The Wonders of Baking Soda

The Wonders of Baking Soda

Ode by a Mother to Baking Soda

How do I use thee?

I can’t count the ways …

You scrub my tub, presoak my clothes

Freshen my fridge, won’t scratch stoves

Eat odors in sneakers and diaper pails

Soothe bites and burns to stop kid’s wails.

All of this without harming our earth,

You give far more than my money’s worth.

                                        Jane Foster, Picton, Ontario, Canada

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Most everyone is familiar with keeping a box of baking soda in the fridge to keep it fresh or as a leavening agent when cooking. But there is a multitude of other uses that you may not be familiar with that we thought we’d share with you. As you’ll quickly see, baking soda is kind of the Swiss army of knife of household products.

Just a few of many uses of Baking Soda:

1.       Keep a container of baking soda near your stove in case of a grease or electrical fire.    Also keep it in your garage as well as in your car to put out a fire. It won't damage anything it touches.

2.       Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery and rugs.

3.      Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rinse the produce.

4.       Wash garbage cans with baking soda.

5.       Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.

6.       Oil and grease -- stained clothing washes out better with baking soda added to the washing water.

7.       Clean your fridge and freezer with dry baking soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. Rinse with clear water.

8.       Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odors. Stir and turn over the baking soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months.

9.       Always add 1/2-cup baking soda to your washing machine load.

10.  Clean combs and brushes in a baking soda solution.

11.  Wash food and drink containers with baking soda and water.

12.  Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3-tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse.

13.  Clean Formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.

14.  Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with baking soda and water to get rid of stale smells.

15.  To remove stubborn stains from marble, Formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of baking soda and water.

16.  Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a baking soda solution (3-tablespoons soda to 1 quart water).

17.  Run your coffee maker through its cycle with a baking soda solution. Rinse.

18.  Sprinkle baking soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.

19.  Sprinkle baking soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.

20.  Polish silverware with dry baking soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.

21.  For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tablespoons baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.

22.  Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some baking soda on the bottom.

23.  To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in baking soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.

24.  Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry baking soda to shine it up. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain.

25.  Clean plastic, porcelain and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.

26.  Clean your bathroom with dry baking soda on a moist sponge -- sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc.

27.  Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.

28.  Soak your shower curtains in water and baking soda to clean them.

29.  To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with baking soda, then rinse.

30.  Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.

31.  Sprinkle baking soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor.

32.  Apply baking soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.

33.  Take a baking soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.

34.  Take 1/2-teaspoon of baking soda in one-half glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.

35.   To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.

36.  Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.

37.  Bee sting: use a poultice of baking soda and water.

38.  Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.

39.  Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch.

40.  Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.

41.  Add baking soda to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.

42.  Add baking soda to water to remove the "gamey" taste from wild game.

43.  Use baking soda to sweeten sour dishcloths.

44.  Use baking soda dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

45.  To eliminate dog odors or just freshen up the air, sprinkle baking soda on your carpet where your dog lies and vacuum up. Leave the soda on the carpet for half an hour. It also eliminates odor in your vacuum after it has been vacuumed up. A great way to freshen up your home air during the winter when everything is closed up.

46.  Baking soda rubbed onto a dampened blood stain can help lift the stain from the fabric.

47.  Fruit and wine stains need to be treated immediately with baking soda, but if you're in a hurry, pour a little baking soda on the stain, and then later run hot water through the back of the stain. Works great on table linens.

48.  Baking soda works great on removing ring around the collar. Rub a paste of 6 Tablespoons of baking soda and 1/2 cup of warm water onto stained clothing before laundering. Be sure to check for colorfastness first.