Baking soda comes in the form of a white powder. Baking soda is so versatile, it can be used in so many ways: cooking, cleaning, gardening and much more!
Baking soda is so practical and effective in so many areas, it’s become an essential product to have around the house. And to top it all off, baking soda is environmentally friendly and inexpensive.
What are the benefits of baking soda, and why and how should you use it? Find out all you need to know about this incredible product in the rest of this article.
What exactly is baking soda?
Baking soda is a white powder with the formula NaHCO3. It’s interesting to note that it can be called by a number of different names, such as :
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium hydrogen carbonate
- Vichy salt
- Sodium hydrogen carbonate
Whatever the name, it’s always the same product, and its advantages are numerous. In addition to being non-toxic and biodegradable, baking soda is edible and can be used as a cosmetic product.
There are three different grades of bicarbonate: technical (household bicarbonate), edible and pharmaceutical. What differentiates these three grades is the product’s purity and granulometry.
For example, extra-fine bicarbonate of soda can be used to make body care products and many cosmetics. Coarse-grained baking soda, on the other hand, is used for household cleaning. Used with a sponge or cloth, it can be used to scrape and scour many surfaces, such as burnt pans.
How do I use baking soda?
Baking soda is an excellent product that can be used in many different ways. It’s a highly versatile product that can be used in five different forms: powder, solution, paste, spray or mix.
Baking soda powder
Baking soda in powder form can be used for a wide variety of purposes:
- In baking, it can be used as a baking powder to make preparations lighter and more easily digestible.
- More generally, in cooking, it can be used to remove acidity, in tomato sauce, for example.
- For home maintenance, it can be used in powder form to scrub surfaces.
- As a deodorizer, since baking soda absorbs unpleasant odors. It can be used in cupboards, refrigerators, bathrooms, etc.
- In cosmetics, to make dry shampoo, for example.
Baking soda in solution
Baking soda dissolves perfectly in water, so it can be used in solution in a thousand and one ways:
- Soaking clothes to sanitize and loosen them before putting them in the washing machine.
- To clean fruit and vegetables more effectively with bicarbonate soaking water.
- Eliminate gas and heartburn by diluting 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water.
- For a relaxing bath or footbath.
- To relieve mouth ulcers and gums.
Baking soda paste
You can create a baking soda paste by mixing 3 parts powder with 1 part water.
This paste is excellent for use as a scouring paste, for example. In particular, it can be used to restore the shine of silverware.
On the skin, in the case of edible bicarbonate, this paste can be used for effective exfoliation.
Spray baking soda
Diluted baking soda in a spray can be used in many ways, including to deodorize textiles. It can also be sprayed onto fabrics to prepare them for deep cleaning.
This way of using baking soda is particularly useful for maintaining and removing unpleasant odors from living-room furniture such as sofas, armchairs and carpets, as well as on pet baskets.
Mixing baking soda
Baking soda can be mixed with other ingredients in a variety of ways. These include the following combinations
- Baking soda + vinegar, to loosen dirt.
- Baking soda + lemon, to sanitize and descale.
- Baking soda + oil, which can have several uses depending on the oil chosen.
- Baking soda + black soap, ideal for floor-to-ceiling household cleaning.
- Etc.
The combinations are numerous and enable you to obtain mixtures with very specific properties depending on the case (anti-scale, descaling, cleansing, anti-perspirant, etc.).
Where can I buy baking soda?
Today, baking soda can be found in a wide range of stores, including :
- chemists
- supermarkets (household and spice departments)
- DIY stores
- On the Internet
- Etc.
In all cases, it’s vital to differentiate between household baking soda and baking soda for food use.
While edible baking soda can be used to make a variety of household preparations, for example, the reverse is not possible. Under no circumstances should household (or technical) bicarbonate be ingested or used in a culinary preparation.
In a nutshell:
An excellent product for your health and your home, you now have no excuse not to use baking soda in your daily routine.
Very inexpensive, it’s a product that’s accessible to all budgets and will always prove very useful throughout the home, from kitchen to bathroom, living room to garden.
