One of the oldest and often forgotten cleaners is baking soda. Gosh, I really like this stuff, it's truly amazing what it will do. Below are just a few things baking soda will have an effect on:

1. Have you ever opened a thermos bottle and wish you hadn't because of the smell coming out of it? Put about two tablespoons of baking soda in it before you store it away and when you are ready to use it again, it will smell like new.

2. I love a good pot of pinto beans with onions and ham: however, during the digestive process they produce gas. To eliminate the flatulence cause by the beans just put one tablespoon of baking soda into the pot of beans and let them soak over night. In the morning rinse thoroughly, then cook like normal. You'll be surprised by the end result.

3. To save a bunch of money when buying kitty litter, buy the cheap kind, then mix a box of baking soda into the kitty litter. You'll be really happy with the end result because you saved money, the cats happy, and best of all there's no smell.

4. I clean my coffee pot with baking soda because it does a great job on the stains and turns the pot sweet tasting.

5. The Chinese use baking soda to tenderize meat. They take the meat, place it into a medium-size pot, pour in about one cup of baking soda, and then fills the pot with water. The meat is left to soak for several hours or overnight. They then rinse the residue off before cooking it. This process really makes the meat tender.

If you are allergic to any of the above products, please don't use them. Always test fabrics and paints before using any chemical compounds. Please remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and eye protection for your eyes. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266) or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed Do?

Copy written by Ed Madan, certified executive housekeeper, Northwest Environmental Services.