Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of Soda aka sodium bicarbonate: A gentle cleaning agent, gentle enough to clean jewellery and non toxic. Don't confuse it with baking soda... Your cake won't rise.

(We also have soda crystals which are my favourite all-rounder). Dri Pak (they make all of their range in the UK) had a great site which will explain the difference between all of these old-school goodies.

You can leave a box of it open in the fridge to absorb any smells. Use it like "Shake-and-Vac" to deodorise carpets. The list goes on and on. In fact, Dri-pak who make it, have so many uses for it, they made a poster! See pics.

Dri-pak also have this to say: It’s a mild alkali so it’s effective in neutralising bee stings*.

*In contrast to bee stings, wasp stings are alkaline and therefore should be treated with White Vinegar and NOT Bicarbonate of Soda. If the sting is stuck in the skin, wipe it in the opposite direction with the edge of a credit card to avoid squeezing more of the venom from the sac into the skin.

I love that a credit card is involved in the extraction of a bee sting...