There once was a girl from Vancouver,
Who loved baking soda so much that it moved her.
She scrubbed and she cleaned, 'til things glistened and gleamed
And she giggled when she saw what it cost her.
Who loved baking soda so much that it moved her.
She scrubbed and she cleaned, 'til things glistened and gleamed
And she giggled when she saw what it cost her.
Oh baking soda, you're not just for pancakes after all!
I use a lot of baking soda but hardly for cooking. The stuff is just so darn handy, I'm always discovering new uses. Here are a few things that I do with handy dandy, trusty Baking Soda.
1. Cleaning my bathroom
2. Cleaning my floor - used it this week with grease Mac tracked in from the railroad tracks straight on to my floor. A spray of vinegar, then a sprinkle of baking soda. Magic.
3. Laundry
4. Washing my hair. Yup its true.
5. Brushing my teeth. True dat.
6. Facial scrub
So numbers 1 and 2 have been discussed before. No 3 is known by everybody. So let's dive straight in to numbers 4, 5 and 6 shall we?
#4 - First off - I haven't used shampoo in my hair since last summer. I need to clarify that, when I had my hair professionally lightened in January the hair stylist used shampoo and I tried some 'get out the brassy' shampoo last week one time only (and I regretted it) and that is it. Other than that no shampoo. Yes that's right. No shampoo at all. My hair. Listen people, I have rather lovely hair. I am known for my hair. It's soft. It's manageable. It's in great condition. And I don't use shampoo. What? Really? Yup really. I make a paste of baking soda and a little water in a plastic cup. Then I massage it into my scalp for a minute or two in the shower. Then rinse it out like normal. Next I pour some Apple Cider Vinegar in the same cup (a couple of tablespoons) and fill it with water. I rinse the ends of my hair with that. Sometimes I don't even rinse the ACV out of my hair. That's it. Done. And no I don't smell like vinegar after.
My hair is in better condition than it has ever been, and it's processed. I would NEVER use regular shampoo again. It took a bit of getting used to, and I had to work through the natural oils in my hair figuring out what was going on. But do you have any idea at how little it costs me to wash my hair now? And, my hair is in better shape! It holds a curl better - something it never did before. It's shinier. When I do a show I have to put product in it, but other than that it's always just my hair. Thank you baking soda. You are the best!
#5 - It has been one year and two months since I brushed my teeth with toothpaste. I have been wary of telling any of you this as I may be labelled as crazy (which isn't far from the truth), or at minimum 'out there'. But I've got to tell you, I don't think I'll ever use toothpaste again. It started January 2011 when I read an article in the Vancouver Sun about Dr. Gerard F. Judd author of Good Teeth Birth to Death. The article went on to talk about brushing your teeth with soap. That's right Soap. Not liquid soap, but regular bar soap. Natural bar soap. Here is a link that will give you some of the details that I read in the article. I was intrigued, I mean after all it was The Sun not the National Enquirer. I thought that I had probably done enough swears in my lifetime that a brushing of my teeth with soap for one evening wouldn't do any harm. The first time I did it I'll admit was a little odd. It tasted like soap, not mint. My gag reflex came into action. Hmmmm, not so much soap next time. Then I went to bed. When I woke up I didn't have fur in my mouth. Hmmmmm. I brushed with soap again. The taste wasn't as bad this time. I decided I was going to try for one week and make my decision after that. Each day I noticed my teeth getting cleaner and cleaner. Pretty soon they were looking straight from the dentist clean. I was liking this soap thing... a lot! But what about whitening? I missed whitening. That's where my trusty baking soda comes in. Once a week I dip my tooth brush into some baking soda, spray my brush with Hydrogen Peroxide and brush away. My teeth are very healthy. Clean and strong. They are not coated, just clean. I would never go back to regular toothpaste again. Never. Call me weird. Call me crazy. Just don't call me Grandma.
#6 - And finally, I use Baking Soda to gently exfoliate my face. About once a week I put a trace amount of baking soda in my hand (and just a minute amount is good) and some of my cleanser. Then I gently massage it on my face, and my lips (makes for smooth lips). Rinse as usual. Smooth skin. Nice.
So there you have it. Three new things to add to your arsenal about how weird I have become. In case you're interested here are recipes for household cleaning that use baking soda.
This Mama's Floor Cleaner
1 Cup Vinegar
1/4 Cup Baking or Washing Soda
1 Tbsp Liquid Dish Soap
Hot Water
Mop as usual. It's Clean. It's Fresh. It's Easy. It's Cheap. AND it works. No toxins.
Click here for bathroom cleaning.
I use a lot of baking soda but hardly for cooking. The stuff is just so darn handy, I'm always discovering new uses. Here are a few things that I do with handy dandy, trusty Baking Soda.
1. Cleaning my bathroom
2. Cleaning my floor - used it this week with grease Mac tracked in from the railroad tracks straight on to my floor. A spray of vinegar, then a sprinkle of baking soda. Magic.
3. Laundry
4. Washing my hair. Yup its true.
5. Brushing my teeth. True dat.
6. Facial scrub
So numbers 1 and 2 have been discussed before. No 3 is known by everybody. So let's dive straight in to numbers 4, 5 and 6 shall we?
#4 - First off - I haven't used shampoo in my hair since last summer. I need to clarify that, when I had my hair professionally lightened in January the hair stylist used shampoo and I tried some 'get out the brassy' shampoo last week one time only (and I regretted it) and that is it. Other than that no shampoo. Yes that's right. No shampoo at all. My hair. Listen people, I have rather lovely hair. I am known for my hair. It's soft. It's manageable. It's in great condition. And I don't use shampoo. What? Really? Yup really. I make a paste of baking soda and a little water in a plastic cup. Then I massage it into my scalp for a minute or two in the shower. Then rinse it out like normal. Next I pour some Apple Cider Vinegar in the same cup (a couple of tablespoons) and fill it with water. I rinse the ends of my hair with that. Sometimes I don't even rinse the ACV out of my hair. That's it. Done. And no I don't smell like vinegar after.
My hair is in better condition than it has ever been, and it's processed. I would NEVER use regular shampoo again. It took a bit of getting used to, and I had to work through the natural oils in my hair figuring out what was going on. But do you have any idea at how little it costs me to wash my hair now? And, my hair is in better shape! It holds a curl better - something it never did before. It's shinier. When I do a show I have to put product in it, but other than that it's always just my hair. Thank you baking soda. You are the best!
#5 - It has been one year and two months since I brushed my teeth with toothpaste. I have been wary of telling any of you this as I may be labelled as crazy (which isn't far from the truth), or at minimum 'out there'. But I've got to tell you, I don't think I'll ever use toothpaste again. It started January 2011 when I read an article in the Vancouver Sun about Dr. Gerard F. Judd author of Good Teeth Birth to Death. The article went on to talk about brushing your teeth with soap. That's right Soap. Not liquid soap, but regular bar soap. Natural bar soap. Here is a link that will give you some of the details that I read in the article. I was intrigued, I mean after all it was The Sun not the National Enquirer. I thought that I had probably done enough swears in my lifetime that a brushing of my teeth with soap for one evening wouldn't do any harm. The first time I did it I'll admit was a little odd. It tasted like soap, not mint. My gag reflex came into action. Hmmmm, not so much soap next time. Then I went to bed. When I woke up I didn't have fur in my mouth. Hmmmmm. I brushed with soap again. The taste wasn't as bad this time. I decided I was going to try for one week and make my decision after that. Each day I noticed my teeth getting cleaner and cleaner. Pretty soon they were looking straight from the dentist clean. I was liking this soap thing... a lot! But what about whitening? I missed whitening. That's where my trusty baking soda comes in. Once a week I dip my tooth brush into some baking soda, spray my brush with Hydrogen Peroxide and brush away. My teeth are very healthy. Clean and strong. They are not coated, just clean. I would never go back to regular toothpaste again. Never. Call me weird. Call me crazy. Just don't call me Grandma.
#6 - And finally, I use Baking Soda to gently exfoliate my face. About once a week I put a trace amount of baking soda in my hand (and just a minute amount is good) and some of my cleanser. Then I gently massage it on my face, and my lips (makes for smooth lips). Rinse as usual. Smooth skin. Nice.
So there you have it. Three new things to add to your arsenal about how weird I have become. In case you're interested here are recipes for household cleaning that use baking soda.
This Mama's Floor Cleaner
1 Cup Vinegar
1/4 Cup Baking or Washing Soda
1 Tbsp Liquid Dish Soap
Hot Water
Mop as usual. It's Clean. It's Fresh. It's Easy. It's Cheap. AND it works. No toxins.
Click here for bathroom cleaning.
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