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What to Use if You Run Out of Laundry Detergent

If you’ve got hampers full of clothes to wash and no laundry detergent to wash them with, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you have to walk around in dirty clothes until you get more. In a pinch, add a cup of baking soda or borax to a load of laundry in place of detergent. Your clothes might not come out of the wash as freshly scented as you’re used to, but they will be clean.

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What to Use If You Run Out of Dish Soap

Say you’re all set to tear into a sink full of dirty dishes only to find that someone used the last drops of dish soap. Your first inclination might be to reach for any nearby soap as a substitute. Be careful, though … just because it’s “soap” doesn’t mean you should use it to wash your dishes. Hand soaps and detergents are often made with additives and chemicals that you really don’t want anywhere near your eating utensils. Instead, make a paste out of baking soda and water and wash your dishes with that, rinsing them clean after you’ve scrubbed the grime away.

Baking soda is a fantastic cleaner … sometimes. Here are some things you should never clean with baking soda.