Green Kitchen Tip #3

Soda Scrub

I grew up in a household where there was a chemical for every cleaning chore: furniture polish, window cleaner, disinfectant, chemical pot cleaner, and a myriad assortment of others. The chemical pot cleaner was used about as regularly as the pots were utilized to cook something. It wasn’t until I struck it out on my own that I questioned the use of pot scrubbing chemicals. But it took me a while, of less than sparkly pots and pans, to figure out alternatives. It is ironic that at this time, when I was living with less than bright & shiny cookware, an organic chemistry professor, who’s class I was taking, expressed his enthusiasm for sodium biocarbonate – baking soda. I just figured he was pleasantly nutty. It wasn’t until years later that I learned what generations of housekeepers knew before the days of “Better Living through Chemistry” – baking soda makes an excellent scrubbing aid.

Now, even I’m amazed at the utility of baking soda. It not only diligently scrubs stainless steel cookware, but can also be used on cast iron and even non-stick pans (please read up on instructions before attempting). Further, if you add it to dishwashing liquids and detergents, you can get away with using less. You can even use baking soda, in combination with vitamin C, as a yeast substitute when baking bread. Who knew? Want to be amazed too? Check it out!