Why all these Products when Baking Soda Works Just Fine?

In today's day and age, there is a specialized product for everything. We have a multitude of products to help us keep our hygiene up and our houses clean which expose use to countless chemicals which are untested by the FDA and are thought to be dangerous to our health. Let me present baking soda, the miracle all-in-one product. Baking soda has the ability to neutralize products that are seen as either acidic or basic. Too add on to the fun, it does not contain harmful chemicals and endocrine disruptors that are harmful to the environment and our health like many hygiene and cleaning products do. Here is a nice post from the Care2 Be Green blog that highlights forty uses.

Here are some uses that I noticed that are particularly easy, useful, and still reduce exposure to chemicals:

2)To Freshen Your Mouth-Many mouthwashes contain alcohols that have lead to a increased risk of oral cancers of 900 percent (according to Australian Universities . This can be replaced by a safer alternative of mixing baking soda in water which kills odors without the increased risk of cancer.

5)Body Deodorant- Many deodorants contain parabens which have been known to mimic estrogen (endocrine disruptor). It is best to avoid as many of these estrogen mimics as possible and baking soda provides a great alternative that neutralizes odors much like its use as a mouth wash.

12-26) Anything in the cleaning section- All these uses simply call for mixing baking soda with water and help to prevent the use of harmful cleaners such as bleach, fabric softeners, etc. which contain a lot of phosphorus which leads to algae blooms and harms wildlife. These cleaners also contain other compounds such as ammonia, triclozan, naphthalene, phenol, sodium nitilotriacetate, and many other chemicals which have been linked to cancers, respiratory and skin irritations, hormone changes, and more.

27-36) Deodorizing off the body-From shoes to carpets and closets, just putting a box of baking soda or dashing it on a surface is enough to help neutralize just about any odor around the house

Baking Soda is versatile and easy to use just about anywhere around the house and even throughout the body. It is green and relatively cheap and reduces your exposure to harmful chemicals that surround us in our everyday lives.

The Green Bike

Two days ago, I was biking along the Capital Crescent Trail from Bethesda to Georgetown when along the way I stopped in at my buddy's workplace, Big Wheel Bikes. There I saw the hybrid electric bike. This new age bike can use battery power or manual pedaling to get from point A to point B. I took it for a spin myself, and found it was quite fun. You would be surprised to find that it has quite the get up as well with no manual input. Its battery has a range of 15-22 miles per charge with top speeds of 20 MPH. The battery can be charged by taking it off the bike and plugging the battery in at home or at work. A basic hybrid bike costs about 1400 dollars. For me, the college kid who is about to enter the real life in a year, my eyes lit up. This is a great alternative to a car which would set be back at least around 10,000 dollars. The up keep costs include a bike tune up about every year or two and charging the battery at home. A car costs approximately .91$ per 10 miles while the electric bike costs .02$ per 10 miles. The bike also does not need insurance or a license and registration to drive. The bike saves thousands of dollars in up front costs, and hundreds if not thousands per year after that in upkeep and costs for fuel. If you live close to work and have bike paths between work and home, the electric bike would provides a great alternative to a car trip. It is fun, saves money on gas, and saves green house gases as well. In all, the bike seems like a great green investment that will have paybacks for years.

Here is a basic hybrid bike which is priced at 1399$ and has all the features listed above. If you are looking for a longer range option with a higher price tag, here is another bike with a range of 35 miles per charge and that can go 20+ MPH that costs 3499. Still, both options are greener than the new electric car at around 1/10th the price and even the most expensive bikes are 1/5th the cost of a new, traditional gas car.