JHB West - July 22

30
Clever ways
with bicarb
Who needs expensive products when you can use trusty ol’ bicarb of soda?
This cheap and eco-friendly household staple offers loads of uses to make your
life easier. You probably have a box in your cupboard already. Bonus!
Household uses:
• Have you ever opened your fridge and ... whew ... awful
odour? Bicarb helps freshen a smelly fridge by neutralizing
bad odours. To try this trick, fill a cup with bicarb and place
it in the back of your fridge.
• Combine one tablespoon of bicarb with five drops of
essential oil. Spoon the mixture into a clean spray bottle,
add distilled water and shake for an air freshener.
• Get whiter, brighter clothes by adding a small cup of
bicarb to a load of laundry (along with your regular liquid
detergent) to get clothes cleaner and brighter.
• From worktops to fridges, the sink and even your cooking
utensils, you can clean the whole kitchen naturally by
mixing bicarb with an equal amount of lemon juice and a
bit of water. Apply the paste with a sponge to the appliance
and scrub thoroughly.
• Most kitchen drains can be unclogged by pouring in a
cup of bicarb followed by one cup of vinegar. Give it several
minutes to work, then add one litre of boiling water. Repeat
if necessary. If you know your drain is clogged with grease,
use a half cup each of bicarb and salt followed by one
cup of boiling water. Let the mixture work overnight, then
repeat if necessary.
• Freshen up rugs by sprinkling bicarb on the carpet, wait at
least 15 minutes (preferably overnight), and then vacuum.
The same goes for a smelly pet bed! Sprinkle, wait 15
minutes and vacuum.
• Kill garden weeds naturally by sprinkling bicarb into the
cracks on your driveway and walkways. Rather avoid using
it to kill weeds in your flowerbeds and gardens, as it may
harm your other plants as well.
• For a quick test of your garden soil’s acidity, scoop some
soil into a small container and moisten it with water.
Add some bicarb to the surface; if it bubbles your soil is
very acidic.
• Add a teaspoon of bicarb to your vase of flowers to keep
the bunch looking and smelling fresher for longer.
• Grimy grout lines? Make a simple grout cleaner by mixing
together enough hydrogen peroxide and bicarb to form a
paste. Apply the mixture to dirty grout and scrub with an
old toothbrush.
• Adding bicarb to your dishwasher is an easy way to get
cleaner dishes and a cleaner dishwasher in one! Just add
a couple of teaspoons of baking soda to your dishwasher
along with your usual detergent.
• Whether it was a leftover curry or spaghetti bolognese that
did the damage, you can easily revive your old Tupperware
or plastic food containers. If yours are stained, greasy or
smelly, soak them overnight in a bowl of hot water with a
sprinkling of bicarb to leave them spotless.
• Scrub away marks on your wall. Simply make a 50/50 paste
of bicarb and water and find any scuff mark or crayon art on
your painted wall, gently rub in and wipe away.
• Salvage a burned pot. Scrape out as much food as you
can and then fill the pot a quarter full of water. Pour in a half
cup of bicarb and bring the water to a boil. Turn it off and
let it sit overnight. In the morning, you can clean off the
black gunk with ease.
• Make a winter day activity for kids. Boil two cups of bicarb
with one cup of cornflour and 1¼ cup of water until
thickened. Remove from the heat and cool. It makes a fun,
pliable modelling clay that’s good for a day.
18 Get It Magazine July 2022