Baking soda is affordable, widely available and great for many uses. It is commonly used for deodorizing your refrigerator, but did you know that you can also use it for heat rash and as a substitute for spackle?

Here are 10 great uses for baking soda.

1. Substitute for spackle: Mix a small amount of baking soda with a small amount of white glue to make a paste. Apply the paste to fill in the whole.

2. Heat rash: Take a lukewarm shower using a cleaning product such as Dove that does not contain soap. Towel dry and apply a paste of baking soda on any area that has heat rash. Leave the paste on as long as possible.

3. Vinyl flooring scuffs: To remove scuffs from vinyl flooring, put a little bit of baking soda on a damp sponge and rub away scuff.

4. Musty scent on clothes: If your clothes dryer turns off before your clothes are completely dry and your clothes smell musty, sprinkle baking soda on your clothes and place back in dryer. Turn the dryer back on and allow your clothes to completely dry.

5. Spraying cat: If Fluffy has sprayed your carpet, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to area, cover, and leave at least three hours or overnight. After the treated area has dried, vacuum up the remaining powder.

6. Clean chrome: To clean the chrome in your house, rub chrome with baking soda and a dry cloth. The chrome will have a great shine!

7. Sunburn pain: To relieve the pain of sunburn, apply a paste of baking soda and water to soothe and cool the affected area.

8. Bathing suit mildew: If you cannot rinse or wash your bathing suit right away, place the bathing suit in a large zippered plastic bag filled with ¼ cup of baking soda. Shake the plastic bag well. The baking soda will keep the musty odor away by absorbing the moisture from the bathing suit.

9. Crayon on chalkboard: To remove crayon marks from a chalkboard, apply baking soda to a damp rag and clean the chalkboard. The baking soda will remove the crayon’s wax and make the board ready for chalk again.

10. Dishwasher smells while you’re away: Sprinkle a tad of baking soda in your dishwasher and leave the door open a little bit. This will keep your dishwasher from smelling musty when you return from that relaxing vacation to the beach!

As you can see from the above tips, there are many ways to use baking soda in your home. Don’t forget about the great deodorizing powders of baking soda. You can use baking soda in musty closets, diaper pails, trash cans, on pet beds, on carpets, and even in the laundry.