Spring cleaning tip

To eliminate the soot smell from your fireplace after you have cleared the ashes pour baking soda in a pie tin and place it in the fireplace for a couple of days. The soot smell will be absorbed.

Removing scuff marks on shoes

Prepare a paste using 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of water. Using a clean cloth to apply the paste, wipe off the scuff marks. You can also use a gum eraser (found in stationary and art-supply stores).

Toilet tank maintenance

The flush valve and ballcock in the tank receive a lot of wear and tear. To prolong the replacement of these parts, pour ½ of a 1-pound box of baking soda in the tank once a month at bedtime. When you flush the next morning the tank - and bowl too – should be nice and clean. You can also drop a couple of denture cleansing tablets in the tank and flush in one hour.