- Baking Soda
Most people already know the benefits of using baking soda in the kitchen – it’s great for scrubbing stubborn foods and stains off of dishes and cookware and provides that extra shine and sparkle – but did you know that baking soda is also a great alternative to shampoo? Yup! Whether you’re going the “no-poo” route, or just looking to reduce the amount of hair product you use, when used once or twice a week, baking soda acts like a clarifying shampoo and removes build-up from the scalp. - Vinegar
Vinegar – like baking soda – is a great household cleaning product. Not only can it clean mild surface stains like a champ, but it also can tackle tough stains and grease. Apple cider vinegar is also a great alternative to hair conditioner. Use it once a week with your baking soda cleansing routine!
- Toothpaste
Aside from maintaining those pearly whites, toothpaste is great for polishing silver. Rub a small amount of toothpaste to the silver with your fingers and rinse with water. If the silver is badly tarnishes, you can repeat this process a few times until the tarnishing disappears!Feel a pimple coming on? Dab a little bit of toothpaste to the affected area and let it dry. This sucks and dries out any dirt from your infected pores and helps to close the pores back up afterwards.
- Dish-soap
Not just for dishes anymore dish-soap really has a plethora of uses!
Some of my favorites are:
- Repelling Bugs and Insects: Put a drop of dish-soap in a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Spritz your houseplants, floors, or anywhere you may have ants or other insects. This solution is gentle and will not affect pets, houseplants, or kids, but insects will hate it and stay away!
- Ice Pack: Partially fill a strong zip-lock sandwich bag with dish-soap. Zip it up and freeze it! The liquid soap will stay colder for much, much longer and can be refrozen many times. It’ll also mold to the affected area, making it rather comfortable and convenient.
- Sidewalk De-Icer: Mix 1 teaspoon of dish-soap, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and ½ gallon of hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze and this option is much better than the salt that eats away at concrete in sidewalks and causes so much damage to our cars.
- Mayonnaise
Another great hair trick! Mayonnaise makes a fantastic deep conditioner. Why? Eggs! Mayonnaise is full of eggs, and our hair just loves protein. Apply it to dry or towel dry hair once a month to repair damaged and dry hair!Have nasty water rings on your wood furniture from beverages? Apply two tablespoons of mayonnaise to a paper towel, press onto the rings, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Wipe it off and the stain should be gone. If the stain is a tough one, repeat the process, but add some wood ashes to the mayonnaise!
Many of the products that we have at home right now can be used for more than one thing. Not only will it save you money, but it will also help reduce your carbon footprint!
