Deep Thoughts For Today

    It's been quite awhile since I last posted. We have been working on our property since Covid had us at home anyway. A few acres of trees are now down & fencing is going back in. That tornado sure did a number on us, but we are finally starting to see the end of the work after a year.
   The events that are happening now are very upsetting. It's amazing how quickly things have gotten out of hand.
   My take on this, just a redneck Missouri Woman who has seen a bit in her 63 years. George Floyd was no angel & certainly in no way deserves to have his name said in the same sentence as Dr. King. He was a thug. Did he deserve to die like he did, no. Is the officer guilty of murder, probably. Do you show your grief by looting & destroying, good Lord no.
   As a lifelong student of history I can tell you that it is messy, sometimes evil & often very sad, but we learn from the past & go on. We don't erase it or try to. I had family on both sides of the Civil War. My southern family were not slave owners, just poor folks who wanted to be left alone. To them & many other southern families it was about that.
   We cannot forget the Holocaust. Hilter was evil & what he did was beyond cruel. It is another one of the things we move past & learn from. The American Indians did not deserve what happened to them, but again, we learn & move on. How do our children learn if we sugar coat our history. They don't. We want them to learn how to do better & they will not if we destroy history, good, bad or ugly. This is getting out of hand & needs to stop.
   As a parent of a 10 year old I will do everything in my power to teach her about every historical event that I know or learn about. She will use that information to go out in the world & hopefully become a caring & understanding member of our planet. All children should get that chance.

It's Been A Long Winter

   It's been a really long winter for me this year. I came down sick with the flu as soon as I returned from Savannah in Oct & could not shake it. By Dec I had pneumonia that about did me in. I am still not 100%, but  I am finally back among the living. I got both the flu & pneumonia shots & have never been sicker in my life.
   We are still waiting on getting our property cleaned up from the tornado that hit us last April. Our neighbors are also working slow. Two houses have been torn down, one being rebuilt, two, as well as ours repaired & one eyesore still partly standing that we have no idea when it will be torn down. A couple of our acres are destroyed with trees either down or close to it. There is still tin & assorted debris hanging from them. It is overwhelming. With so much to do we are at the mercy of people who do this sort of work. The waiting is driving us crazy. We need to get this done before spring when it gets so thick that it's impossible to get it done. Jim & I did cut & stack some last week for firewood, but then got the truck stuck in the yard & had to pull it out with the tractor. We're in slushy season. Just enough snow & rain to make everywhere muddy.
   One thing I have been doing the last couple of weeks is getting my medical supplies in order. I have plastic containers for each category, wound care, cough/cold, daily use, stomach, ect., all within reach & easily found. Hopefully, if one of us needs something we will be able to grab whatever bucket is needed & be able to take care of most situations.

Uses For 55 Gal. Barrel's

40 Uses For a 55 Gallon Barrel

After the popularity of our previous article sharing some of the most useful and creative ideas for upcycling a 5 gallon plastic bucket in your home and garden, we’ve now turned our attention to the underrated 55 gallon barrel.

Whether we are talking about a 55 gallon metal drum, or a plastic 55 gallon barrel, these are useful items that have a myriad of uses around your garden and homestead.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 40 of the best options out there for repurposing something that might otherwise be thrown away.

Finding new uses for a 55 gallon barrel is one wonderful way to move closer to a truly eco-friendly and sustainable way of life.

Read on to gain inspiration for your garden, for livestock, for your home, and for other things around your homestead.

Where To Find 55 Gallon Barrels & Drums

In order to make your garden and home as sustainable as possible, it is often best to try to source second hand 55 gallon barrels/drums, rather than buying them new. But where can you source such items?

Sourcing Free/Cheap 55 Gallon Barrels/ Drums

The first place to look is online. 55 gallon barrels and drums are often offered for free on sharing/ recycling sites such as:

• Freecycle
• Freegle
• Freeworlder

You can also source used barrels/drums (sometimes for free, often for a small price) on:

• Craiglist
• Gumtree
• Ebay

It is also worthwhile asking around companies in your local area, to see whether they have any old 55 gallon barrels or drums that they might give away or sell to you. You could try approaching:

• Landfill sites/ junk yards.
• Car washes.
• Beverage manufacturers.
• Garages/ mechanics.
• Waste collection companies.
• Hardware stores.
• Logistics companies.

If you see old 55 gallon barrels/drums lying around, it never hurts to ask politely. Sometimes, you might be doing someone a favour by taking these off their hands.

See old barrels or drums on a neighbor’s land? It might not hurt to ask them whether you can use them.

Of course, second hand 55 gallon barrels and drums may not be in the best condition. You may need to clean them up and they may be dented or, in the case of metal drums, rusted in places. Whether or not they will be suitable will depend on what you plan to use them for.

Bear in mind that you will need to know what they have been used for, and should never use barrels or drums that have been used for hazardous materials around food production.

Sourcing Reconditioned/ New 55 Gallon Barrels & Drums

If you struggle to find a reclaimed barrel or drum, you could also consider buying one from a local Home Depot, or another hardware store. Online sellers on eBay, Amazon.com, and through a range of online commerce sites, sell 55 gallon drums and barrels.

Here’s an Amazon listing selling used/reconditioned 55 gallon barrels that have previously stored soda or fruit juice. They have been triple washed.

Uses for 55 Gallon Barrels in the Garden

Let’s begin by looking at some cool ways to use 55 gallon drums and barrels in your garden.

For example, you might use one:

1. For Rainwater Harvesting

One of the simplest and most obvious ways to make use of a 55 gallon plastic barrel is to collect and store the rainwater that falls on the roof of your home, or on the roofs of other buildings around your homestead.

Harvesting rainwater is an essential ingredient of sustainable gardening, and sourcing 55 gallon barrels for your project could significantly reduce the cost of setting up the collection system.

Rainwater Harvesting @ www.commonsensehome.com

2. For Greenhouse Heat Storage (Thermal Mass)

Collecting rainwater in 55 gallon barrels will not only provide fresh water for you to use in growing your own food. The water you store can also serve a secondary purpose.

The collected water will catch and store heat from the sun, and release it slowly over time. Water’s thermal mass means that it can be excellent for heat storage in a greenhouse or other an under cover growing area. It will help keep the space at a more constant temperature over time.

Water barrels in a solar greenhouse @ www.ceresgs.com

3. For Various Forms of Composting

There are also a wide variety of different ways in which you could use a 55 gallon barrel to create compost – a valuable material to start seeds, grow seedlings, fill containers and planters and maintain fertility in your growing areas.

You could simply cut off the base of a 55 gallon barrel and use it as a compost bin, to keep your composting materials neat and tidy.

However, you could also use a barrel of this size effectively to create a more sophisticated composting system.

For example, you could turn one on its side, fit it on a frame, and use it to create a large compost tumbler to speed up the composting process. You could also use one to create a wormery, or to create a hot composting bin for weeds, meat, dairy or even humanure systems.

4. As a 55 Gallon Barrel Planter/ Raised Bed

Image Credit: RushFan @ Instructables.

Cut a plastic 55 gallon barrel in half lengthways and you can use it to create a couple of raised planters for your garden. These can be placed on wooden frames to raise them off the ground to make gardening more accessible for elderly gardeners or those with limited mobility.

It could also be a good idea for creating a garden where the ground below is unsuitable for planting.

Raised Planter Stand @ www.instructables.com

You could also simply use a barrel as a stand-alone planter in your garden, perhaps disguising its appearance by cladding the sides with wood, or another more visually appealing material.

5. As a 55 Gallon Barrel Vertical Garden

Another great way to use a 55 gallon barrel to make the most of all the space available in your garden is to use one to create a vertical garden.

To make a barrel vertical garden you can simply create some holes in the sides of the barrel, line it with hessian or other sacking material, fill it with your growing medium and then plant it up with salad greens, strawberries or other plants.

Barrel Vertical Garden @ www.greenbeanconnection.wordpress.com

6. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Hydroponic System

You could also use 55 gallon barrel or barrels as part of a hydroponic system, to grow plants in water rather than in soil.

Plastic 55 gallon barrels can make perfect grow beds for a hydroponic system when cut in half and plumbed into a hydroponic system.

7. As Part of an Aquaponics System

You could also consider going one step further and turning your hydroponic system into an aquaponic one – raising fish as well as growing plants.

There are a number of different ways to incorporate 55 gallon barrels in an aquaponics system – as planting beds and as fish holding tanks.

Barrelponics: Getting started with aquaponics @ www.instructables.com

(Note, if you plan on using a 55 gallon barrel in food growing systems, it is very important that you use only food-grade containers and not any that have been used to contain any hazardous materials.)

8. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Cold Store/ Root Cellar

In addition to using a 55 gallon barrel in food producing systems, you could also consider using one to create a place to store some of the food that you growe.

A 55 gallon barrel can be used to make a small underground cold store or root cellar.

55 Gallon root cellar @ www.homesteadinghub.com

9. As a Retaining Wall for a Sloping Site or Sunken Greenhouse

A sloping site can be challenging.

One way to turn a steep slope into a valuable part of your homestead is to create terraces. 55 gallon barrels filled with soil can be used as affordable retaining walls for steep slopes.

On a south facing slope (in the northern hemisphere) you could also consider creating an earth sheltered greenhouse using heat-storing earth filled barrels to form the north wall.

You could also consider, on many different sites, digging down to create a sunken greenhouse, using barrels to form some or all of the sides of the underground part of the structure.

10. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Charcoal Retort

Metal 55 gallon barrels or drums have just as many uses as plastic ones, if not more.

One interesting use for these reclaimed items is to make a charcoal retort, so you can make your own charcoal using wood from your property. The charcoal you make could be used for summer barbecues, or turned into biochar to fertilize your growing areas.

55 Gallon drum charcoal retort @ www.charcoalkiln.com

11. To Make an Outdoors Water Heater

You could also consider using a 55 gallon metal drum as an outdoor boiler or water heater.

This is a simple, off-grid solution that could be used to provide warm water for an outdoors shower, for a greenhouse piped water heating system, or for a range of other uses.

In addition to creating a wood-fired hot water heater, you could also consider using a plastic barrel to store water heated by solar energy.

12. To Make a Wood-Fired Hot Tub

For ultimate fun and relaxation, a wood fired hot tub could be the perfect low-key way to unwind after a long day on your homestead.

A 55 gallon metal barrel or drum can be used in the creation of this luxury item on a surprisingly small budget.

Wood fired hot tub @ www.instructables.com

13. For Garden Barbecues/ Grills

Another way to relax and unwind in your garden is, of course, by cooking up your home grown produce outside and enjoying a meal with family or friends.

Metal 55 gallon barrels can be used to make a home-made barbecue or grill.

55 Gallon drum barbecue @ www.lifehacker.com

14. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Smoker

Another outdoors food preparation device that you could consider making with a 55 gallon drum is a smoker.

A DIY smoker could be perfect for preparing a wide range of foods, and when you use reclaimed materials, you can make one for surprisingly little money.

No weld 55 gallon drum smoker @ www.instructables.com

15. To Make an Outdoor 55 Gallon Barrel Pizza Oven

A metal 55 gallon barrel could also allow you to make another cool item for outdoors cooking – a pizza oven.

This is a cool project that could allow you and your family and friends to expand your outdoors cooking repertoire.

16. To Make a Solar Oven

You might also be able to use a 55 gallon barrel to make a solar oven, to cook food outside without needing any fuel at all other than sunlight.

There are a range of different ways in which you might be able to incorporate all or half a barrel to make a stand or container for a reflector solar oven for your off grid outside kitchen.

How To Construct A Heavy Duty Solar Oven @ Wikihow.com

17. To Make a Garden Water Feature

Fifty-five gallon barrels may not initially be very visually appealing, but with a little work they can be turned into a number of attractive garden features.

For example, you could use one to make a garden water feature. There are plenty of inventive examples online, one example of which can be found at the link below.

Barrel water sluice feature @ www.pinterest.com

18. To Make a Garden Bench Seat

Another attractive feature that you could consider making for your garden from a 55 gallon barrel is a bench seat. By cutting off the top front quadrant of the barrel and affixing wooden slats, you can make an appealing feature for a garden seating area.

Garden bench seat @ www.pinterest.com

19. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Wheelbarrow

One final thing that you could consider making with a 55 gallon barrel that could come in handy around your garden is a wheelbarrow.

This could be useful for moving things around on your homestead.

Why buy a wheelbarrow when you can make one yourself using reclaimed materials?

Made-it-myself wheelbarrow @ www.farmshow.com

Livestock Related Uses for a 55 Gallon Barrel

When it comes to raising animals, a 55 gallon barrel can come in handy in that arena too.

Livestock related uses for a 55 gallon barrel might include:

20. To Make Animal Feed / Water Troughs

Barrels or drums simply cut in half can be perfect for using as animal feed or water troughs and could be a low-cost solution for feeding and watering your livestock.

As when using barrels for food-related projects for yourself and your family, it is important if using barrels around animals not to use any that have contained hazardous materials.

21. To Make a Secure 55 Gallon Barrel Pig Feeder

Taking care of pigs can be a whole lot easier if you do not have to go into the enclosure to feed them.

A 55 gallon barrel pig feeder could be the perfect solution to this problem, making caring for your greedy oinkers a whole lot easier.

55 Gallon barrel pig feeder @ www.IAmCountryside.com

22. To Store Bulk Foods/ Grain/ Animal Feed Securely

Fifty-five gallon barrels might also be handy not only to deliver feed to your livestock but also to store the feed you buy or create for them securely.

For example, you might use a 55 gallon barrel to store your home-made chicken feed.

23. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Bee Hive

Image Credit: foodplotsurvival @ Instructables.

A more unusual use for 55 gallon barrels is to make a bee hive.

This might not be the most obvious way to make hives for home honey producers. But it could be an interesting low cost option, and another intriguing way to make use of things that you might already have lying around.

55 gallon top bar barrel bee hive @ www.instructables.com

24. To Make Chicken Housing

Another more usual way to make use of 55 gallon barrels is to repurpose them to make some custom chicken housing.

Making a coop from recycled barrels could be a low cost alternative to easy-to-clean plastic chicken coops that are on the market.

Barrel chicken coop @ www.lowimpact.org

Uses for a 55 Gallon Barrel in the Home

Of course, there are also a wide range of ways to use a 55 gallon barrel in your home.

Some ideas for metal and plastic containers of this size might include:

25. To Make an Inexpensive Wood Stove

One of the most impressive ways to make use of a 55 gallon metal drum is to use it to create an inexpensive wood stove, or super-efficient rocket mass stove.

There are a number of different plans available online to help you to make a stove to heat your off grid abode.

Rocket mass stove @ www.insteading.com

26. To Make a Small Septic System

Another intriguing low-cost solution for an off grid or sustainable home involves using 55 gallon barrels to make the tanks for a small septic system. The barrels are used to create both the holding and digesting tanks.

Small septic system @ www.wikihow.com

27. As Part of a Humanure System

As mentioned above, 55 gallon barrels can be ideal for a wide range of different forms of composting, and could be used to deal even with materials that are not ordinarily placed in the compost heap or bin.

In a sustainable waste management system, you might not even have flushing toilets at all. Instead, you might have simple composting toilets, and develop a humanure system.

55 gallon barrels could be ideal for managing your humanure and moving even closer to a zero waste lifestyle.

28. As Part of a Gray Water System

If you want to be as water-wise and sustainable as possible, gray water waste from sinks, baths and showers could be channelled into a gray water system and fed into growing areas or reed beds.

55 gallon barrels could be ideal for use as holding tanks in such a system, or as dry wells that allow the gray water to sink away harmlessly below ground level.

Gray water dry well @ www.hunker.com

29. As an Emergency Water Storage Solution

It pays to be prepared for the worst, even if you expect the best.

In our modern world, there are plenty of things that can go wrong.

55 gallon barrels can be ideal for storing water for emergencies, as long as they are kept in a suitable and secure location.

As well as being useful in a range of practical applications around your home, 55 gallon barrels can also be used to make a wide range of furniture that will make your home look great. Some of the best 55 gallon barrel furniture ideas are included below:

30. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Table

A metal 55 gallon barrel can make a great central support for a large round dining table. Affixing a large wooden circular top to the table, and perhaps some stabilizing wooden feet around the base of the barrel, you can make a practical and attractive dining table to seat the whole family.

55 gallon barrel table @ www.pinterest.com

31. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Chairs & Sofas

You can also use a 55 gallon barrel to make a comfortable and attractive chair or sofa for your home. You could upholster your chair or sofa in a range of different ways, so this idea could be adapted to suit almost any home and practically any interior design scheme.

55 Gallon living room furniture @ www.homecrux.com

32. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Desk

Two 55 gallon drums can be used to make the base of an attractive desk, with plenty of work space and storage. This idea could be perfect for those who work from home – and could be the crowning glory for a home office.

55 gallon barrel desk @ www.pinterest.com

33. To Make a Bathroom Vanity Unit

Another attractive way to make use of a 55 gallon drum is to turn it into a bathroom vanity unit. You could finish off your vanity unit in a range of different ways, so no one would ever be able to tell that it was made using something that might otherwise have been thrown away.

Bathroom vanity unit @ www.pinterest.com

34. To Make a 55 Gallon Barrel Cabinet

One final furniture idea is to turn a 55 gallon barrel into a simple storage cabinet. If you always feel like you need more storage space then this low-cost idea could prove the perfect solution for your clutter woes.

55 gallon barrel cabinet @ www.makezine.com

Other Uses for a 55 Gallon Barrel Around Your Homestead

If all of the cool ideas outlined above are not enough, here are a few more miscellaneous ideas for using a 55 gallon barrel around your homestead:

35. To Make/ Store Your Own Biodiesel

Fifty five gallon barrels can be handy for the various stages of the process of making your own biodiesel to use in your vehicles.

They can be used to collect used vegetable oil from restaurants and transport it back to your home, and to store the biodiesel that you make.

Start making your own fuel @ www.utahbiodieselsupply.com

36. To Create a 55 Gallon Barrel Bunker/ Secure Area

Earth filled 55 gallon barrels could also be used by security conscious preppers to create a bunker or secure area on a homestead. The thick walls these create could offer a high level of protection from whatever the future may bring.

37. To Make a Raft/ Floating Home/ Floating Garden

Either for fun, or for practical use, you can also use plastic 55 gallon barrels to provide floatation for rafts, floating homes or floating gardens.

Firmly tying these empty containers together can provide a surprisingly high level of buoyancy for a range of water crafts and water-top structures.

55 gallon barrel raft @ www.ourpastimes.com

38. To Create a Place to Store Bikes

An old metal drum cut in half, and with slits cut into it can make a bike rack big enough to house five bikes or even more. This could be a great storage solution for a family and could help you to avoid having bicycles lying abandoned all over the place.

55 gallon drum bike rack @ www.pinterest.com

39. To Make a DIY 55 Gallon Barrel Snow Plow

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow over the winter months, you could also consider repurposing an old 55 gallon barrel to make a DIY snow plow. This could be a low-cost option for those times when you get snowed in.

40. To Make Toys / Play Equipment for Kids

There are also a range of ways to repurpose plastic 55 gallon barrels into toys for your kids.

For example, you could make wheel along trailers, a little car, or even a ride along train from half barrels.

You could also make a tunnel for a play area, or a tunnel slide. There are plenty of ways to use 55 gallon barrels to entertain the kids.

The Final Word

The forty ideas above are just some of many inspiring ideas for using a 55 gallon barrel.

When you use your imagination, this is just one more thing that is often thrown away that could instead be put to a range of amazing uses around your homestead.

Back To Old School

After getting back from my trip to Savannah, Ga. with my BFF Louise last month and editing almost 500 pictures that I took with my digital & on my phone I got an idea to

get out my old 35mm camera that I used 35 years ago. I ordered a roll of B/W film & hopefully I can get some sharp winter pictures. I do love the ease of digital but sometimes it's good to do photography the way I learned it many years ago so I'm going back to old school for awhile.

• Medical Uses For Baking Soda

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  Some folks in the preparedness community consider themselves ready for any disaster if they have some food, water, and a means of personal defense. Being prepared, however, is more than that. You have to be able to treat medical issues. And not just that: Attention to hygiene is equally important in preventing some of those issues.

  Those concerned about a long-term event should know that the expenditure of various supplies over time will be a major problem. What will you do when you run out of one item or another? You have to find substitutes that can serve double (and triple) duty. The more versatile the item, the more useful it is to store.

  
  
  

  

  Arm & Hammer baking soda was not named for oil tycoon Armand Hammer, although he eventually bought the company!

  Baking soda is one item you should have in quantity. Yes, baking soda. Many years ago, one of our readers wrote an excellent article on baking soda in survival settings. He opened our eyes to its many uses.

  WHAT IS BAKING SODA?

  Baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda) is a popular and inexpensive household product. You can actually mine deposits of it if you live in parts of California, Colorado, and Mexico (as well as Botswana). It has been historically used as a leavening agent for baking bread and does a fine job absorbing odors in your refrigerator.

  Baking soda is not the same as baking powder. Baking powder contains baking soda, but it also contains an acidifying agent and starch.  Both produce carbon dioxide which causes baked goods to rise and, indeed, you can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (usually, you’ll need three times more baking powder), but you can’t use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder.

  MEDICAL USES FOR BAKING SODA

  Are there medical uses for baking soda? The answer is yes. So many, in fact, that you might want some around even in normal times.

  
  
  

  

  You can treat insect bites and itchy skin with it. Some find it effective for poison ivy. Make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply like a balm onto the irritated area. You could shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it onto wet skin.

  Baking soda can help unblock nasal congestion by adding a teaspoon to some hot water and inhaling the vapors.

  
  
  

  

  For those who suffer from acid reflux (heartburn), eventually the Tums and Rolaids will run out. Baking soda was what they used before these products came into being.  Just add a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water after meals.

  Recent medical studies, including one published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggest that sodium bicarbonate tablets may help slow progression in those with chronic kidney disease. The researchers concluded, “This study demonstrates that bicarbonate supplementation slows the rate of progression of renal failure to ESRD and improves nutritional status among patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).”

  Baking soda has mild antiseptic and drying properties, and helps keep a wound clean. When a wound is healing, repeated cleaning of the area can result in dry skin and a hard, itchy scab. Baking soda can help soften and remove the scab once the wound is no longer painful or draining. One treatment regimen uses 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda with a half cup of water. Leave the paste on the wound for 15 minutes and then rinse thoroughly (be aware that it might burn a little).

  You’re not medically prepared until you’re dentally prepared. In long-term events, the family medic will have to deal with a number of dental problems that crop up. Baking soda can be a replacement for toothpaste. Add a little 3% hydrogen peroxide to it and use it as a rinse for bad breath.

  
  
  

  

  Adding baking soda to boots keeps your feet drier, less smelly, and help prevent blisters. A little in the right places can prevent general chafing or body odor.

  Off the grid, you might run out of things like disposable diapers. You’ll be using cloth diapers like your ancestors. A little baking soda in a diaper might prevent diaper rash. If the baby already has diaper rash, a couple of tablespoons in the bath water can decrease the irritation.

  
  
  

  

  Speaking of children, your four-legged children (and you) might benefit from some baking soda to deodorize pet bedding and cat boxes. Cover the bottom of litter boxes with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. Eliminate odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling some baking soda and wait 15 minutes. Take the bed outside and beat it like you would a rug.

  You can also bathe pets using baking soda. It’s good for getting rid of that wet dog smell. Taking it to extremes, it can help after your less-than-friendly encounter with that skunk that lives in the woodpile.

  
  
  

  

  Bad hygiene, bad health

  That last one addresses hygiene more than health, but they are intertwined. If you don’t have good hygiene, you eventually won’t have good health. Baking soda can be used to scrub down kitchen counters, wash clothes, and even cleaning out a car you had to sleep in for a week while bugging out.

  Before you head in for lunch after digging a latrine at your new retreat, you can use some baking soda as a hand cleaner. It will gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on your hands.

  OTHER USES FOR BAKING SODA

  As a general cleaner, baking soda can be used for just about everything from cookware to silver. For stubborn stains on fabric, try soaking overnight with baking soda solution or scrubbing with baking soda on a damp sponge.

  After using sponges for a while, they can begin to smell like mildew. To clean your sponges, mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water.

  Going even further afield, baking soda can be used on septic tanks, drain pipes, and can even neutralize battery acid corrosion in cars and generators (disconnect battery terminals while cleaning).

  Baking soda can also discourage bugs like ants and roaches; some people use it to keep snails from eating their plants and some say it works to stop rabbits from coming around.

  You can extinguish minor grease and electrical fires with baking soda. When baking soda is heated, it gives off carbon dioxide, which helps to smother the flames. For small cooking fires (frying pans, broilers, ovens, grills), throw handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flame.

  
  
  

  

  Fresh baking soda and vinegar fizzes

  How can you tell if your baking soda is still fresh enough to use? Simple, just take a bowl with some baking soda in it and pour some apple cider vinegar on it. If it’s good, it’ll start fizzing like crazy. Use a large bowl.

  It’s important to know that survival is not always about guns, ammo and tourniquets. Our ancestors used what they had to live full lives and you might have to go back to the basics one day in times of trouble. Baking soda might just be handy.

  Joe Alton MD
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