Small lifestyle changes around the home can add up to big savings. If you have committed to saving money this year, go beyond just clipping coupons and join me as I learn new frugal ways.
If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know of my love for Baking Soda and its many uses. I use it so much for household cleaning, I now buy it in bulk!
Cheap? Yes. Ease of use? Not so much.
So here is a little tip I learned for quick and easy cleaning with baking soda…
Parmesan cheese.
Yes, you read that right.
Step 1: Clean out a used container of grated store-bought parmesan.
Step 2: Fill with baking soda.
Step 3: LABEL as baking soda (it’s harmless if eaten, but just in case 
)
Step 4: Sprinkle on sinks, tubs and other areas just like you would Ajax or Comet.
Step 5: Add water (or even vinegar), scrub, then rinse.
There you have it. Safe, non-toxic cleaning power in a recycled container. And frugal to boot! You could add a bit of Borax to boost the cleaning power if you find that necessary.
You will be amazed by how well this works if you have never tried baking soda as a household cleaner!
Linked to: Works for Me Wednesday
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Another awesome trick is to put a 16 oz bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle with 3 Tablespoons of baking soda and a squirt of dish soap to use on anything stinky….say a pet stain.
It’s magical.
Melanie´s last [type] ..I Think Hurt Motivated Me to Homeschool
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Alyssa Francis Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 11:59 am
@Melanie, Great tip, Melanie, thanks! I will definitely try that since we have pets.
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Hello,
I am curious where you can get it in bulk like that? These are great ideas!!
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Alyssa Francis Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 11:55 am
@susan, Hi Susan! I bought that huge bag at Costco. I believe it was around $5.50 for 13.5 pounds. Can’t beat that!
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Amy Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@Alyssa Francis, Yep, that’s about what it costs at Sam’s. It lasts forever!
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Nothing makes my sink shine like baking soda! Love the idea for using the empty cheese container! Guess I’ll have to find someone to give me theirs since I can’t remember the last time I bought it.
Theresa´s last [type] ..My next 30 years
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Love this tip- thanks!
Ps. I always add Baking Soda to the dishwasher- where I live we have incredibly hard water (eww) so the baking soda softens it up enough to allow the detergent to work more effectively.
I too, love baking soda! I’m not quite bold enough yet to brush my teeth with the stuff… For now, I’m sticking with the stuff in the tube!
Rachel´s last [type] ..Sweet Things We Found in 2010
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Alyssa, I pretty much love you. GENIUS!
Stephanie´s last [type] ..HOT 2-1 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Printable Coupon
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Hello!
Thanks for the great tip! A while back Arm & Hammer was giving away free shakers, maybe they still are, you can check there. Right now mine has powdered sugar in it but I think I have another hanging around somewhere! LOL!
Margaret
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Great tips. I’m not an avid baking soda user right now but maybe I should be!
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I too love baking soda! Putting it in a shaker is a great idea! I actually recently posted tons of uses for it, and vinegar too @ http://newdaygrace.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-love-for-baking-soda.html and http://newdaygrace.blogspot.com/2010/12/vinegar-you-make-me-shine.html
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I just started doing this
Excellent tip! So quick and easy.
-Amy
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I just got rid of an old parm container-darn:) Ive never used baking soda, but it just got added to my list. Thanks!
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Happy new year, Alyssa! Great idea-thanks!
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Great idea. I LOVE it and will be putting it to use just as soon as we finish up our parmesan cheese!
Thanks for sharing
Mary @ Tips & Treasures´s last [type] ..Cleaning- The Frugal AND Green Way
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I buy the big bag at bj’s. I add it to our stinky laundry, like gym towels and kithcen wash clothes. I love this idea for the shaker. I don’t buy parm that way though. I buy it in bulk, but I’ll have to buy one for the shaker.
Kristia@Family Balance Sheet´s last [type] ..Resolve To Lower Your Grocery Bill
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Here is a msg that I got from someone else about using baking soda:
If you are now stuck with a huge bag of baking soda that you don’t think you will ever use, here’s what I use it for: all-purpose cleaning (either dry or mixed with water depending on the surface being cleaned), carpet deodorizer, toilet bowl freshener, fridge freshener, body wash (no kidding; it works so well at controlling odors that I have stopped using deodorant), laundry booster or laundry pre-soak, and of course, for baking. You can also freshen kids’ stuffed animals by tossing them in a pillowcase with baking soda and shaking them around for awhile. Gets rid of those un-fresh smells from toys that can’t be cleaned otherwise.
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Alyssa Francis Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
@Bethany, These are fabulous tips, thanks, Bethany! I especially like the pillow case trick. Thanks again for sharing!
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Bethany Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
@Alyssa Francis,
You are very welcome!
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Great tip! I have been doing this for a couple of years now. I try to re-purpose as much as possible and I use them for baking items as well. http://koreamom.blogspot.com/2008/03/repurposing-grated-cheese-containers.html
It is nice to put small amounts of sugar, corn starch etc and not have to drag out the big containers when you only need a little of something!
Michele G´s last [type] ..Managing your goals
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I have been using baking soda to wash my hair for the last year and it has never been healthier! I use an old ketchup bottle to mix 2 TBS soda to 1 cup water and spray that. on my hair after wetting. I massage it in and follow with a cider vinegar rinse (and NO my hair does NOT smell like vinegar :p)
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Alyssa Francis Reply:
January 25th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
@Tanja, I have read a lot about going “no poo” and I am tempted to try it. Thanks for sharing your experience, Tanja!
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I think I am going to try this. How well does it work on bacteria?
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Alyssa Francis Reply:
January 25th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
@Stacey, For bacteria, I would add some plain white vinegar for a cleaning power boost. It’s also a natural anti-bacterial agent!
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