Today's tip isn't about homeschooling. Today's tip is for our other job as homeschool parents -- housekeeper. But it can help with cleaning up after art projects gone awry.
One of the all-purpose wonder items I've grown to love is baking soda. It seems I am constantly finding new uses for it, besides baking. We use it for so many things, we've begun buying it in a 4 lb. box. Here are some uses I've personally tried:
sprinkle it on my stove top and use a damp dish cloth to clean the buildup around the burners
sprinkle it on my counters and use a damp dish cloth to clean away stains
sprinkle it in my sink and use a damp dish cloth to clean away grease and other grime, or soap scum in the bathroom
dissolve in boiled water and (after cooling) use it to swab out a baby's mouth when it has thrush
dissolve it in water and use it like a mouthwash when I'm having gum problems
make a paste with water and use it to brush my teeth, occasionally
dissolve it in water and pour it over my hair to remove build up
add it to a shampoo bottle to work as a clarifying shampoo
mix it with conditioner or honey to form a paste and use as a scalp scrub
mix it with water, facial cleanser, or facial moisturizer to form a paste and use to exfoliate my face
sprinkle it in the diaper pail to absorb odors
open a box and store it in the fridge to absorb odors
sprinkle it on a carpet (house or car) and let sit awhile before vacuuming to remove odors
sprinkle it in the cat litter box to absorb odors
add 1/4 - 1 cup when washing my cloth diapers to help remove odors and soap build up
make a paste with water and use it to scrub my dirty grimy light blue kitchen trash can -- and remind me not to buy a light colored trash can again
and last week's new discovery!! sprinkle it on the maple dining room table and scrub gently with a wet wash cloth to remove permanent marker. I'm so glad it worked!
I'm sure that others have used baking soda in ways I have not yet tried, and I'm sure that I'll discover new uses for it over time, as well. For instance, I've heard that a little baking soda dissolved in water can help relieve indigestion, but I haven't tried it.
April E. (ElCloud Homeschool) is a Homeschool Mom of 6. She has homeschooled for over 7 years, and enjoys sharing the things she's learned in her homeschool journey with others.
I know I've never commented before, but I am hosting the 2nd Carnival of Homesteading, and I thought this post (or something like it) would be great! So I am officially inviting you to submit something homestead-y.
I'm not sure if you have participated in the COH before, but it is run pretty much on the same manner.
If you are interested, I posted the info on my blog. My homestead blog is at hsb2 and my url is jacquedixon.
Welcome to ElCloud Homeschool blog. My name is April, and I'm married to my best friend, Steve. We have 7 active, creative children ages 14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 1. This blog is where I share about our Christian faith, our family life, our homeschool, and my reviews of curriculum and books. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is our goal for our family and our homeschool.
sprinkle it on the maple dining room table and scrub gently with a wet wash cloth to remove permanent marker. I'm so glad it worked!
Jun. 9, 2007 - Hi April
I'm not sure if you have participated in the COH before, but it is run pretty much on the same manner.
If you are interested, I posted the info on my blog. My homestead blog is at hsb2 and my url is jacquedixon.
Blessings!
-Jacque