Dear House Honcho

Photo by gwire

Dear HouseHoncho,

My name is Kelly and I am from New York. I read your blog every day while I'm eating breakfast. (And then I pass off your list of chores to my sister. We share an apartment. Don't tell her about the chores. She thinks we split them.) I love the fact that you talk about baking soda, but you haven't said anything about it recently. So I'm wondering. What are some more of your favorite uses for baking soda?

Kelly
New York


Dear Kelly from New York (who schlumps off her chores to her sister),

Glad you enjoy the blog. And I'm glad to have a 'soda sister' in New York who appreciates the true value of the white stuff. Here are my current favorite uses for our white gold:

1. Add some to your bath water for super soft skin. (Which you'll need after scrubbing dishes!)
2. Add one teaspoon to a vase of flowers to prolong the life of the bouquet. (Which you'll deserve after doing the laundry!)
3. Put some under the sink to deter ants. (Which you'll consider after scrubbing the floor.)
4. Pour a little bit into your dishwater to add scrubbing power to your dish washing. (Which you'll appreciate after de-cluttering the counter.)
5. Mix it with water and wash your fresh fruits and vegetables with it. (Which you'll enjoy after a long day managing your home.)

Now. Be a peach and give these hints to your sister.

Keep it simple!

A Girl's [true] Best Friend

Photo by RowdyKittens

Whoever said that diamonds are a girl's best friend never used baking soda.

In what is likely to be the first of several installments on the wonders of the white stuff, I have included 10 uses for baking soda below.

1. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.
2. Add a teaspoon to your vase to keep flowers fresh longer.
3. Put an open box in your refrigerator to remove unpleasant odors. (Change every 30 days or so.)
4. Pour a cup in the toilet, leave it for an hour, then flush. It will clean itself.
5. Use it to remove stubborn grease from pots and pans.
6. Scrub the fridge with it.
7. Clean your ashtrays with it. (Actually, on second thought, just quit smoking.)
8. Sprinkle on rugs before vacuuming to deodorize.
9. Use it to scrub sinks, bathtubs, and toilets.
10. Use it as deodorant (not recommended, but totally possible. Good luck with that!)

And the best part is, baking soda is cheap. Peace of mind and a beautiful home can be yours for under two dollars a box. (And, if you use it as deodorant, you can have that great clean, confident feeling when you raise your arms.)

Not bad. Not bad at all.