Save Money, Clean Naturally

Allow me to introduce you to two of my good friends.

That’s right, ladies and gentleman (drum roll please…..)

Baking Soda and Vinegar.

Yes, it’s true. These two simple and frugal household staples have hundreds of uses.  Which means you can use them instead of purchasing dozens of household products.  Which means you can save money. Which, in my case, makes me very happy.


Here are just a few things you can do with Baking Soda.

• Treat insect bites and burns - make a paste out of baking soda and water and apply to the affected area. The paid should lessen or disappear immediately. This also works great for canker/cold sores.
• Make your own toothpaste - combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or use this recipe.
• Use it to wash your hair – that’s right, it’s the "no-poo" (er, no shampoo, that is) method. Follow it up with an apple cider vinegar rinse. No, this isn’t just for hippies – it works great! Read more about no-poo here.

• Clean kitchen/bathroom surfaces – sprinkle baking soda on the surface and spray on some white vinegar. The fizzy chemical reaction will lift grime and dirt. Let it do its thing for a few minutes, then simply wipe away with a sponge or rag and voila! This works great to clean your bathtub, sink, and even the burned crusties on the bottom of the oven. I used this on my glass stove top and it removed those nasty rings of cooked-on food.

• Clean greasy pots and pans – let your pans soak in your sink with baking soda, dish detergent and water. Then, sprinkle some more baking soda on your sponge for a scratchless scouring powder.

• Remove marks from furniture or walls – I haven’t tried this yet, but it looks promising. Sprinkle some soda on a damp sponge and rub lightly. Finish by wiping with a clean damp cloth.

• Use it to boost your laundry detergent – add ½ cup soda to your washing machine to get your clothes extra clean and smelling fresh. I always do this when I wash a load of stinky towels.

• Clean your garbage disposal - deodorize and unclog your garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it fizz for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.

•  Deoderize the carpet - sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit as long as possible or overnight. Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda and vacuum up the rest.

• Make your own deodorant – that’s right! Coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch. I’ve used this recipe.

And those are just some of baking soda’s many talents. Let’s move on to vinegar, shall we?

• Use as an all-purpose cleaner – mix 2 parts water with 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle and use this to clean all your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. And I mean, all of them. Works beautifully to clean sinks, toilets, tile, bathtubs, kitchen counters, stovetops, mirrors, glass, chrome….need I go on? It even prevents mold and mildew. So go ahead and get rid of all those various cleaners stashed under the sink (good-bye, bleach!).
• “Unstick” stickers, decals, and price tags - simply saturate the corners and sides of the sticker with full-strength white vinegar and carefully scrape it off (an old credit card works well). Apply more vinegar to remaining sticky residue and let it sit for 5 minutes before wiping off. Works well to remove labels from glass jars, wine bottles, etc. for all those repurposing projects we’ve all seen on Pinterest.

• Get rid of grease stains - wipe with a cloth dampened in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.
• Condition your hair – an apple cider rinse works wonders on your hair and leaves it soft and silky. Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with a cup of warm water and pour it on your hair after shampooing (or, go no-poo if you’re feeling brave). Give your hair a good final rinse and you’ll be treated with soft, detangled hair. It also helps to eliminate dandruff! And in case the hubby is concerned, the vinegar smell will completely disappear once your hair dries.
• Makes cleaning your microwave easy – fill a glass bowl with ¼ cup vinegar mixed with 1 cup water and microwave for 5 minutes on high. After it cools a bit, dip a rag or sponge into the mixture and wipe away food grunge.
• Disinfect those cutting boards – wipe them down with vinegar after use. The vinegar with disinfect and kill food-bourne ickies and keep your cutting boards good as new.
• Keep hard water stains off your glasses – add about 1/4 cup vinegar to your dishwasher’s rinse cycle. This works!
• Clean stains and build-up in your coffee maker – mix 2 cups vinegar with 1 cup water and run it through your coffee maker (in the water chamber). Then, run clean water through the coffee maker for 2 cycles.
• Keep those eggs from cracking – add 2 tablespoons vinegar to the pan when hard boiling eggs to keep them from cracking and make them easier to shell.
• Boost your laundry – pour 1 cup vinegar in your washing machine’s rinse cycle and let the magic begin. The vinegar will help brighten clothes, eliminate static, soften fabrics. And, it will even clean your washing machine. BAM!
• Treat a sore throat – gargle with vinegar and water. I’ve tried this, and it works.
• Get rid of ants – pour or spray vinegar on ant infested areas or ant piles. Ants can’t stand the smell of vinegar. Much less stinky and toxic than ant spray!

There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar. And since I know you don’t want to spend all day reading this, I’ve chosen to mention just a few that have worked for me.

You can purchase a 4lb box of baking soda for less than $3 and a gallon of distilled white vinegar for about $5.

Score!

On top of the savings, it’s good to know you’re using natural, safe products in your home (and not the toxic stuff that can almost certainly knock out a small animal). Hooray!