(BPT) – With the holiday season in full swing and family and friends visiting from places near and far, you’ll have a checklist full of things to do. Don’t forget to freshen up your house before guests arrive and keep it simple with one ingredient you might already have in your pantry.
Baking soda helps easily freshen and clean nearly every room in your home. From carpets and upholstery to kitchen sinks or shower curtains, baking soda can rejuvenate your space without draining your wallet.
Room by room, here are some of the many ways that baking soda can freshen your home this holiday season:
In the kitchen:
* Clean your food prep area and tools with natural, food safe ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda instead of harsh cleaners. Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge or cloth and then clean, rinse and dry the area. This is great for counters, stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, microwaves, ovens, and range hoods.
* What goes down sometimes comes back up. To deodorize your drains and garbage disposal and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water.
* Be sure to keep an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator to help everything taste fresh. Change the box once a month for optimal freshness.
In the living room:
* Freshen up sofas and chairs by sprinkling ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda on upholstery. Wait 15 minutes before vacuuming the surface. You can also use this trick to deodorize your carpets.
* Don’t let your pets play fetch with chemicals. Clean plastic and rubber pet toys safely by washing in a solution of baking soda and warm water. Scatter baking soda on dry pet beds or furry toys and wait 15 minutes before vacuuming the unpleasant smells away.
In the dining room:
* Clean and deodorize spills on carpets by soaking up as much of the spill as possible. Clean the stain according to the carpet manufacturer’s directions and allow it to dry. Then, sprinkle on some baking soda and let it sit before vacuuming it away.
* Baking soda can polish silver in no time. Before your guests arrive for dinner, make a natural cleaning paste with three parts ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda, and one part water. Gently rub the solution onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse and dry for shining flatware.
In the bathroom:
* Remove the dirt and grime from bathroom tiles and no-wax floors with this easy solution. Mix 1/2-cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water, then mop and rinse for a clean, sparkling floor.
* Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge or brush. Scrub the curtain, rinse and hang it up to dry.
* Keep fresh towels on hand for guests. To get them at their cleanest, add one cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. A better balance of pH in the wash will get clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.
