More Helpful Frugal Tips To Save You $$$

Air Your Soap
I am a firm believer in this. I remove the paper wrapper on the new bar of soap and let it air for about 7 days or, more before using. This allows the soap to harden more so when you start using the soap it lasts longer and there is no loss of lathering power when you do this.

Shake Off a Wet Razor
After using your razor it's a great idea to shake off the excess moisture. Once you do that go a step further and dip the razor blade in a bit of rubbing alcohol. This removes the moisture and cleans the blade which will stop any rusting from happening. Store away from water and this will save your blade for further use. Told my DH this months ago and his blades are lasting on average probably an extra month or, more.

Storing Your Lettuce
Seal it in a zip lock baggie with a moistened paper towel. This will add days to the life of your salad greens. Better yet... do as I did and switch the paper towel for a kitchen towel. which helps you in saving the environment and your money.
(Also.... you are washing and air drying your zip lock baggies aren't you? We generally get 3 uses from each baggie if they don't get really awful from the first or, second use. I figure we are paying 2/3 less for these baggies when reused.)

Separate Your Bananas
Bananas make a gas called ethylene. This gas causes your bananas to ripen faster. If you separate the bananas from each other it slows down the ripening process and keeps them yellow longer.

Flip Your Mattress
I learned this from MS (Martha Stewart) years and years ago. I try to remember to do this at least every 3 months or, so. This will lengthen the life of your mattress. Don't just flip side to side... also flip top to bottom. I actually have marked with indelible ink both side of the mattress with an "A" on top on one side and a "B" on the bottom of the other side reminding me not to forget the flipping top to bottom. And, while we are discussing mattresses, don't forget to flip your living room couch and chair cushions. With the couch cushions remember to swap the cushion's positions from one side of the couch to the other.

Cut Down on Cleaners
I have already switched and am cleaning lots of things with vinegar and baking soda to cut costs. But, if you haven't made the switch yet try this. Cut down by half the amount of toothpaste, detergent, soap or, shampoo you are using. You most likely won't even notice the difference.

My New Little Morning Visitor

He sits outside the kitchen window in the early morning hours eating and then eating some more. Actually there are 3 of them now visiting. I can finally tell them apart. How? By their tails. This fella has a thin tail with a single streak of orange/red down it's center. The other two... their tails are different in thickness and colour.

We place seed for the birds on top of the housing covering the oil tank which is what you are seeing in this picture. This little guy climbs up through the hole around the pipe you see sticking out.

Gracie (the dog) for the first time noticed him just the other day. Now she stands on her hind legs, front paws resting on the kitchen sink ledge and whines at the little chipmunk. Behind double panes of glass, the chipmunks don't hear her. It's funny to watch her watching for them now. I'll notice Gracie has stopped doing whatever it is she was doing and she will be staring at the kitchen window. I know she's waiting for her next glimpse of the chipmunk.

Continuing to be Frugal

When some of my nicer outfits were starting to look bad because the metal buttons were getting tarnished, I decided to merely replace the buttons. However, the fabric store's new buttons were quite expensive, $3/4 buttons or, more. Instead, I went to a bag sale at the local charity shop and bought garments of every size and description just for the buttons on them. Some of the clothes were ugly, but they all had really nice buttons. I bought a bag full of clothes and got probably three or four dozen buttons, for $3. It was cheaper to just cut off the buttons, sew them on my nicer outfits, and use the rest of the bag-sale clothing for cleaning rags or scrap material. My good outfits got a new lease on life once the tarnished buttons were replaced with the ones from the bag sale. You can also cut off the zippers and trim for reuse.

If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Send out an email to family or friends, or just ask around. You might be surprised. I was about to buy a printer, and then found out my brother had just bought a laser printer and didn’t need his old inkjet … saving me close to 100 smackeroos. If no one you know owns one, try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops. You can find a bargain if you look around.

Stay healthy. Easier said than done, I know, but staying healthy can save you tons of money on doctor’s visits, hospital bills, and medicine over the long run. An ounce of prevention, and all that. Eat healthily, and exercise. Simple and effective.

Quit smoking. Not the easiest way to save, I know. It’s hard. But I did once and plan to do it again soon, and so have many, many others. Not only will you save on cigarettes (which are expensive over the long run), but also associated costs (I used to buy a soda to go with my cigarettes) … and of course the huge, long-term medical costs.

Reduce convenience foods. Frozen foods, microwaveable stuff, junk food … anything that’s packaged and prepared for our convenience is not only more expensive than something you cook yourself, but also most likely less healthy. I’m not saying to eliminate these completely, but try to reduce your consumption.

Maintain what you own. This is a no-brainer, but we don’t often think about it: if you take care of what you have, it will last longer. You’ll then spend less on buying new stuff. When you buy something worth maintaining, take a few minutes to read the maintenance manual, and create a maintenance checklist that you can attach to the item. For important things like your car’s oil changes or tune-ups, put them in your calendar.

I am sure some of you are already doing a couple of these things. I hope this list may give you the impetus to try maybe one or, more of these ideas you haven't tried.

Timely Tips

These are a few tips I have been using for awhile now. These will help you save yourself some money.

Good sewing scissors will be dulled by cutting anything but fabric and thread. Relegate the cutting of paper, canvas, and other materials to all-purpose household shears.

Combat wintertime static cling in clothing by stroking a wire hanger over the outfit several times to eliminate the static charge. This technique works to tame staticky hair, too eliminating the need for buying hair conditioner.

Zippers will last longer if you close them before putting the items into the washer or dryer.

Also, fasten hooks and eyes on clothing, such as women’s underwear, before putting them through the wash.

If you use a dryer, hang anything with elastic in it. It will keep the elastic from breaking down causing you to replace things sooner, ie underwear and socks are the main things I never ever put in a dryer.

Feeling Oh So Tropical

Since I have posted so much on the dreadful cold weather we have been having recently I had to post about today's weather. This is just my thoughtful comparison.

It seems balmy and almost tropical here this morning. Yeah right! Well in relation to what we have been experiencing as weather this past week it sure as heck does. I went to bed last night with the temperature hovering right about at -16C. My hands had quit aching. Somewhat anyways.

This morning I awoke to a balmy -9C! Woo hoo! When you remember back to this past Sunday night (when I was out tossing boiling water in the air) it was a downright rude and terribly cold -30C. There's a difference in those temperature of 21 degrees.

If this were summer time and those changing weather temps were happening then.... just think of how it would feel. Take this 9C and erase the minus sign in the equation and now go up the thermometer to 30C. Think and imagine how different those 21 degrees would feel to you then vs. now in mid January when we are in the below zero weather. (For those of you reading in the States here is the conversion; 48 F to 86 F. A cool start to the day to an absolutely delightful summer afternoon.)

So do you now understand the crazy and wacky title to this post? It's just my strange and peculiar way of looking at the weather.

Winter Energy Cookies

I have been making these the last couple of winters since I moved north. I don't know where I got the recipe initially. Below the recipe are some tweaks I have made to it.

I am going to be making these today because in the next day or so with the extra new snow we are getting, I can go out and do some snow shoeing and picture taking.

Yield: About 2 dozen.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups uncooked rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or peanuts

Cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Mix the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until evenly blended. Stir in the oats, raisins, chocolate chips, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into balls using 1/4 cup of dough per cookie. Place onto sheets, leaving 3 inches between them. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, the tops will still be soft to the touch. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

My tweaks;

I replaced the white flour with spelt flour.

I substituted Splenda sugar for the brown sugar and only used 1 cup. I used 1 cup applesauce and soaked dates for 1/2 of the butter. I lowered the temperature to 325 and baked only 12 minutes. They turned out moist and soft. I might add some coconut next time to jazz it up.

Throwing boiling water in the cold

I have to let you all know.... DH and I went out in the arctic cold last night and threw boiling water into the air. We wanted to see the water turn to snow. Well, scientifically speaking it turns into fog but, what the hey.... it sure does look like snow. We did it till we emptied the hot water pot. Which holds about 2 L by the way. We did it by the glass full, one at a time. Laughing and laughing till my sides hurt. There wasn't anyone around as it was after 11 PM.

Why so late? Number 1 reason is; we didn't want the neighbors to see us and think us weird. They already think us weird.... this would have confirmed it in their minds. Number 2 reason; we had to wait till the temperature got down to the required -30C.

I am here to tell you it does work just like in the youtube video I posted yesterday. So... if you ever have the temperature plunge to a -30c... check it out. Of course if you try this.... you are doing it at your own risk.

Onward... and I know this is late as the moon is currently a;

Waning Gibbous

74% Illuminated But here it is anyway............ January -- Wolf Moon The Algonquian’s Wolf Moon was so named because in January, a time of bitter cold and blowing snow, wolves could often be heard howling. The Arapaho of the Great Plains referred to the January moon as “when snow blows like spirits in the wind.” Similarly, the Passamaquoddy of the Great Lakes called January “whirling wind moon;” the Omaha of the Central Plains, “moon when snow drifts into tipis.” To the Choctaw of the Southeast, January was “winter’s younger brother.” The Haida of Alaska called it “bear hunting moon;” the Lakota of the Northern Plains, “hard moon;” the Shoshone of Nevada and Wyoming, “freezing moon;” and the Zuni of the Southwest, “when limbs of trees are broken by snow.”

It's going to be this cold here tonight!

Cold and more Cold

I awoke this morning to a temperature I haven't seen in a long time. It was a - 21 C (-5.8F) with a wind chill factor of -29 C (-20.2 F). Brr... oh brr... oh damn brr!

The county has issued a frost bite alert. Do you know what that is? It's when the weather temperature is so extremely cold you are at risk of frost bite to your toes, fingers, ears and nose. All those little appendages that stick out in the cold or, areas where you have not dressed yourself well enough to be protected from this deadly cold.

The other thing about the frost bite warning, it asks that you include checking in on the elderly and any live alone seniors in your neck of the woods to make sure they are okay during this cold snap. Now that's not a bad idea. Though there are none of those in my area.

I am going to go and look at my new gardening catalogs. I can't take any more of this cold. I have to look forward to something good don't I? I do to survive this cold!!!!!!

Did you know about St. Vincent's day?

Saturday (January 22) is St. Vincent’s Day, the inspiration for much weather lore. On the feast day of this patron of both winemakers and drunkards, no vines could be pruned.

A sunny day signifies “more wine than water” and means that the sap might begin to rise in the branches. Frost on this day presages a delayed crop, whether for wine or rye.

While not as scientific, weather proverbs often contain a kernel of truth! Keep in mind:

Fog in January brings a wet spring.

If grass grows in January, it will grow badly the whole year.

He that drops a coat on a winter day, / Will gladly put it on in May.


Remember on St. Vincent’s Day,
If that the Sun his beams display,
Be sure to mark the transient beam—
Which through the casement sheds a gleam;
For ’tis a token bright and clear
Of prosperous weather all the year.
–proverb

Now a Word about Vinegar

Uses for Vinegar

1. Kill grass on walks and driveways.

2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have starved.

3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water: one gallon of tap water for
watering rhododendron, gardenias, or azaleas.

4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other
areas where ants are known to be.

5. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.

6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength vinegar; rinse.

7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat
walking, sleeping, or scratching on.

8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears. Use a clean, soft cloth dipped
in diluted vinegar.

9. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little in their drinking water.

10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over night.

11. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in 2 cups of water and
a tablespoon of vinegar.

12. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons water before boiling eggs.
Keeps them from cracking.

13. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot the irritation with vinegar
and relieve itching.

14. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white vinegar; you may have to reapply.

15. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to dissolve sticky
residue left by shampoo.

16. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.

17. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with vinegar and 2 cups of
warm water.

18. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of
water. Gargle, then swallow.

19. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more
vinegar to the vaporizer.

20. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water,
with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your
appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling.

21. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a
week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.

22. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.

23. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.

24. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.

25. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot
soapy water.

26. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot.
Wipe away the grime.

27. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it
sit in the lunchbox over night.

28. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water
and vinegar.

29. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and
add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.

30. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes
and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water
through.

31. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and
mustard jars with vinegar when empty.

32. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle
once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on
glassware.

33. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth.

34. Clean china and fine glassware. Add a cup of vinegar to a sink of
warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.

35. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons
of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be
washed away.

36. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1
cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and
deodorize.

37. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.

38. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and
water solution.

39. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into
the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5
minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any
loose particles should come out when you empty the water.

40. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in
a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or
burned stains.

41. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

42. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar
before washing.

43. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of
vinegar in the machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no
clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.

44. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.

45. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently
brush over grease spot.

46. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee,
tea. Then wash as usual.

47. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub
of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.

48. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak
in. Wash off.

49. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

50. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon
sugar for each quart of water.

51. For fluffy less sticky rice add a tsp of vinegar to boiling water.

52. To remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables wash in a mixture
of 3 tablespoons vinegar to one quart water.

53. To cut sudsy build up after mopping add 1/4 cup vinegar to rinse
water bucket.

Saving Money Using Items Found Around the House

THINGS TO KNOW
(and try at your own risk)

1. Beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads
6 . Shiny Hair - use brewed Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of tea into your bath water or, use oatmeal
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar On it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
11. Bee stings - meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H (this was used in the movie Miss Congeniality w/Sandra Bullock)
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jell-O !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid To clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love i t and it won't hurt them if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
22. Pam Will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint - Crisco Mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!
27. Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia , Soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky Will hold toast and CD's!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the table salt And watch it absorb into the salt.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter or, mayo.
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce Towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 denture tablets. Soak overnight!
35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate Toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate
38. Grass stains - Karo (corn) Syrup
39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola , It will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax - Sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little bleach , or 2 aspirin. Or just use 7-up instead of water.

Ways To NOT Spend Money

I have recently been invited by a good friend to join her in a "money" adventure. The "money" adventure is to not spend money for one year.

Yeah... whoa, eh? WTF? Have I lost my mind? (Some people already say yes.)

Here's the premise in brief;

(From the Heritage Farm blog)
We will purchase nothing new for a year. This is not for environmental, religious or financial reasons. I am very aware that people live with far worse conditions that we just chose to put our selves in and they do not have a choice. We simply want to prove to ourselves how much we really can do, and how creative in problem solving we can become. This will force us to learn a few new trades and we will enjoy that very much. Obviously we will purchase new undergarments and health related items as necessary but aside from that nothing. If anyone else is interested I thought it would be nice to compare notes, get ideas and have a sounding board for when we are most frustrated. You can do it as much or as little as you wish.
Any one interested?

Some of the things we will be doing along with this
- homemade cleaning supplies
- homemade laundry detergent
- homemade bath and beauty items (bath salts,bath bombs,lotions,lip balm)
- homemade cookies, crackers and breads
- our own produce and meat

So along that line I want to offer this timely little goodie.

SIXTY USES OF BAKING SODA

Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda has many different uses in the household.

Although much more expensive products have been developed over the years to
do the same jobs, baking soda can work for you just as well, if not better.
Use it in the following ways:

1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream
of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.

2. Be sure to keep an extra box of baking soda by your stove in case of
grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put
it out.

3. Keep a container of baking soda in your garage as well as in your car to
put out a fire. It won't damage anything it touches.

4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery
and rugs.

5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and
rise the produce.

6. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.

7. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.

8. Oil and grease - stained clothing washes out better with soda added to
the washing water.

9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth.
Rinse with clear water.

10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of
baking soda to absorb odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time.
Replace every 2 months.

11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with
1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts kitty litter on top.

12. Always add 1/2 cup soda to your washing machine load.

13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.

14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.

15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda in
1 quart of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse.

16. Clean Formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.

17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to
get rid of stale smells.

18. To remove stubborn stains from marble, Formica or plastic surfaces,
scour with a paste of soda and water.

19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda
solution ( 3 tbsp. Soda to 1 quart water).

20. Run you coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.

21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.

22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.

23. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.

24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.

25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place
the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp.
Baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.

26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the
bottom.

27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to
give it a good cleaning.

28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water
for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist
scouring pad.

29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a
thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on
just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then
scrub it clean next day.

30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry baking soda to
shine it up. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of
the grain.

33. Clean plastic, porcelain and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse
and dry.

32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.

33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and
reduce odor.

34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge - sink, tub, tiles,
shower stall, etc.

35. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda
in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.

36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.

37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard
with soda, then rinse.

38. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and
dentures with it.

39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate
odor.

40. Add 1/2 cups or more of baking soda to your bath water to soften your
skin.

41. Putting 2 tbsp. Of baking soda in your baby's bath water will help
relieve diaper rash irritations.

42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve
discomfort. Make a paste with water.

43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and
chicken pox.

44. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid
indigestion or heartburn.

45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and
cleans your mouth.

46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain.

47. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.

48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.

49. Bee sting: use a poultice of baking soda and water.

50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.

51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups
soda, 1 cup cornstarch.

52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant.

53. If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip
it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odor will go away.

54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The
feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white.

55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth
and wipe windows inside and out.

56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.

57. Add to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.

58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.

59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth
and make a mild abrasive with baking soda