3 Frequently Confused Laundry Powders, Explained

The best way to clean kitchen cabinet doors, how to save money with Amazon coupons, and more. January 7, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! While I wasn’t exactly a chemistry whiz in school, making laundry solutions is tricky if you don't know how the ingredients work. In Today’s Good Thing, I'm explaining the differences between 3 frequently confused laundry products to help you understand how and when to use them. Also in today’s newsletter, I’m issuing my customary Weekend Cleaning Challenge. This time we’re doing some much needed post-holiday kitchen cleanup, with a special focus on greasy cabinets. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 3 Frequently Confused Laundry Powders, Explained [Photos of borax, baking soda, and washing soda.]( While they all look quite similar, they also differ in ways that are important to understand. Among ingredients that frequently appear in homemade laundry solutions, baking soda, washing soda, and borax are especially easy to get mixed up. While all 3 are white powders that can come in handy in the laundry room, understanding what makes them different will help you determine how to make the most of them. 1. Baking Soda Chemical name: sodium bicarbonate; pH: 8 Baking soda is used in baking for both leavening and browning. It’s highly useful in cleaning too, helping to absorb moisture and neutralize odors. In the laundry room, adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your wash loads can eliminate odors and prevent residues from building up. (However, if residue buildup is already present, either borax or washing soda would be a more effective option.) 2. Washing Soda Chemical name: sodium carbonate; pH: 11 When washing soda is dissolved in water, it forms an alkaline/basic solution with a pH level similar to household ammonia. This makes washing soda useful as both a laundry booster and cleaning agent, especially if you’re tackling acidic, fatty, or oily messes. Washing soda can also help counter the effects of hard water and improve the performance of your detergent. 3. Borax Chemical name: sodium tetraborate; pH: 9.5. Borax falls about halfway in between baking soda and washing soda on the pH scale, so it offers similar water softening benefits when used as a laundry booster. One thing that sets borax apart is that can be reluctant to dissolve unless used in hot water, so it may not be the most ideal option for those who prefer to use cool or cold water. Learn more about these 3 laundry and cleaning superstars and how to use them around the house by exploring the related links below. Related • [27 Handy Uses for Borax You Really Ought To Know]( • [Washing Soda: How To Make It And Why It’s So Useful]( • [26 Impressively Useful Things You Can Do With Baking Soda]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Not only can you use cooking spray to remove paint from your skin, but you can do 8 more surprising things with it too. [Read more ➜]( • Traveling with young kids? These practical tips can help you get everyone from point A to point B in one piece. [Read more ➜]( • If there’s an area in your home that’s feeling stale or boring, check out these 9 simple decor tips for instant inspiration. [Read more ➜]( QUIZ CORNER Clogged Sink Culprits Which of these foods is least likely to clog up a kitchen sink drain? Unfortunately, "is least likely to" does not equal "won't," but we can't have everything we want in life. (Scroll down to see the correct answer.) A. Pasta B. Cabbage C. Rice D. Meat scraps E. Eggshells WEEKEND CLEANING CHALLENGE Clean Your Kitchen Cabinet Doors [Photos of baking soda and coconut oil and cleaning cabinet doors.]( Find out how to use 2 simple ingredients to banish grease from your kitchen cabinet doors. With all the searing, sautéing, and frying that I did over the holidays, I’m not surprised by the layer of grease that has formed on my cabinet doors. All of those deliciously rich holiday dishes we love can make a real mess of our cabinets, so I figured we’d all benefit from addressing them as our Weekend Cleaning Challenge. The perfect cleaner for the job is a simple mixture of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part coconut oil. The idea of using oil to clean your kitchen might seem strange, but it really does work. (Remember “like dissolves like” from high school chemistry?) The oil helps lift the oily gunk from the surface while the baking soda absorbs the mess. To use this cleaning combo on your cabinet doors, start by laying down some newspaper to make cleanup easier later. Then use your hand or a rag to apply some of the cleaning mixture to one of your cabinet doors and scrub in small circular motions. The mixture will start to become discolored as it breaks up and absorbs the grime. Once the area is clean, “rinse” it by wiping it down with a damp cloth, then move onto the next section. Continue working your way around the kitchen until all your cabinet doors are clean and grease-free, and you’ll be done before you know it. [See the full tutorial ➜]( SAVE MONEY Scope Out Coupons On Amazon [An image of a laptop computer displaying the Amazon Coupons page.]( Amazon coupons are like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get. As someone who went through a fairly zealous couponing phase several years ago, I know all too well that coupons can be a blessing or a curse. Coupons can save you money, which is obviously a good thing, but if you’re not careful, the allure of getting a good deal can tempt you into buying things you don’t actually need. But as long as you’re honest with yourself about your needs and a decent amount of self-control, using coupons can be a smart and easy way to save money. Digital coupons make saving even easier, and you can find an ever-evolving selection of them available on Amazon. To see available coupons, go to [Amazon.com/Coupons]( in your browser. (Alternatively, open the Amazon app, search “coupon,” then tap the Amazon Coupon banner at the top of the search results.) At the time of writing, I saw coupons available for $3 off Tide detergent, $3 off humidifiers, and even 40% off mattress protectors. Like I said, if you don’t need detergent or a humidifier and buy it anyway because you find a coupon for it, that won't help you save money. But you’re bound to come across a decent coupon for something you do need eventually, so it’s smart to check out Amazon’s coupons regularly. JILLEE'S PICK Help For Those Who Never Know What Day It Is [A photo of the MyGift Wood Desktop Calendar.]( Like many people, I’ve found it more difficult to remember the date or day of the week since the pandemic began. It’s more inconvenient than anything else, but I do find it annoying to have to hunt down my phone just to look up whether it’s actually Friday or not. So when I saw this [MyGift Wood Desktop Calendar]( while perusing Amazon recently, it seemed like it would make a great addition to my desk in my home office. It comes with wooden tiles for the month, date, and day of the week, and every day you simply flip or swap the tiles out to update it. Not only do I like the look of it, but I think that manually switching out the tiles in the morning might help drill the date into my brain and make it easier to remember. And as an added bonus, I wouldn’t have to buy a new one next year, because you can just reset the tiles and start over on January 1. Just thought I’d share this idea with you in case you find yourself never knowing what day it is too—or just in case you’re in the market for some new desk decor. [See the MyGift Wood Desktop Calendar on Amazon ➜]( A FEW MORE THINGS... On This Day: In 1610, Galileo Galilei made his first observation of the four [Galilean moons]( Callisto, Io, and Europa—which he would later determine orbit the planet Jupiter. Though Jupiter has at least 80 moons (and possibly even more), the Galilean moons are by far the largest, which is why Galileo was able to observe them with only the aid of his 17th century telescope. Words Of Wisdom: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." - Ralph Waldo Emerson ANSWER D. According to plumbing experts, small meat scraps aren't usually a problem for garbage disposals. All of the other options are frequently the cause of clogged kitchen sink drains—pasta and rice swell and form blockages, cabbage and other fibrous veggies get tangled in disposal blades, and eggshells just don’t break down very easily. Should you ever need to unclog your own kitchen sink (though hopefully not a clog caused by pasta, rice, cabbage, or eggshells), learn [how to unclog a sink here](. 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