Happy Friday dear readers and if you are a Mom- happy Mother’s Day to you! I hope you enjoy your special day and will have a no-cleaning Sunday! If you are a busy Mom like me, you may be half way through your spring cleaning and despair that you have so much more to do. Never fear- Linda is here!

Welcome to my Weekly Chore Prompt:




While talking with a friend over lunch recently, she remarked that she wished she had a guide to help her keep on top of both the big and the little chores she should do every week; beyond making the bed, or sweeping the floor. That gave me the wonderful idea to share a weekly chore with you here. These won’t be anything fancy, no need to print -just a quick post sharing what area of my home I’m focusing on that week. Hopefully we can get and keep our home sparkly clean and clutter free together!



baking,soda, cleaning, tips



Before we dive into our chore prompts on Monday, let’s first talk about one of the cheapest, safest and easiest cleaners you probably have in your home right now- baking soda! You may have read my tip on keeping your garbage disposal clean and odor free here, so believe me when I say, this stuff works!


Arm & Hammer baking soda has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My Mom swore by it in the laundry room and used it to refresh our shoes. And now, I’m passing down the cleaning tradition to my daughters.  I love this new shaker bottle that has an easy open and close top! It’s so much easier to hold on to and work with, especially if you have wet hands. 



Arm & Hammer logo



Arm & Hammer has been a trusted household name for 165 years for good reason. Their baking soda is relied upon in many a cook’s kitchen, but it is also an excellent, economical cleaning product.


Baking Soda Cleaning Tips:



baking soda cleaning tips

Tubs and counters:  Sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse and wipe dry. Your counters and tubs will sparkle.


Deodorize drains: If you ever noticed a less than pleasant scent coming from your sink or tub, it’s time to rinse that stink right back down the drain by pouring or shaking about a ½ cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm water from the tap.  


*Money saving tip*: Use the old box of Arm & Hammer Fridge n Freezer baking soda in to clean your drains instead of just tossing the box.  


Sneakers: There is nothing worse than the smell of sweaty sneakers, water shoes and flip flops. Around here, I call them swamp foot and I banish it by pouring a hefty tablespoon on the soles of the smelly shoes and tapping it down to the toes. Allow to sit over- night. 
For flip flop funk- take them outside if possible and cover the entire sole with a thin layer of baking soda, paying special attention to the toe grip area where sweat collects.


Musty towels: Whether it’s from your kids leaving their wet bath towels on the floor or a bunch of pool towels left sitting to long, musty towels happen. Get them clothesline fresh again by adding a ½ cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle and dry as usual; preferably on a clothesline to help save money and reduce your carbon footprint. You can read more about this on my Earth Day post

Closets: Closets can collect cooking odors and leave a stale scent on your clothes. The remedy? Place an open box of Arm & Hammer baking soda up on a shelf and replace every 30 days.


Sports Gear: Things tend to get as smelly around sports gear as they do around shoes. For fishing and camping gear, mix 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water, wash and rinse. Allow to air dry.

Sprinkle baking soda in all those sports bags too! Gym, cheer, baseball, golf- no bag in immune to smells, so sprinkle baking soda in the empty bag and allow to sit over-night. Dump out and re-pack your fresh bag.


Cat litter box: To keep your cat’s box smelling fresh between litter changes, sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on top of litter and mix in.


Pet Bed: Sprinkle baking soda on your pet’s beds and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, vacuum clean for an instant refresh.


Pet Toys: You don’t want your fur babies to chew on harsh chemicals, so switch to baking soda to keep their toys in tip top shape. Add 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart water, gently swish baking soda in water to dissolve completely, then soak chew toys for 15 minutes, rinse and air dry. For furry toys, a sprinkle of baking soda that’s allowed to sit for 15 minutes then brushed off will do the trick. 




I hope you’ve found these #BakingSodaTips helpful. I’d like to thank Arm & Hammer and Smiley 360 for sending me a complimentary bottle of baking soda to help me get my home sparkly clean.


Be sure to stop by on Monday to get your weekly chore prompt!



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