Baking soda is no longer just a baking ingredient. Its many other uses have been discovered over the years. The growing need to lessen our carbon footprints, coupled with baking soda’s affordability, has brought the humble product to the forefront of nontoxic cleansers.

Baking soda, mixed with water into a paste, is a very effective way to clean jewelry. Real silver or gold, and water-resistant faux pieces can be cleaned.

Dip a new toothbrush into the paste and brush your jewelry. You may want to soak the items for a few minutes in a little water after brushing to help the baking soda work its magic.

Soaking

We’ve also found that soaking the items in a mixture of two parts water and two parts baking soda for at least 10 minutes, then brushing them after to be equally effective.

This method is also good for removing surface rust from grill grates or frying pans. For baking pans, wash the pans clean with soap and water. After rinsing, sprinkle baking soda liberally on the surface and let sit for about 10 minutes. Using a clean toothbrush or fine scouring pad, work the soda paste into the rusted areas, then rinse off.

Keep in mind that this will only take care of surface rust, and not rust which has eaten its way beyond your metal surface. For surface rust on your marble surface, treat the surface with lemon juice for a few minutes, then sprinkle some baking soda to create a paste and, again, work it in with a clean toothbrush, then wipe with damp cloth and dry.

Baking soda is available in all supermarkets, usually in the baking aisle and palengke.