Every Sunday evening I do the same thing. I drive home from church with my family, drop them off and head to the grocery store for the week. With my list, I head inside and purchase the fruits, vegetables, meats and other food and non-food items we need for the week.

And while the trip is routine, a look at the prices lately is anything but. I just about collapsed when I took a good look at the price of a gallon of milk! With the price of almost everything rising, I am always looking for ways to help my readers find a dual purpose in what they purchase. Last time, we discussed vinegar and its many uses, this time, it's baking soda. Still a pretty cheap purchase, baking soda has a variety of interesting uses.

FIRE!

The website pioneerthinking.com suggests keeping a box of baking powder near the stuff in case of fire. A handful of the powder scattered about will safely put the flames out. Additionally, the site says baking soda will also put out a fire in clothing, fuel, upholstery and rugs.

A CLEANSER

Clean your fruits and vegetables with baking soda. Pour baking soda over the fruits or vegetables in a bowl, add water and let it soak. Baking soda is also great for cleaning out garbage cans, freezers and refrigerators.

DEODORIZER

Take an open container of baking soda; sit it in the back of your refrigerator or freezer to absorb unwanted odors. Stir the baking soda about every two weeks and replace with a new box after about two months. Baking soda can also absorb kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the liter box with baking soda, then add a layer of three-parts kitty litter on the top.

STAIN REMOVER

Baking soda is also great for removing stains. Oil and grease is no match for it and those stains are easier to remove from clothes if you add a ½ cup of baking soda to your laundry load.

HOUSEHOLD CLEANER

Formica counter cops shine with baking soda and a damp sponge. Glasses, thermos bottles and cooling containers can also be washed with baking soda and water. Baby bottles and coffee pots (stainless steel pots, not aluminum) clean up nice with baking soda. And when you sprinkle baking soda on a hard to clean barbecue grill and soak it, the residue from grilling comes right off. A greasy garage floor gets a new lease on life with baking soda. Sprinkle the soda on to the greasy floor, let stand for about 30 minutes, then scrub and rinse.

HOME REMEDY

According to the website make-stuff.com, baking soda is great to soothe insect bites, diaper rash irritations, general rashes and poison ivy. For babies, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to your baby's bath water. For adults and older children, add a ½ cup of baking soda to bath water to relieve the itch of common skin irritants including measles and chicken pox. A ½ teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a ½ glass of water relieves acid indigestion and/or heartburn. Use soda as a paste to relieve sunburn and as a mouthwash to relieve a canker sore.

In a tough economy, discovering the many uses for common household products can save families a ton of money. Try a few and let me know if it works for you.