Baking Soda: An Underestimated Amazement

   This is the first installment in a series I’m putting together highlighting the true potential of everyday products. In the marketing world of “New and Improved” and breaking down multifunctional products for more individual sale opportunities, some tried and true items get all but forgotten for the extent of their capabilities. The more versatile you are, the better your chances are of overcoming the challenges of any survival scenario -this quality equally applies to every item at your disposal. A versatile product translates into less money spent on supplies and less storage space needed or weight to carry. By exposing the possibilities of these different products I’m hoping to spur your imagination so you’ll begin to see new, creative opportunities everywhere and thus be better equipped to survive.

   The ancient Egyptians utilized sodium bicarbonate in their cleaning solutions, but it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that baking soda became more recognized as a household asset. These days, most people only think of two applications when they think of baking soda -baking of course, and deodorizing their refrigerator, but in the hands of an informed, creative Prepper, baking soda can effectively accomplish so much more.

Mixed with enough water to form a paste-

·         Toothpaste

·         Treat Bee stings

·         Treat acne

·         Soothe poison ivy and other rashes

·         Remove tough stains

·         Treat skin fungus

·         Polish metals

·         Facial exfoliator

·         Effectively clean everything

As a powder-

·         Smother a fire

·         Spread around areas of concern to repels ants and other insects

·         Add a pinch to tomato sauces and coffee to reduce acidity

·         Add a pinch to tea to remove bitterness

·         Add to laundry for whitening and cleaning power

·         Alone for deodorant or add a few drops of essential oil per tablespoon for scented deodorant

·         Alone for effective shampoo or mix with an existing product for added performance

·         Add to critter litter to absorb unwanted odors

·         Powder on and rub in to safely dry-clean your furry friends

As a Bath-

·         Full-body skin softener

·         Fungal foot soak

·         Relieve sunburn

·         Treat multiple bee stings, insect bites or large area rashes

·         Soak fish and meat to tenderize, remove fishy smell and gamey taste. Rinse and cook

·         Safely clean fruits and veggies

    I was surprised to learn through extending my own knowledge on the subject of sodium bicarbonate that it’s apparently an effective alternative treatment for cancer -changing the PH level around cancerous tissue -and apparently, cancer is not the only disease that thrives in an acidic environment. I decided to leave out the more advanced medical applications in this article because unless you have surgical experience, access to intravenous equipment and so on, some of the info wouldn’t do you much good. I will however, be adding more of the simpler medicinal uses in an upcoming post entitled “Home Healing”. If you’re interested in learning more about this “Slice O’ Matic” of chemical compounds there’s definitely more to be learned than what I’ve outlined here, so like every topic I address, I encourage you to research it further.

   I feel it’s important to reiterate, in case you missed it, that with all the amazing applications for baking soda it remains safe for the environment, unlike most of the products meant to replace it -so go on and enrich your cookies, polish your silver and cure cancer?...