Benefits and Uses for Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is widely used in baking.
This is because it has leavening properties, meaning it causes dough to rise by producing carbon dioxide.
1. Treats heartburn
Heartburn is also known as acid reflux. It is a painful, burning sensation that originates in the upper area of your stomach and can spread to your throat.
It’s caused by acid refluxing from the stomach into the esophagus, the tube that connects your stomach to your mouth.
Some common causes of reflux are overeating, stress, and eating fatty or spicy foods.
Baking soda can help treat heartburn by neutralizing stomach acid. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of cold water and drink the mixture slowly.
2. Mouthwash
Mouthwash is a great addition to your oral hygiene routine. It reaches the corners of your mouth and the crevices of your teeth, gums and tongue, which may be lost during brushing.
Many people use baking soda as an alternative to mouthwash. Some studies have shown that it can help freshen your breath and even provide antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
However, one study found that baking soda mouthwash did not significantly reduce bacteria levels in the mouth, although it did increase salivary pH, which is important for preventing bacterial growth.
Simple baking soda mouthwash recipe. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to ½ cup of warm water, then swish as usual.
3. Soothe canker sores
Canker sores are small, painful sores that can form inside your mouth. Unlike cold sores, canker sores do not form on the lips and are not contagious.
Although more evidence is needed, some research has found that a baking soda mouthwash is useful for relieving pain caused by mouth ulcers.
You can make a baking soda mouthwash using the recipe mentioned in the previous chapter. Rinse your mouth with this mixture once a day until the ulcer has healed.
4. Whitening your teeth
Baking soda is a popular home remedy for teeth whitening.
Several studies have found that toothpaste containing baking soda is better for whitening teeth and removing plaque than toothpaste without baking soda.
This is likely because baking soda has mild abrasive properties that make it break the bonds of the teeth staining molecules. It also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help fight harmful bacteria.
5. Deodorant
Surprisingly, human sweat is odorless.
Sweat does not smell until it is broken down by bacteria in the armpits. These bacteria convert sweat into acidic waste products that give sweat its odor.
Baking soda may eliminate the smell of sweat by making the smells less acidic. Try applying baking soda to your armpits and you might notice a difference
6. May improve exercise performance
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a popular supplement among athletes.
Some studies show that baking soda can help you perform at your peak for longer, especially during anaerobic or high-intensity workouts and sprinting.
During high-intensity exercise, your muscle cells begin to produce lactic acid, which is responsible for the burning sensation you feel during exercise. Lactic acid also lowers the pH inside your cells, which can cause your muscles to fatigue.
Baking soda has a high pH, which may help delay fatigue, allowing you to exercise at your peak for longer.
7. Relieve itchy skin and sunburn
A baking soda bath is often recommended to soothe itchy skin. These baths are a commonly used remedy for itching from insect bites and bee stings.
In addition, baking soda may help soothe the itch caused by a sunburn. Some people claim that it can be more effective when combined with other ingredients such as cornstarch and oatmeal.
To make a baking soda bath, add 1-2 cups of baking soda to a lukewarm bath. Make sure to soak the affected area well.
8. May slow the progression of chronic kidney disease
People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) slowly lose kidney function.
The kidneys are very important because they help remove excess waste and water from the blood. At the same time, it helps balance important minerals like potassium, sodium, and calcium.
A study of 134 adults with chronic kidney disease found that those who took a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplement were 36% less likely to develop the disease rapidly than people who didn’t take the supplement.
Be sure to speak with your doctor before taking baking soda.
9. May improve some cancer treatments
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide.
It’s often treated with chemotherapy that works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. Normally, cancer cells grow and divide at a rapid rate.
Some research shows that baking soda can help chemotherapy drugs work more effectively. Baking soda may make the environment of tumors less acidic, which benefits chemotherapy.
However, the evidence is limited to preliminary indications from animal and cell studies, so more human-based research is needed.
10. Neutralize refrigerator odors
Have you ever opened your refrigerator and found an amazing unpleasant smell?
It’s possible that some of the foods in your refrigerator have outlived their welcome and are starting to spoil. This unpleasant smell may persist long after the refrigerator has been emptied and cleaned thoroughly.
Fortunately, baking soda can help freshen up a smelly refrigerator by neutralizing unpleasant odors. It reacts with scent molecules to get rid of them, rather than just masking their scent.
Fill a cup with baking soda and place it in the back of the refrigerator to neutralize bad odors.
11. Air freshener
Not all commercial air fresheners eliminate bad odors. Alternatively, some simply release fragrance molecules that mask unpleasant odors.
Plus, less than 10% of air fresheners tell you what they contain. This can be a problem if you are sensitive to chemicals that may be found in air fresheners.
Baking soda is an excellent and safe alternative to commercial air fresheners. It interacts with odor molecules and neutralizes them instead of masking them
To make a baking soda air freshener, you will need:
small jar
1/3 cup baking soda
10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils
A piece of cloth or paper
thread or tape
Add baking soda and essential oils to the jar. Cover it with a piece of cloth or paper, and secure it in place with thread. When the smell begins to fade, shake the jar.
12. Might whiten your laundry
Baking soda is an inexpensive way to whiten and clean laundry.
Baking soda is an alkaline substance — a soluble salt — that can help remove dirt and stains. When dissolved in water, an alkaline substance such as baking soda can react with the acids from the stains and help remove them.
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the usual amount of washing powder. It also helps soften the water, which means you may need less detergent than usual.
13. Kitchen Cleaner
The versatility of baking soda makes it a great kitchen cleaner. Not only does it remove tough stains, but it also helps eliminate unpleasant odors
To use baking soda in your kitchen, make a paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of water. Apply the paste to the desired surface with a sponge or rag and scrub well.
Here are some things in the kitchen that you can clean with baking soda:
ovens
stained coffee mugs
colored marble
grease stains
kitchen tiles
drains clogged
dull silver
microwave ovens
14. Eliminate the smell of garbage
Garbage bags often have a foul odor because they contain a variety of decomposing waste products. Unfortunately, this smell can spread to your kitchen and other areas of your home.
Fortunately, baking soda can help get rid of garbage odors. These odors are often acidic, so baking soda can react with the odor molecules and neutralize them.
In fact, scientists have found that smearing baking soda at the bottom of waste containers can help neutralize garbage odor by 70%.
15. Remove stubborn carpet stains
A combination of baking soda and vinegar can remove the most stubborn carpet stains.
When baking soda and vinegar are mixed, they create a compound called carbonic acid, which is a common ingredient in cleaning products. This reaction creates a lot of fizzing, which may help break down tough stains .
Here’s how you can eliminate stubborn carpet stains with just baking soda and vinegar:
Cover the carpet stain with a thin layer of baking soda.
Fill an empty spray bottle with a 1-to-1 mixture of vinegar and water and spray it over the stained area.
Wait up to 1 hour or until the surface dries.
Scrub the baking soda loose with a brush and vacuum the residue.
The stain should now be completely removed. If there’s some baking soda residue left on the carpet, wipe it up with a damp towel.
16. Multipurpose bathroom cleaner
Like kitchens, bathrooms can be difficult to clean. They have a variety of surfaces that are frequently used and thus need to be cleaned often.
While a variety of commercial bathroom cleaners are available, many people prefer a more natural and cost-effective cleaning option. Baking soda comes in handy because it whitens and disinfects many bathroom surfaces, though it’s less effective than commercial cleaners
Here are a few surfaces you can clean with baking soda:
bathroom tiles
toilets
showers
bathtubs
bathroom sinks
Make a paste using baking soda and a bit of water. Using a sponge or a cloth, rub the mixture thoroughly onto the surface you want to clean.
Wipe down the surface 15–20 minutes later with a damp cloth.
17. Clean fruits and veggies
Many people worry about pesticides on foods. Pesticides are used to prevent crops from damage by insects, germs, rodents, and weeds.
Peeling fruit is the best way to remove pesticides. However, it also means you don’t get the important nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, found in the skins of many fruits.
Interestingly, recent research has found that soaking fruits and veggies in a baking soda wash is the most effective way to remove pesticides without peeling them.
One study found that soaking apples in a solution of baking soda and water for 12–15 minutes removed nearly all of the pesticides (45).
Please note that this method doesn’t remove pesticides that have penetrated the skin of the fruit. More research is needed to see if this works for other types of produce.
18. Polish silverware
Baking soda is a handy alternative to commercial silver polishes.
For this you will need:
an aluminum baking pan or baking dish lined with aluminum foil
1 cup of boiling water
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of white vinegar
Add the baking soda to the aluminum baking pan and slowly pour in the vinegar. Next, pour in the boiling water and then place the silver in the baking pan.
Almost immediately, the tarnish should begin to disappear, and you can remove most silverware from the pan within thirty seconds. However, heavily tarnished silverware may need to sit in the mixture for up to 1 minute.
In this mixture, silver undergoes a chemical reaction with the aluminum pan and baking soda. It transfers the tarnish from the silverware onto the aluminum pan or may create pale, yellow residue at the bottom of the pan .
19. Save a scorched pot
Many people have inadvertently scorched the bottom of a pot while cooking.
These can be a nightmare to clean, but you can save a scorched pot easily with baking soda and water.
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the bottom of the pot and add enough water to cover the burnt areas. Bring the mixture to a boil and empty the pan as usual.
If stubborn stains remain, grab a scouring pad, add a small amount of washing liquid, and gently remove the remaining burnt bits.
20. Extinguish oil and grease fires
Interestingly, some fire extinguishers contain baking soda.
These types are known as dry chemical fire extinguishers and used to extinguish oil, grease, and electrical fires. Baking soda reacts with the heat to produce carbon dioxide, which smothers and extinguishes the fire.
As such, baking soda can be used to extinguish small oil and grease fires.
However, don’t expect baking soda to extinguish larger house fires. Larger fires draw in more oxygen and can counter the effects of baking soda.
21. Homemade weed killer
Weeds are pesky plants that can grow in the cracks of your walkways and driveways. They often have deep roots, making them hard to kill without using a chemical weed killer.
Fortunately, you can use baking soda as a cheaper and safer alternative. That’s because baking soda is high in sodium, which creates a harsh environment for weeds.
Sprinkle a few handfuls of baking soda over weeds that are growing in the cracks of your sidewalk, driveways, and other weed-infested areas.