The Power of Baking Soda - 18 ways of using baking soda in deodorizing

In previous posts I share the 17 ways of using baking soda in cleaning and 15 ways of using baking soda in personal care. It's time to talk about using baking soda in deodorizing.

Picture by humblebeeandme.com

1. Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Place an open box in the back of the fridge to neutralize odors.

2. Deodorize the Cutting Board
Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, and rinse.

3. Deodorize Trashcans
Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your trashcan to keep stinky trash smells at bay.

4. Deodorize Recyclables
Sprinkle baking soda on top as you add to the container. Also, clean your recyclable container periodically by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge. Wipe clean and rinse.

5. Deodorize Drains
To deodorize your sink and tub drains, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water–it will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain. (This a good way to dispose of baking soda that is being retired from your refrigerator.)

6. Deodorize and Clean Dishwashers
Use baking soda to deodorize before you run the dishwasher and then as a gentle cleanser in the wash cycle.

7. Deodorize Garbage Disposals
To deodorize your disposal, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain.

8. Deodorize Lunch Boxes
Between uses, place a spill-proof box of baking soda in everyone’s lunch box to absorb lingering odors.

9. Remove Odor From Carpets
Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest. (Note that your vacuum cleaner bag will get full and heavy.)

10. Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaners
By using the method above for carpets, you will also deodorize your vacuum cleaner.

11. Freshen Closets
Place a box on the shelf to keep the closet smelling fresh.

12. Deodorizing Cars
Odors settle into car upholstery and carpet, so each time you step in and sit down, they are released into the air all over again. Eliminate these odors by sprinkling baking soda directly on fabric car seats and carpets. Wait 15 minutes (or longer for strong odors) and vacuum up the baking soda.

13. Deodorize the Cat Box
Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter after a thorough cleaning.

14. Deodorize Pet Bedding
Eliminate odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling liberally with baking soda, wait 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odors), then vacuum up.

15. Deodorize Sneakers
Keep odors from spreading in smelly sneakers by shaking baking soda into them when not in use. Shake out before wearing.

16. Freshen Linens
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for fresher sheets and towels.

17. Deodorize Your Wash
Gym clothes of other odoriferous clothing can be neutralized with a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle.

18. Freshen Stuffed Animals
Keep favorite cuddly toys fresh with a dry shower of baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on and let it sit for 15 minutes before brushing off.

I will share another use of baking soda - Miscellaneous Use. To Be Continued....

Source: Care2.com

The Power of Baking Soda - 15 ways of using baking soda in personal care

In previous post I share the 17 ways of using baking soda in cleaning, this time let's talk about using baking soda in personal care.

1. Make Toothpaste
A paste made from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes. You can also just dip your toothbrush with toothpaste into baking soda for an extra boost.

2. Freshen Your Mouth
Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up.

3. Soak Oral Appliance
Soak oral appliances, like retainers, mouthpieces and dentures, in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a glass or small bowl of warm water. The baking soda loosens food particles and neutralizes odors to keep appliances fresh. You can also brush appliances clean using baking soda.

4. Use as a Facial Scrub and Body Exfoliant
Give yourself an invigorating facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean. This is gentle enough for daily use.

5. Skip Harsh Deodorant
Pat baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor.

6. Use as an Antacid
Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion. Refer to baking soda package for instructions.

7. Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower.

8. Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean.

9. Help Your Hair
Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly–baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.

10. Clean Brushes and Combs
For lustrous hair with more shine, keep brushes and combs clean. Remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small basin of warm water. Rinse and allow to dry.

11. Make a Bath Soak
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft.

12. Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub. 

13. Shaving
Men with sensitive skin may find that a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 1 cup water makes a great pre-shave treatment or a soothing aftershave rinse. For instant relief of razor burn, dab on a baking soda solution.

14. Nail Cares
Clean fingernails and toenails by scrubbing them with a nailbrush dipped in baking soda. This also softens cuticles.

15. Soothe minor mishaps
For sunburn pain: saturate a washcloth with a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart water. Apply to affected area. Ease windburn or poison ivy irritation with a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Do not use on broken skin.

This is the personal care section only, I will share another use of baking soda - Deodorizing. To Be Continued.... 

Source: Care2.com, mythirtyspot.com

Another great tablet coming soon - Google Nexus 7

If you have ever thought to buy a Kindle Fire, you should consider Google Nexus 7 now. Another new tablet coming out soon. The price is relative cheap. I bet it will be the cheapest tablet compare to others in the same category. Google has officially introduced the Nexus 7 manufacture by ASUS. The price is $199 USD for the 8GB and $249 USD for the 16GB. If you live in Canada, too bad you need to pay  $209CAD for the 8GB and $259CAD for the 16GB.  Another good thing with Nexus 7, when you buy one, Google will give you a $25 gift card to spend at Google Play Store and the Transformers Dark of the Moon movie, Borne Dominion book. Google Nexus 7 is the first Google device running Android 4.1 - Jellybean. Jellybean is the improvement of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You won't see a big change visually, but you will see the improvement of the speed. The Google Nexus 7 will official come out in mid-July. We need to wait for 2-3 weeks. As a low end tablet, I think $209 is worth to give it a try. 

Picture by google.com/nexus 7

SCREEN

·         7” 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)

·         Back-lit IPS display

·         Scratch-resistant Corning glass

·         1.2MP front-facing camera

WEIGHT

·         340 grams

MEMORY

·          8 or 16 GB internal storage

·         1 GB RAM

 BATTERY

·         4325 mAh (Up to 8 hours of active use)

CPU

·         Quad-core Tegra 3 processor

SIZE

·         198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm

WIRELESS

·          WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

·         Bluetooth

USB

·         Micro USB

OS

·         Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

FEATURES

·          Microphone

·         NFC (Android Beam)

·         Accelerometer

·         GPS

·         Magnetometer

·         Gyroscope

Source: Google Nexus

The Power of Baking Soda - 17 ways of using baking soda in cleaning

As I mention on my previous post - How to clean the food burnt stainless pot or pan, I will talk a bit more baking soda. It's a very powerful tools in your household.

Picture by pakalertpress.com

Why should you use baking soda in your household?

First, it's cheap. A dollar or two you can get a box of 1 kg baking soda. Second, you can use the baking soda in many purposes. Third, it’s a very environmental friendly product.

Background: Baking Soda, Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate).The ancient Egyptians used natural deposits of natron, a mixture consisting mostly of sodium carbonate decahydrate, and sodium bicarbonate. The natron was used as a cleansing agent like soap.

In 1791, a French chemist, Nicolas Leblanc, produced sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash. In 1846, two New York bakers, John Dwight and Austin Church, established the first factory to develop baking soda from sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide.

Let’s talk about how baking soda apply in cleaning:

Picture by http://dinarasdavis.blog.com/

1. Make a Surface Soft Scrub
For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks–even fiberglass and glossy tiles–sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For extra cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid dish soap—let it sit then scour off.

2. Hand wash Dishes and Pots & Pans
Add 2 heaping tablespoons baking soda (along with your regular dish detergent) to the dish water to help cut grease and foods left on dishes, pots and pans. For cooked-on foods, let them soak in the baking soda and detergent with water first, then use dry baking soda on a clean damp sponge or cloth as a scratchless scouring powder.

3. Freshen Sponges
Soak stale-smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of the mess (4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water).

4. Clean the Microwave
Baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.

5. Polish Silver Flatware
Use a baking soda paste made with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.

6. Clean Coffee and Tea Pots
Remove coffee and tea stains and eliminate bitter off-tastes by washing mugs and coffee makers in a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. For stubborn stains, try soaking overnight in the baking soda solution and detergent or scrubbing with baking soda on a clean damp sponge.

7. Clean the Oven
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. Scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.

8. Clean Floors
Remove dirt and grime from no wax and tile floors using 1/2-cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water–mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor. For scuffmarks, use baking soda on a clean damp sponge, then rinse.

9. Clean Furniture
You can clean and remove marks (even crayon) from walls and painted furniture by applying baking soda to a damp sponge and rubbing lightly. Wipe off with a clean, dry cloth.

10. Clean Shower Curtains
Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.

11. Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent
Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. A better balance of pH in the wash gets clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.

12. Gently Clean Baby Clothes
Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers, which are increasingly available, but odor and stain fighters are often harsh. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2-cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization.

13. Clean Cloth Diapers
Dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in 2 quarts of water and soak diapers thoroughly.

14. Clean and Freshen Sports Gear
Use a baking soda solution (4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water) to clean and deodorize smelly sports equipment. Sprinkle baking soda into golf bags and gym bags to deodorize, clean golf irons (without scratching them!) with a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water) and a brush. Rinse thoroughly.

15. Remove Oil and Grease Stains
Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.

16. Clean Batteries
Baking soda can be used to neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, mowers, etc. because its a mild alkali. Be sure to disconnect the battery terminals before cleaning. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply with a damp cloth to scrub corrosion from the battery terminal. After cleaning and re-connecting the terminals, wipe them with petroleum jelly to prevent future corrosion. Please be careful when working around a battery–they contain a strong acid.

17. Clean Cars
Use baking soda to clean your car lights, chrome, windows, tires, vinyl seats and floor mats without worrying about unwanted scratch marks. Use a baking soda solution of 1/4-cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or soft cloth to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs and tar. For stubborn stains, use baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge or soft brush. 

This is the cleaning section only, next I will share another uses of baking soda - personal care. To Be Continued.... 

Source: Care2.com, Wikipedia

Receive $100 Starbucks Gift Card for FREE (Official) - SPAM !

Today I receive an invitation from my friend about receive $100 Starbucks gift card for FREE (Official). In order to get the gift card, you need to invite your friend to join this event. I almost invite all of my friends to this event, but I step back a little bit. I click the link show in step 3 first. I realized that this is a spam more than official.
1. When you click on the page they created, it's almost nothing there. Official page won't be like that.
2. It's too good to be true, just invite 50 friends, you can get $25 Voucher. There's no free lunch.
3. The link will redirect to http://lnkgt.com/8v3 which will ask you to pick up Apple stuff instead of Starbucks and continue.  

If you did make the mistake of sharing the scam link, then you are now spamming your friends with the very same message. Clean-up your newsfeed and profile to remove references to the scam. (click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the post).

Be on the lookout for more marketing offers arriving to your email inbox and physical address if you submitted that information to the scammers. Also be aware and alert for possible identity theft attempts.

How to clean the food burnt stainless steel pot or pan

Photo by cookwarebuzz.com

Couple weeks ago my roommate cooked burgers with the stainless steel pot. Since he was so focus on the tv instead of cooking, he burned the stainless steel pot, very similar to the photo on the right hand side. He tried so hard to clean out the stains by using soap, water and mesh dish cloth. Only small amount of the stains came off the pot. I was mad about the burning pot. This is the only cooking pot we have in the apartment, and I used the pot almost every day. I was thinking to throw the pot away, it's kind of waste as I remember stainless cookware is very durable. I remember baking soda can clean out most of the stains. Then I did a bit research on baking soda. It's amazing tools and must have in your household. I will talk the baking soda later.

To sum up what I found on the website and my experience. I am going to show you:


How to clean the food burnt stainless steel pot or pan 

You need 
Water
Baking Soda
Vinger (white vinger that you can buy from supermarket)
Dish cloth with mesh

Instruction
1. Pour vinger into the pot / pan. Make vinger is good enough cover the burnt area.
2. Add water into the pot / pan (about equal amount of the vinger in step 1).
3. Turn on your stove and boil the liquid (mix of vinger and water).
4. When the liquid in boil, pour half cup of baking soda into the pot / pan. You will see the bubble come out because of the reaction of baking soda and vinger.
5. Boil it for another 5 - 10 mins, and sit for 30mins.
6. Pour off the liquid.
7. Spread the baking soda evenly on the pot / pan, scrub the pot / pan with mesh dish cloth. Most of the stains should able to come off easily.
8. Rinse the pot with water and soap, and now your pot / pan looks new and ready to go again.

If you still see the stains, repeat the steps 1 - 7.

The cost of cleaning the food burnt stainless steel pot or pan is very cheap. A 1kg of baking soda only cost me $1.5. A 500ml of vinger cost $1.5. Total cost is less than $3 because I still have more than half box of baking soda and half bottle of vinger.

This is my cleaning pot.

Photo taken by Keiyan Ng

Source: theKitchn

New Angry Bird Seasons - Piglantis

Photo by Google Play - Angry Bird Seasons

Yes.. It's Angry Bird again. Rovio released the new pack for Angry Bird seasons today June 14, 2012, and they called it Piglantis. This time they put the angry bird in underwater which means another physics technique - pressure and buoyancy. Of course, don't get too serious to the calculation :) If you have no background on pressure and buoyancy, it's ok. You will still find lots of fun. It's worth to try it.
So far I like the Angry Bird Piglantis and very appreciate Rovio creativity. What's next ?

Photo by Google Play - Angry Bird Seasons

Starbucks Coffee celebrate their 25th year in Canada

Photo by Starbucks.ca

In 1987, Starbucks Coffee opened their first store outside Seattle in Vancouver, BC. Tomorrow June 12, 2012 Tuesday at Starbucks Coffee, you can buy one tall brewed coffee for only 25cents (too bad it's only until 11:00am), for celebrating their 25th anniversary in Canada.   Go and enjoy the 25 cents coffee :)

Photo by Starbucks.ca

From Starbucks Coffee website:

"Celebrating these moments is part of Starbucks 25th Anniversary here in BC. It is your story that makes us who we are.

To our partners and customers in Vancouver, B.C. and across Canada, thank you for your support and sharing so many happy memories. "

Some Starbucks Coffee story if you are interested.

Source: Starbucks Coffee

Take a Screenshot in Mac

I used screenshot quite often. When I first tried to take a screenshot on my Mac. I found that there's no screenshot button on the keyboard. How do I take a screenshot in Mac? Thanks for the internet.  Here you go

• Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it as a file on the desktop
• Command-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it as a file on the desktop
• Command-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it as a file on the desktop
• Command-Control-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it to the clipboard
• Command-Control-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it to the clipboard
• Command-Control-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it to the clipboard

Source: MacRumors' Guide

Cloud Storage Comparsion

Google Drive VS SkyDrive VS iCloud VS Dropbox VS SugarSync

Google Driveis a file storage and sync service by Google that was released on April 24, 2012. Rumors about Google Drive began circulating as early as March 2006. Google Drive is an extension of Google Docs. Google Docs is a free, Web-based office suite and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. Google Docs combines the features of Word and Spreadsheets with a presentation program incorporating technology designed by Tonic Systems. Data storage of files up to 1 GB total in size was introduced on January 13, 2010, but has since been increased to 10 GB, documents using Google Docs native formats do not count towards this quota.The largely anticipated cloud storage feature by Google is said to be replacing most of Docs' features in 2012. This extension or replacement of Google Docs called Google Drive was opened to the public on April 24, 2012.

SkyDrive(officially Microsoft SkyDrive, formerly Windows Live SkyDrive) is a file hosting service that allows users to upload and sync files to a cloud storage and then access them from a Web browser or their local device. It is part of the Windows Live range of online services and allows users to keep the files private, share them with contacts, or make the files public. Publicly shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access. The service offers 7 GB of free storage for new users. Additional storage is available for purchase. Users who signed up to SkyDrive prior to April 22, 2012 could opt-in for a limited time offer of 25 GB of free storage upgrade. The service is built using HTML5 technologies, and files up to 300MB can be uploaded via drag and drop into the web browser,or up to 2GB via the SkyDrive desktop application for Windows and Mac OS X. On its launch, SkyDrive was provided as a limited beta available to a few testers in the United States. On August 1, 2007, the service was expanded to a wider audience. As of 22 May 2008 SkyDrive was available to 62 countries and regions.

iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. announced on June 6, 2011 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The service allows users to store data such as music files on remote computer servers for download to multiple devices such as iOS-based devices, and personal computers running OS X or Microsoft Windows. It also replaces Apple's MobileMe service, acting as a data syncing center for email, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, to-do lists, and other data. MobileMe will be discontinued after June 30, 2012, with anyone who had an account before the unveiling of iCloud having their MobileMe service extended to that date, free of charge As of 2012, iCloud has over 125 million users.

Dropbox is file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc. that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, and client software. Dropbox, Inc. was founded in 2007 by MIT graduates Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, as a Y Combinator startup company. Dropbox's basic service follows the freemium business model. Dropbox announced a new service, "Dropbox for Teams",marketed to businesses and other groups in 2011.Dropbox provides client software for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry OS, and web browsers. In 2008 Dropbox launched as a dead-simple cloud storage service that could be used by just about anyone. Even your grandparents can use Dropbox without calling you up, asking you to explain each of its features. Dropbox claims to have 50 million users worldwide.Apparently Apple wanted to buy Dropbox to launch their own cloud storage services before iCloud but surprisingly Dropbox refused.

SugarSync is a service that actively syncs files across computers and other devices. SugarSync is operated by SugarSync Inc. and is based in San Mateo, California. SugarSync enables its users to backup, access, sync and share all of your documents, photos, music and movies so that you can access them from your laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, or any other device. SugarSync is available for Windows and Mac OS X. For mobile devices, SugarSync has an app for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices, and a Windows Phone 7 app is in development. SugarSync was launched in March 2008. The software is designed to sync all of a user's files (documents, media, photos, etc.) across as multiple machines. The company, formerly called "Sharpcast", and its service have received press coverage and reviews from various media outlets. In September, 2011,Gizmodo reviewed SugarSync and 10 other services and named SugarSync the Best Cloud Service.

Here is the summary of comparison on different cloud service

I only used Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud. I cannot comment anything on Skydrive and Sugarsync.

I found that iCloud is more for the users with all the Apple devices. iPhone, iPad and Mac. If you are not using them all together, I can say iCloud is useless. For example, I can't even open Microsoft excel or word by using iCloud unless you install iWork.

I have been using Dropbox and Google Drive for a long time. Both of them offer very similar function. If you have an android phone and android tablet, Google Drive is very convenience for you. However, if you have android phone and iPad or iPhone and android tablet, I will suggest Dropbox. It's easier to access all your files.

Source: Phonearea.com, Wikipedia