The manosphere/neomasculinity/whatever is many things, most of which are pretty self explicatory from the names. However, a notable sub-facet of this new philosophy is, ironically, something that it shares with those who are politically left of center:
Namely, the rejection of mainstream corporate culture and products. Now granted, our rejection of corporations is slightly different from the average leftist (because we know that the overwhelming majority of corporations are in favor of leftist political dogma, combined with our knowledge that a man doesn’t need a huge amount of stuff to live a satisfying lifestyle), but the end result is the same.
And with the rejection of corporate products, the seeking of alternative methods to get those same results seems to go hand in hand. Of course, I’m not advocating alternative medicines or other nonsense that won’t do much for you other than send you to an early grave, and most neomasculine writers will do nothing of the sort either.
Instead, our advocacy of alternatives is more along the lines of “cheap and easy alternatives to everyday household products, to save money and ‘starve the beast’ (ie: take money out of the exorbitantly wealthy hands of corporate CEOs)”.
And I, and many other writers in this sphere, feel that one of the cheapest and most effective alternative products for a wide variety of your daily needs is none other than the humble box of baking soda.
What?
Yes, baking soda. Sodium Bicarbonate. Arm and Hammer. By far one of the most useful compounds you can use in your daily life, and it’s just laying around your house.
“What can it be used for?” you might find yourself asking. Speaking as somebody whose one attempt at baking didn’t go so hot, I still manage to use it on an almost daily basis. The predominant use that I find for it is as an antiperspirant/deodorant. It is, bar none, the best deodorant I’ve ever used: it doesn’t leave stains, it wicks up sweat, and it barely has an odor of its own.
Just wet your armpits slightly (the state of them when you first get out of the shower is sufficient, or if not just run two fingertips under water and then moisten your underarms), then tip out some baking soda from the box into your hand, around the size of a silver dollar.
From there, just powder your armpit, and then repeat on the other side. Not only is this cheap and effective (most commercial deodorants already use baking soda as an active ingredient), it lasts long too: I find that it lasts a full 24 hours before it needs another application.
More Uses
But keeping your pits free of stank is just one of the many, many things that baking soda can do for you. Another use I find for it is somewhat related to its antiperspirant uses: namely, that it is bar none the most effective method of getting liquids, stains, and liquid stains out of fabric.
To cite one example, my roommate has a pet rabbit, and he decided to mark our new couch as his territory with a hearty flow of urine. The urine was sopped up, and the stain was completely covered with a layer of baking soda. We let it sit for 12 hours, and then vacuumed it up—pretty soon, there was no hint that a rabbit had ever pissed on it!
More? A teaspoon of baking soda, mixed with water, can be used as a mouthwash. A small amount of it added to toothpaste can be used to whiten teeth. It’s an antacid that reduces heartburn. It gets paint off of brushes. It can relieve mild skin irritations, burns, and insect bites.
It is likely one of the best household cleaners you can use (just sprinkle it dry onto bathroom fixtures or tile and then wipe with a damp cloth), it cleans silver, it unclogs drains, it can even be used as an insect repellent!
Simply put, that box of baking soda you have laying in the back of your kitchen cabinet is one of the most useful things you own. If you want to save money and thumb the eye of Corporate America, you have no reason to not use baking soda.