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Baking Soda | 16 Household And Other Great Uses

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The wonders of baking soda! It truly is one of the most versatile household products you can ever have in your home. Whether it’s used as a household product or a personal care product, baking soda has got you covered!

Baking Soda: More Uses Than You Could Expect

Let’s take a look at the uses for baking soda I’ll be covering in today’s article:

  • Laundry detergent booster
  • Deodorize your fridge
  • Microwave cleaner
  • Oven cleaner
  • Carpet cleaner
  • Carpet deodorizer
  • Tile floor cleaner
  • Polish your teeth
  • Freshen your breath
  • Skin exfoliation
  • Relieve diaper rash
  • Sooth skin irritation
  • Heartburn remedy
  • Jewelry cleaner
  • Wash produce
  • Deter ants

As you can see, baking soda is a must have in every household. The best part of it all? It’s so expensive.

Let’s get started!

1. Laundry Detergent Booster

Adding ½ cup of baking soda to each load of laundry will soften the water which allows your clothes to be much cleaner and softer. It also helps your laundry soap to stretch much further!

2. Deodorize Your Fridge

We all know ‘that odor’ that can accumulate in the fridge! Placing an open box of baking soda will help eliminate those odors. It’s most effective when placed in the back of the fridge. Be sure to change out the box of baking soda every 2 months.

3. Microwave Cleaner

Microwave Cleaner | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses

Microwave Cleaner | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses
Cleaning a messy (sometimes crusty) microwave can take a bit. Messy microwave clean up is a cinch with baking soda! Just simply sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth and gently scrub the mess away. It will also deodorize any odor in the process.

4. Oven Cleaner

As with microwave messes, oven messes can be just as time consuming but, not with baking soda! All you have to do is sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the bottom surface area of your oven. Using a spray bottle, dampen the baking soda with water and let it sit over night. Scrub away the mess the next morning and be sure to rinse completely with water. The rinsing process is best accomplished with a spray bottle and a damp cloth.

5. Carpet Cleaner

My sister recently let me in on a great carpet cleaner recipe. She says it’s the best carpet cleaner she has ever used!

Recipe:

  • ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup of white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide

Directions: Mix all ingredients well in a spray bottle. To remove carpet stains, spray the cleaner on the carpet stain and simply dab away the stain with a light colored, slightly damp cloth.

The hydrogen peroxide did not affect the color of her carpet. However, if you are apprehensive, you can test the mixture in a small ‘out of view’ section of your carpet first.

6. Carpet Deodorizer

To deodorize your carpet, sprinkle baking soda and leave overnight. The following morning, using a broom, sweep up the excess and vacuum up the rest.

7. Tile Floor Cleaner

This recipe is great for cleaning and deodorizing tile flooring!

Recipe:

  • ½ cup of baking soda
  • Bucket of warm water

Mop and enjoy!

8. Polish Your Teeth

Polish Your Teeth | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses

Polish Your Teeth | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses
About once a week, add just baking soda to your toothbrush and brush for about 3 minutes. This will give your teeth a whiter, more polished look.

Brushing daily with just baking soda can be too abrasive and, in my opinion, can wear down the enamel. However, there are folks who swear by it.

9. Freshen Your Breath

For an easy mouthwash recipe that will freshen your breath, check this out!

Recipe and directions: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass water. Swish for about 30 seconds and spit.

10. Skin Exfoliation

Do you have sensitive skin? Do most facial scrubs leave your skin dry? Try this recipe for a gentle facial scrub that will get rid of dead skin and leave your face nice and smooth.

Recipe and directions: Mix 3 parts of baking soda and 1 part water. Rub gently onto skin using small circular motions and rinse clean. Pat dry.

11. Relieve Diaper Rash

To help relieve diaper rash, simply add 2 tablespoons to your baby’s bathwater.

12. Soothe Skin Irritation

To relieve the discomforts of skin irritation and to soften your skin in the process, simply add a cup of baking soda to a warm bath. Soak for about 20-30 mins.

13. Heartburn Remedy

My personal experience….

I have suffered from acid reflux and heartburn off and on for about 5 years. At times, it has woken me up in the middle of the night. I lived on Tums. Recently, my mother introduced me to a remedy that has made me toss the over the counter antacids for good! It also seems to relieve the occasional gas pains that accompany my heartburn.

One night, as I was visiting her, I got heartburn. I asked her if she had some Tums and she says “I have something better!”.

It’s so simple and so effective. Within 5 minutes after drinking this, my heartburn completely disappeared. I couldn’t believe it! If you suffer from acid reflux and heartburn, I encourage you to try this recipe.

Recipe and directions: Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 8 oz of room temperature water. Stir and drink. Optional: you can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for taste.

14. Jewelry Cleaner (Sterling Silver)

Jewelry Cleaner (Sterling Silver) | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses

Jewelry Cleaner (Sterling Silver) | Baking Soda | 16 Household And Its Other Great Uses
I recently gathered all my sterling silver jewelry to clean it. Some of it was so tarnished and I remember thinking “this will take all night to clean!”. In the past, I have polished my sterling silver with just toothpaste. I would add a generous amount of toothpaste to each piece of jewelry, let it sit for a bit, then go back and polish each piece with a terry cloth.

Well, the night I gathered my jewelry together, I got an idea to mix toothpaste and baking soda together to clean my sterling silver. I took about a nickle size amount of toothpaste and an equal amount of baking soda and mixed them together using a toothpick. I applied the mixture to one of my rings and the black tarnish literally came right off (with just a circular motion of my thumb) and it did not scratch the sterling silver at all. Afterwards, I rinsed each piece with warm water and dried them with a terry cloth.

Each piece looks brand new again!

15. Wash Produce

Here’s a great recipe for washing all your fruits and vegetables!

Recipe and directions: Add a ¼ cup of baking soda to a sink full of water. Wash and Rinse.

16. Deter Ants

Combine equal parts of baking soda and table salt and sprinkle at all their entry points. They will avoid those areas!

Clean My Space shows us a video on 10 cleaning uses for baking soda:

What is your favorite baking soda use? Do you have an use you would like to share with us? Tell us in the comment section below!

UP NEXT: 8 Baking Soda Uses For Your Survival Garden To Try

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Self Sufficiency

NYC Adds Nearly 4,000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls

New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll Tuesday, bringing coronavirus-related deaths in the city to around 10,000 people.

The city decided to add 3,700 people to its death tolls, who they “presumed” to have died from the virus, according to a report from The New York Times. The additions increased the death toll in the U.S. by 17%, according to the Times report, and included people who were suffering from symptoms of the virus, such as intense coughing and a fever.

The report stated that Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio decided over the weekend to change the way the city is counting deaths.

“In the heat of battle, our primary focus has been on saving lives,” de Blasio press secretary Freddi Goldstein told the Times.“As soon as the issue was raised, the mayor immediately moved to release the data.”

The post New York City added nearly 4,000 people who never tested positive for the coronavirus to its death toll appeared first on Daily Caller

This Article Was Originally Posted On dailycaller.com Read the Original Article here

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Self Sufficiency

How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar

The thing about homesteading is you get to create your own ingredient right from scratch! Cheese, yogurt, butter and now sauerkraut, a delightfully sour and crunchy ingredient you can use on your meals — or consume by itself — while on a homestead, or while facing this health crisis!

This homemade sauerkraut is a great meal because it has a long shelf life. You can either make plain sauerkraut or mix it with herbs and spices. In this tutorial let us make Lacto-fermented sauerkraut that preserves all the good probiotics in a jar, good for your guts.

So how to make sauerkraut in a mason jar?

RELATED: How To Make Buttermilk On Your Homestead

Delicious Sauerkraut Recipe Every Homesteader Should Know

Why Make Sauerkraut?

|

Not only does sauerkraut spoil a long time, but it is also a meal in itself, and it is also easy to make! You don’t need to be an expert cook, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.

So let us get started. Here are the steps in making sauerkraut in a mason jar.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cabbage or 2 1/2 lbs cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon of salt

Tools Needed:

  • knife
  • bowl
  • mason jar
  • smaller jar
  • rubber band

Step 1: Wash & Clean the Tools & Ingredients



Wash all the equipment and utensils you need. Wash your hands too.

You don’t want to mix your sauerkraut with bad bacteria, anything that is going to make you sick.

Next, remove the faded leaves from your cabbage. Cut off the roots and the parts that don’t seem fresh.

Step 2: Cut the Cabbage Into Quarters & Slice Into Strips



Cut your cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then, slice it into strips.

Step 3: Place in a Bowl & Sprinkle With Salt



Put the stripped cabbage into a bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt.

TIP: Use canning salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will make it taste different and may not ferment the cabbage.

RELATED: Homemade Yogurt Recipe

Step 4: Massage the Cabbage



Massage the cabbage for five minutes or more to get the juice out.

TIP: You’ll know it’s ready when you see a bit of juice at the bottom of the bowl and will look similar to coleslaw.

Step 5: Press Cabbage Into the Mason Jar



Add the cabbage to the mason jar gradually. Press it in hard to allow the juice to come out. Do this every time you add about a handful of cabbage.

IMPORTANT: Food should be covered by the liquid to promote fermentation. Add any excess liquid from the bowl to the jar.

Step 6: Press a Smaller Jar Into the Mason Jar



You want to squeeze every ounce of that juice from the cabbage. To do this place the mason jar in a bowl and get a smaller jar.

Fill it with water or marble to make it heavy. Press it into the bigger mason jar. Allow any juices to rise to the surface.

Step 7: Cover the Jars With Cloth & Tie With Rubber Band



Leave the small jar on. To keep your jars clean from annoying insects and irritating debris, cover your jars with a clean cloth. Then, use a rubber band to tie the cloth and the jars together, putting them in place.

Step 8: Set Aside & Check Daily

Set it aside in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Check the water level daily. It should always be above the cabbage.

Step 9: Taste Your Sauerkraut & Keep at Cool Temperatures

Homemade Sauerkraut Cumin Juniper | How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar

After about five days, you can taste your sauerkraut. If the taste is to your liking, tightly cover it with the lid and store in the fridge or cellar.

NOTE: If after five days it’s still not your desired taste, leave it for a few more days. This will allow the fermentation process to continue.

You can now enjoy your sauerkraut in a mason jar. Enjoy its goodness! You can use it as a side dish or mix it with your favorite sandwich.

Things to Remember in Making Sauerkraut

  • Store away from direct sunlight and drafts.
  • Colder weather will make the process longer. Spring is the best time to make them since the warmth helps activate the fermentation.
  • Always make sure that the cabbage is below the water level during the entire fermentation process.
  • If the water level decreases during the fermentation process, you can make a brine and add it.

Let us watch this video from Kristina Seleshanko on how to make delicious Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar!

So there you have it! Making Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar is as easy as slicing the cabbage into strips. Remember that as long it remains unopened, your sauerkraut can last for months. Best of all, you can partner this sauerkraut in many recipes.

What do you think of this homemade recipe? Share your best sauerkraut recipe in the comments section below!

Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!

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Self Sufficiency

9 SPRING VEGETABLES FOR YOUR GARDEN

Having plants in the house will bring peace to people. Having a little garden with vegetables is even better! You can grow these vegetables in your backyard garden easily as well!

RELATED: Microgreens Growing Guide

In this article:

  1. Tomato
  2. Eggplant
  3. Beet
  4. Spinach
  5. Pea
  6. Carrot
  7. Radish
  8. Cauliflower
  9. Asparagus

Growing veggies in your garden will give you an opportunity to understand what you eat and value it more. Early spring is when most vegetables are being planted. Keep reading to learn about 9 spring vegetables that anyone can grow in their garden!

Tomato

Tomato is the most popular garden vegetable in the States! There are different varieties to choose from. Tomatoes need to be planted in early spring because they won’t survive a frost.

Because tomatoes are consumed daily, try adding them to your garden! They’re not difficult to grow either.

Eggplant

Eggplants are known to have low-calorie, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, they are delicious! So why not plant them in your garden?

Eggplants shouldn’t be planted too early because they won’t be able to survive a frost. So you could consult an expert in your area before you plant your eggplants.

Beets

Beets are known to be a superfood for its various health benefits. They’re easier to grow in the garden, usually around late March or early April.

If the weather is always cool, beets will keep getting bigger and bigger. Once the weather starts to warm up, you’ll need to harvest them, or they’ll go to waste.

Spinach

Spinach is a delicious early spring veggie, and it’s also very beneficial for health. And it’s not difficult to grow spinach in your garden!

Spinach needs cold weather to grow. Getting spinach to grow is easy, but keeping it growing will require some extra care.

Pea

Peas are usually planted in late April. Peas will die in freezing temperatures, but they also won’t survive the heat either. So make sure you plant your peas in early spring.

Peas are widely used in many different ways, and there are different types of peas. The soil you’ll be planting your peas should be suitable for them, so make sure you ask while buying seeds.

Carrot

There are different types of carrots, but regardless of their size and color, it’s a fact that carrots are both delicious and rich in vitamins.

They’re root vegetables, so with proper sun and watering, they can be picked up as baby carrots as well.

Radish

A radish is an excellent option for beginners because it doesn’t require too much care. Radish is easy to harvest.

Radish grows fast, so it’s better to keep an eye on it after a few weeks. Radish usually is grown pest-free, but there’s always the chance of unwanted guests, so watch out for worms. Radish can be eaten raw or can be added to garnish recipes.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow at home, but it is very popular.

Cauliflower grows better in colder weather, so before you plant it, consider the climate of your garden. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked, and it is known to be very beneficial for health.

Asparagus

Freshly picked, tender asparagus is very delicious!

Asparagus plants get more productive with each harvest, and mature asparagus harvest can last for months! Make sure you plant them at the correct time, or else they might go to waste.

All the vegetables listed above are great for your healthy diet, and it’s fun to watch them grow. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your own veggies and eat healthy this spring!

So tell us which veggies will you be growing this spring? Tell us in the comments section!

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