.

7. Fight class-B fires (flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease). Baking soda can be used to smother only a small flame.

8. Deodorize. Dust baking soda under your arms to absorb body odor.

9. Clean up minor oil and grease spills on a garage floor or driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.

10. Settle a stomach during occasional indigestion. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1/2 cup of water and drink for a safe and effective antacid.

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One of the worst cleaning jobs in the bathroom has got to be removing dirt, mold, and mildew from the grout. In the kitchen, the grout around the tile can get dirty and greasy from cooking too. What a mess!

Even though they can work well, I, for one, try to stay away from toxic store-bought cleansers. These often radical chemicals can make your grout white as snow, but they can cause burns and rashes on your skin in the process. Not to mention the dangers of storing these poisonous products in your house around children and pets.

In place of store-bought cleansers, I choose to use safer, homemade solutions for cleaning my grout instead. Many of the ingredients can be found right in your kitchen cupboard. The ingredients are inexpensive to buy. Plus, they won’t harm your skin, your children, or, your pets.

1. It’s Not Just For Pickles
You can clean mildly-soiled bathroom or kitchen grout with plain old White vinegar and a sponge or rag. Vinegar works especially well for cutting through cooking grease that tends to accumulate on kitchen tile and grout. It safely removes soap scum too. All you need to do is fill a clean spray bottle with white vinegar. Then, spray and wipe the grout clean. Vinegar won’t leave a dulling residue, so there’s no need to rinse the grout with water. Use the white vinegar full strength for the best results.

2. Baking Soda to the Rescue
If the grout isn’t too dirty, you can sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge or rag to scour it clean. The soda not only whitens the area, but it sanitizes it too. Rinse the grout well with tap water afterwards, and wipe it dry.

For stained or moldy grout, make up a thick paste of baking soda and tap water. Use a damp sponge to dab the paste onto the grout.
Let the cleaner stand undisturbed for fifteen to twenty minutes. Then, wet the grout with warm tap water and rub it clean. Finish the job by rinsing the area thoroughly with water.

3. Homemade Super Triple Cleanser
If your grout has a heavy-duty build-up of mold and mildew, you might need to use a homemade super cleanser to whiten it up. Mix together one part baking soda and one part table salt. Then, add just enough white vinegar to turn the dry ingredients into a paste. Cover the grout completely with the paste. Let the cleanser stand for twenty to thirty minutes. Then, use an old toothbrush to scrub the grout until it’s clean. Rinse the area thoroughly with tap water.

4. It Whitens Your Teeth, It Can Whiten Your Grout
You probably have a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide right in your medicine cabinet! It works great as a disinfectant for minor cuts and scrapes. And, it whitens dull, discolored teeth. Hydrogen Peroxide will also turn moldy grout white again!

Mix up one part of Hydrogen Peroxide with one part tap water. Then, pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray the tile and grout in your bathroom or kitchen. Wipe the areas clean with a rag. If necessary, repeat the process to clean stubborn stains.

Note: Mix up only as much cleanser as you’re going to use at one time. Do not store mixtures because they will lose their potency over time.

Mold and mildew can cause a host of health problems for you and your family. Therefore, you should clean the grout at the first sign of these problems.

To help further reduce mold and mildew problems, especially in the bathroom areas, shower walls should be wiped down after each bath or shower is taken.

Source: Real Simple