The First Thing You Should Do with a New Bottle of Club Soda
Club soda makes me think of being on an airplane (a wistful thought, these days), where a can of this carbonated water, even if served in a plastic cup, feels fancy. Of course, one can buy club soda at the supermarket and have it any time one pleases — with ice or without, in a real glass, maybe even with a wedge of lemon or lime. This is what I do when I want to sip on something special that isn’t too sugary or alcoholic. It’s the little things, right?
If you were to look in my refrigerator at any given moment, you would probably find a bottle or two of the stuff. If I was feeling splurge-y, I might even pick up a case to stash beneath my sink and keep my fridge stocked.
But maybe club soda doesn’t make you feel fancyish. And that’s okay, because I’d argue you should have some on hand at all times anyway. Besides being delicious, it’s also extremely handy for cleaning up spills. Red wine or spaghetti sauce are the two major offenders for me and, if you act quickly, a few glugs of the stuff will make sure you don’t end up with permanent stains. You can also use club soda to wash windows (and your face) and de-grease dirty pans, among other things.
In short, I urge you to have a bottle of club soda on hand even if you prefer your water still, not sparkling. And once you’re ready to open that bottle (or can), there is one thing you should do before you pour yourself a glass or go to clean up that pet mishap: Water your plants.
Water Your Plants with Club Soda
That’s right: Your plants are fancy! According to a study at the University of Colorado Boulder, plants given club soda grew taller and greener than those given regular water. Club soda contains phosphate and other nutrients that makes plants happy. Just be careful not to drown your plants — or just get one of these plants that are virtually impossible to kill by overwatering.