I love finding new ways to use eco-friendly, kid-safe products around the house, and I recently came across an article that outlined some great uses for baking soda. Yep – just regular plain old baking soda. So I wanted to share them:

• You can use baking soda as earth-friendly alternative to unclog your drain. It’s simple to do, less expensive than the store bought product, and just as effective.

Here’s what you do: Pour one cup of regular table salt, one cup of baking soda, and half a cup of plain white vinegar down the drain. Leave it alone for 15 minutes and then pour two quarts of boiling water into the sink. Follow this by running the hot water into the sink for at least one minute.

You’ll be amazed how effectively this combination works. The drains will be clean and you won’t have added anything toxic to the drain system. For tough clogs you may need to repeat the process.

• Baking soda, when mixed with salt, is also an effective stain remover and scouring powder. Mix one cup of baking powder with one cup of salt. Then use this mixture the same way you would any other scouring powder. Again, an effective mixture that is less harmful to the environment.

• Sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet and let it sit for 10 minutes. When the time is up, vacuum away any stale odors that may have settled in your carpet.

• Add a little baking soda to your dishwasher the next time you’re loading it. The baking soda will give your cleaner an extra boost to get your dishes sparkling clean.

• Making an equal mixture of baking soda and laundry detergent will stretch your detergent and make your laundry smell fresh.

So next time you’re at the grocery store, buy one of those bigger boxes and check out some of these tips!