5 Ways Baking Soda Saves You Money

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) costs about $3.00 for a one pound package at the time of press. The yellow box helps you keep money in your wallet because you don't have to pay for higher priced items such as hair cleaners, house cleaners and beauty products. I use the product to clean my bathroom, freshen up my hair and to soften the rough patches on my skin. From what I've seen, baking soda does a good job of revitalizing soiled clothes. Other people I know use it to soften their cuticles while indulging in a manicure.

Save money by shopping for baking soda instead of pricey bathroom cleaners that cost upwards of $10, depending on where you purchase the product. Make a paste by mixing three parts of baking soda to one part of water. Let the mixture sit on tough-to-remove stains for about 15 minutes. Rinse off with water and wipe down using a cleaning rag. Turning the baking soda into a paste before you clean with it is important because a thick residue forms that's hard to remove if you clean the surfaces with it straight from the box.

Work a bit of baking soda onto the rough patches of your skin such as the area around your elbows, heels and the top of your feet the next time you're in the shower. Rinse off and revel in how smooth your skin feels. Mix three parts of baking soda to one part of water to form the paste needed to exfoliate your skin. Add moisturizer after your shower for even smoother skin.

Did you know that you can soften your hands with baking soda? Gather together a small amount of baking soda, a toothbrush and a container to put the sodium bicarbonate in. Take your toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda. Scrub your cuticles with the toothbrush using gentle strokes. Wash your hands, push back the cuticles and add moisturizer for a low-cost, pre-manicure worthy cuticle softener.

Make a dry shampoo out of baking soda by adding a small amount to your hair and then running a brush through it to work it through your strands. The product works by mopping up the grease and oil on your hair, leaving strands smooth and shiny. Making dry shampoo out of baking soda works in a pinch, especially during the times when you have to rush out the house without getting to wash your hair.

Keep baking soda clothes or a box of the product in your laundry hamper to prevent foul smells from forming between washes. Stretch your dollar even further by replacing half the amount of laundry detergent you typically use with baking soda. Putting sodium bicarbonate into your washing machine helps you out in other ways because it balances out the pH level in your washer which, in turn, lowers the amount bacteria that can form.