The Amazing Baking Soda

James Church, a Brooklyn businessman, closed his spice business down right after the civil war in1867 to go into selling baking soda even though it was a very competitive market back then.

Church did what any other person was doing back then to get into the baking soda business. He simply was buying barrels of soda, scooped them into paper bags, and went door to door selling them.

Like any other businessman, he knew that he needed a sales gimmick. What he did to promote his sales was hire the most flamboyant salesman alive- a seven foot four inch giant who's booming voice and charm turned heads everywhere he went.

Another great advertising gimmick that Church used was to add recipes inside the bags of soda- recipes for breads and cakes that required the use of his soda, of course!  Well, this idea worked to a point, then he realized he needed a new name. Church and Company just didn't cut it for the appeal of his product. 

Church's old spice business had a terrific name, Vulcan Spice Mill.  Along with that, it had a great looking sign of a muscular looking arm holding a blacksmith's hammer.  James Church kept his old storefront sign, for good luck. Then one day, just on a whim, he gave his storefront logo a new name- Arm and Hammer. At that time it quickly muscled out all competitors and is still this day, the best known brand of baking soda.

Instead, just head to the kitchen and pull out the baking soda. All you will need is one cup of baking soda and a gallon of hot water! With a sponge, you can use this easy to make mixture to any bathroom surface. How much nicer you can make your sink, toilet or floor? After using this baking soda cocktail, be sure to rinse it off with plain water.Besides being a good cleaning agent, baking soda freshens and rids odors too!

 Another use for baking soda is for your automatic drip coffee maker.  It's not the coffee grounds that clog up our coffee maker.  It's the hard water!

One was to cure and rid this excess build up is to fill the pot with water along with 1/4 cup of baking soda and run through the usual cycle.  Afterwards, fill the pot with clean water and run again.  Now the pot coffee maker will make a fresh pot of coffee!

 Make your own polish from baking soda. It is easy enough to do! Start with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda and just add enough water to make a paste.

Spread the paste on the silver and let it set for around 10 minutes.  Then rub paste gently into the surface.  Afterwards, rinse with clear water and dry each piece with a soft cloth.

 One of my favorite thing to do is make a shampoo paste with baking soda.  A lot of us women like to put all kinds of goop in our hair to keep that certain look all day.  But sometimes we have a habit of over doing it!  When it comes time to wash our hair regular shampoo does can't do the trick to remove the excess build up.

What I like to do is add around a teaspoon of baking powder and mix my favorite shampoo until it forms a paste.  Next I apply it to my hair and wash as I normally would. Depending on how much of a build up, you may want to do it twice in a row. 

Some people will keep a container of baking soda handy in their shower just for this. Another thing that it is good to remove from your hair is cigarette smoke build up.

Try this remedy for the build up in your hair and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results of soft manageable hair,