Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, 5 lb

I purchased this 5lb size bag of baking soda for a great price from Amazon. While I do use Arm & Hammer baking soda in actual baking, I wanted a large affordable bulk size bag of this stuff to use in my small swimming pool to increase the alkalinity and raise the pH. It took a bit of experimenting, but it definitely worked well, and now I have a perfectly balanced pool for summer, at a fraction of what it would have cost me to purchase a pool water alkalinizer.To use this method yourself, test your pool water, then walk around the perimeter of your pool sprinkling a conservative amount (for a small pool or kiddie pool) or generous amount (for a large pool) of baking soda into the water as you go. I found it dissolved quickly and easily. Test your pool again a few hours later, and again the next day. Add more baking soda as needed. This method isn't fool-proof... there are calculations you can find online that will tell you how much to use based on your pool volume in gallons. I didn't bother with the math, but instead used trial and error. For my small 10' round above ground pool with very low pH and low alkalinity (almost to the bottom end of each scale on my pool water testing strips), I used approximately 3.5 lbs of this 5lb bag to get my neglected pool under control. Now that it's balanced, I haven't had to add more in weeks.

Baking soda has been a staple in my arsenal of natural cleaning products for as long as I can remember. It is a fabulous fine grit for safely cleaning all kinds of sensitive surfaces effectively, especially when you add a little white vinegar and turn it into a paste. I use it to clean silver jewelry, as well (without the vinegar mixed in). It can be used to absorb odors in the frig and elsewhere. Mix it with a little "Goo Gone" to quickly remove sticky residue left by duct tape, labels, etc. I keep a shaker full of it next to the kitchen dish soap for scrubbing pet dishes (you know that sort of slime that's hard to remove from a pet's saliva?). I use it to clean, well, everything!If you haven't discovered the miracle of natural baking soda, do yourself a favor....round up all the toxic cleaning products in your home, take them to a recycling center for proper disposal, and get yourself this big bag of soda, a gallon of distilled white vinegar, some natural citrus-oil based "goo" cleaner, and you've got just about all you need for a sparkling clean home. The price is certainly right for this amazon order "add-on".

NON TOXIC VERSATILE CLEANER!> TOUGH STAINS: Anything ranging from dirty oven racks, carbonized stains on metal and glass kettles to dishes, plastic items, moldy things can be scrubbed easily by simply making a paste and coating the items with it. Easy scrubbing after that. Even applying baking soda directly and start scrubbing right away works.In case of oven racks with carbonized stains, sink them in bathtub with baking soda and vinegar for 24-48 hours. Add a paste on the racks again before scrubbing and scrub the dirt with a metallic sponge. Restores them to new state. Also cleans oven's interior tough stains very nicely in combination with a scratch safe metallic scrapers. Presoak the interior or spray the tough stains with baking soda, pure vinegar. Let it sit. Restores the interior to a new state.> BATHTUB AND SINKS: Restores shine and pure whiteness to sinks and bathtubs.> ORAL HYGIENE: Mix with salt and use as a mouthwash, vigorously swashing it before brushing and after flossing. Destroys all bad bacteria and prevents bad breath. Conditions and disinfects the mouth. Prevents and treats canker sores.Makes great facial masks by itself or in combination with other ingredients. Opens all skin pores.Serves as a great substitute for soap and body wash and encourages exfoliation.> LAUNDRY: All around safe and effective detergent by itself. In spite of recommendations that says mix it with other ingredients like vinegar or All Green formulas, it is super effective on its own. Leaves clothing with no artificial odor or toxins. They all come clean, shiny and white and best of all odor neutral.Presoaking clothing with super tough stains before washing improves the cleaning power for that much more.> HEALTH: Saves the household from nasty chemical ingredients in commercial detergents and carcinogenic sinus irritating aromas. Environmentally fabulous, specially when mixed with an acid like vinegar.> ECONOMICAL: Incredibly cheap for what it does. Generous amount for the asking price in a bag. I order several and store everything in easily accessible containers.> LENGTHEN THE LIFESPAN OF DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS: Restores dirty sponge scrubbers to fresh clean state. Destroys and removes all oil and odor effectively. Any product that does that deserves to be thanked for the service it does to the environment, reducing disposable waste.> DISINFECTANT: Destroys mold, kills many microbes by itself, doubly so when combined with vinegar.NOTES ABOUT SOME CLEANING TASKS> If you use them to clean counters, oven, inside microwave or glass windows, etc upon drying you will notice a dry residue of baking soda. You have to be prepared to simply wipe that away again or for those purposes, use a vinegar alone or vinegar + other green solutions.> The product may clump some out of the bag. Not a big deal and when it happens it is only in small amounts. You can crush them with hand easily specially if you are going to keep them in a bucket. I also put them in repurposed spice jars to use in the kitchen sinks. I make sure everything is in powder form before filling the jars.> They are not suitable for baking due to grain size, although it is foodgrade.

5 lb bags are perfect to store in Laundry, under Kitchen sink and in bathrooms as they will conform two spaces instead of hard cardboard boxes. I'm now using baking soda for everything from laundry, to household cleaner including toilets --- often in concert with white vinegar. Also for Health And Beauty like putting a heaping teaspoon in hot water in Well of my Waterpik twice a day as part of Oral Care regimen. I advise everyone to go Natural to create a healthy environment for yourselves and/or children and pets! If you go on YouTube you will find all kinds of recipes and Myriad uses for baking soda for Health, cleaning, and even in your garden etcetera. This is a great price for all your needs and you don't need to buy food grade which is a rip-off. Baking soda is baking soda' The soft plastic bags with sturdy Ziploc tops are very convenient and I put a recycled plastic scoop from my protein powder in each one.

I use this during & after cleaning the cat's litter box. Keeps the litter smell-free. I also spread it on the area rugs just before vacuuming. In the drains - I put some in the drain, then pour white vinegar - sizzling and then clean smell. Also use to clean stainless sinks & appliances. So many uses - can't lie without it. The price has increased significantly for the 5# bag.