Old Sodium Bicarb
Originally uploaded by Shoreline

Bicarb, also known as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda and baking soda, is an alkaline salt and a compound found throughout nature (the soil, ocean etc). It is great to use around the home because it's a natural substance that won't harm you or the environment. It's also used extensively in everyday foods, so it's not only great for cleaning, but cooking too! Ninemsn, Real Living

Bicarbonate Soda - perhaps not the most striking of products, not one to tantalise your senses at its mere mention or invoke delight & ecstasy at its sight? However, this humble product is one of great versatility and one that is often overlooked & pushed aside (to a deep dark part of your kitchen cupboard, relegated to gather dust). Bicarb can of course be utilised in your usual kitchen related ways, but there are loads of other uses

01. We all love a good cup of tea, but don't so much love the icky brown stains tea leaves around the inside of our favourite mugs. To remove tea stains, sprinkle bicarb into mug & wipe clean with wet cloth, as usual.

02. For a Green Clean, create a mixture of water & bicarb that is of a paste like consistency. Wipe onto surfaces using a cleaning cloth/rage and use to clean your bathroom or kitchen. This paste can be used on anything from tiles to sinks!

03. Get rid of food odours from your fridge by placing a few small spoonfuls of bicarb onto a saucer and placing it out of the way at the back of a shelf. The bicarb will absorb the odours - freshen up your bicarb every month or so.

04. As an odour zapper - bicarb is also great for refreshing your dishwasher, just pop an amount in the bottom & run as usual.

05. Make some bath oil!

06. Killer heels are fantastic, killer foot odour isn't! To reduce & neutralise foot odour, sprinkle some bicarb in your shoes & you're set.

07. In the same vein, if your feet are feeling a little worse for wear, try soaking them in a solution of water and a small amount of bicarb- it will leaving you with clean, soft & fresh stilleto ready feet.

08. How's this for a credit crunching hygeine tip - Gargle bicarb with water for a DIY mouthwash!

Ok so that's it for TL favourite bicarb tips but there are LOADS of possibilities for using bicarb. What is your wonder product? Have you got any great bicarb DIY tips?