Ah, baking soda. Not only does it whiten your teeth (warning: it tastes pretty nasty in the process), but there are 10 other helpful uses for this household staple. Try one next time you're tempted to pick up a bottle of harmful, chemical-laden product when you need to clean a spill on your carpet or rid your house of roach infestation.

- Combine baking soda and water into a thick paste, then use it to remove sticky tape residue from windows.

- Keep a box handy in your kitchen. If a small fire breaks out (especially useful for grease fires), sprinkle some on the flames. If a big fire breaks out, please call 911.

- A concoction of equal parts sugar and baking soda are lethal to roaches. Put some in a small bowl or dish and leave out as a treat for the nasty critters.

- If you have a tough-to-remove grease stain on your carpet, sprinkle some on the affected area and let it marinate for an hour. Wipe it gently with a damp sponge or brush and then vacuum to remove any leftover residue.

- If you're worried about the potential of rust, keep an open box of baking soda in your tool cabinet. The baking soda will absorb any moisture, preventing the occurence of rust.

- Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of vinegar down your sinks once a week to clean out the pipes and prevent them from clogging.

- For spotless shower doors free of mildew, pour some baking soda on a sponge, wipe the door and rinse it with warm water.

- Clean the crust from your indoor or outdoor grill by sprinkling some baking soda directly on the grill and letting it sit overnight. Scrub the grill with a wire brush and warm water the following day.

- If your hands are smelling a little funny, pour some baking soda into your palm and work it into your hands with some warm water to remove any odors.

- If you have books that reek of mildew, sprinkle some baking soda in a big Ziploc bag and seal the books in the bag for a couple of weeks to get rid of the old book stink.

» CNN