Monday, January 9, 2017

Eco-Living: Baking Soda for Home and Personal Care

Initially experimented adding stevia (for flavor) and sea salt, but later just use VCO mix.


Yes, sodium bicarbonate.   Food-grade, but also useful in many other things.   

I happen to watch this CNN episode on green living and saw this home-made toothpaste – which made me intrigued.  I’ve heard the same stuff before, but never tried it.  Yes, even after reading that fluoride is a known neurotoxin – an indispensable ingredient in every toothpaste that we buy.
Now NaHC03 (the baking soda, dude) – is simply natural with no harmful effects on human.  Food-grade! Used for baking!  But a very good cleaner and acid neutralizer.   It’s been around for centuries (actually ancient Egypt used the same substance for mummification)  – but distracting advertisement easily lured us all in buying bad brands and products.  So start the better alternative – DIY!

How I make my toothpaste
Get a small re-purposed glass or plastic container.  I used a very small candy jar, (and another small pickle-bottle to store my ‘deodorant’).


Mix the powder directly with VCO (virgin coconut oil).  Its anti-virus/ anti-bacterial property will help clean your gums and teeth.  Plus oil makes the powder feels smoother or less abrasive.  You may add a little water if desired (but water evaporates easier and makes the paste crusty later on). 
Mix well until ‘pasty’ and not powdery or crusty.  Not too wet also (if so, just add a bit of powder).  Use a tiny spoon, flat stick or even clean finger to scoop and apply on your brush.  I typically reload for the 2nd half of brushing (as the mixture is not as frothy as your commercial toothpaste).
It will taste a bit salty but you’ll tolerate it overtime.  My jar lasts for 2 weeks, you don’t want to mix a lot.

How to use it as deodorant.
Simple, get a pinch (just a pinch), put them in your palm (pinch little balls to pulverize further) and directly apply in your underarm.  Naturally left palm is best for your right armpit, and vice versa.  I used to buy 5-8$ deodorants lasting a few weeks, and throwing away packaging materials as trash.  Now, a small carton of baking soda will last me months! Without the regretful garbage!

Other uses
I also use it to deodorize smelly shoes. Directly putting a pinch of powder in the mid-upper insole area (the ‘sweat-center’), wearing the shoes naturally brushes the powder against the insole, cleaning and deodorizing it in the process. (I don’t wear socks, most of the time).
For under-sink or refrigerator – as deodorizer, I just put a bunch on a small container. Changed it every 30 days.
Of course you can also use it with vinegar to remove sink blockage.  You may use the powder mixed with water for various cleaning needs – for dirty tiles, stubborn dirt on stove shells, granite covers, etc.
And oh, you can really use it for baking!


Intrigued? Start the experiment now – save money, live healthy!   

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