Club Soda Tricks

Give Your Plants Nutrients. If you’re not exactly a plant whisperer, club soda is going to change your life! Instead of using plain ole water, use club soda to quench your houseplants thirst.

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The nutrients in the club soda – sodium citrate, potassium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate, among others – will enrich your plants’ soil and cause them to grow tall and strong. It’s like steroids for your plants, but legal and without the nasty side effects.

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Clean Stained Carpets. If you got a little excited while drinking wine and happened to spill a bit, you don’t have to bear the shame of a scarlet carpet forever! Instead, remove the stain with club soda. As soon as you notice the stain, pour club soda on the area to dilute the red wine.

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Blot the club soda with a paper towel or clean cloth (do not rub). Rinse the club soda with cold water and continue blotting up the stain. If the stain is especially stubborn, sprinkle the area with baking soda, and vacuum.

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Shine Gemstones. You may think your jewelry is clean, but it can probably be a little cleaner! Gemstones lose their sparkle and shine over time, so they probably aren’t nearly as brilliant as they used to be. Soak your diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds in club soda – the carbonation will restore their shine. For best results, let your stones soak in the soda overnight.

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Note: October babies, keep your opals far from this mixture! The same goes for pearls and turquoise – the carbonation will eat away your precious, porous stones!

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Loosen Stuck Nuts And Bolts. If you’ve ever come across a rusty bolt you need to remove, you know it’s no picnic. If you’re fresh out of WD-40, grab a cheap bottle of club soda and pour it liberally over the rusted nut and bolt.

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The carbonation in the water helps bubble the rust away, so it will be loose enough to turn. If you want to actually remove the rust stains, all you need is some table salt and lemon juice.

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Eliminate pet stains. Even potty-trained pets have accidents from time to time. If your four-legged friend has wee-weed on your carpet, fast action with club soda will help reduce the stink and remove the stain.

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Blot up as much of the urine with a dry cloth as possible, and then pour club soda over the spot. Immediately start blotting again. Repeat this a few times, and your pee-stain will disappear!

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Clean Stainless Steel. If you’ve embraced the industrial-kitchen look and have stainless steel countertops, ranges or sinks, pour a bottle of club soda onto your steel surfaces. Let it sit for a minute and then wipe it away with a soft cloth.

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Let it sit for a minute and then wipe it away with a soft cloth. The carbonation will lift dirt and grime and restore the surface’s shine. If the soda leaves streaks on your steel, follow up with a little warm water and then wipe dry.

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De-gunk cast-iron. It’s safe to say that corn bread made in any other pan won’t taste as great, but cleaning your cast iron is not always a fun task.

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To make the process a little easier, boil a small amount of club soda in your cast iron to help remove leftover food particles. It will loosen up the gunk without removing all of your hard-fought seasoning.

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Clean Your Refrigerator. If you’re not careful, your once-white refrigerator interior can turn to a strange shade of brown. If dirt and grime has sneakily found it’s way into the crevices of your fridge, you can wipe away the mess with a mixture of club soda and salt.

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Club soda already contains a good amount of salt (“soda” is short for “sodium”), but this will help add a little more oomph! You want the solution to taste like the ocean before you scrub your fridge with it. Grab a sponge, don your plastic gloves and start scrubbing!

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