Kitchen Tip: The Many Uses for Baking Soda
Baking Soda is such an amazing thing.
There are so many uses for it beyond it’s most common use as a chemical leavener in baked goods.
So I thought I’d that for this week’s kitchen tip I would share share some of my favorite uses for baking soda.
Take my advice and don’t fuss with buying a small box of baking soda next time you’re out.
If available in your area, a 13 lb. bag of baking soda (purchased at my Costco) is much more cost effective.
Thinking “what could I possibly need 13 lbs. of baking soda for?”
Think again!
Baking Soda is a great household product for all sorts of reasons.
My Favorite Uses for Baking Soda (besides in baking)
Deodorizing
Baking soda is great to help get ride of bad smells.
A few of my favorite ways to deodorize with baking soda are:
- For a stinky refrigerator, place a bowl of baking soda on one of the shelves.
- For Trash cans, liberally sprinkle baking soda on top of the smelly trash.
Personal Hygiene
Baking Soda works well as a substitute for several other personal hygiene products.
- For a gentle facial exfoliant, keep a small tupperware of it in your shower for radiant skin.
- Swish and gargle 1 teaspoon with a glass of water to freshen your breath and relieve canker sores.
- Use as a toothpaste substitute. It also helps remove stains and whitens your teeth naturally.
- Relax and enjoy a detox bath using baking soda. Learn How to Take a Detox Bath and try this recipe for Lavender Eucalyptus Green Tea Detox Bath Salts
Laundry Additive
For brighter, fresher clothes, I always add 1/2 cup of baking soda to my laundry.
Adding baking soda to laundry really helps keeps whites looking whiter and brights looking clean and fresh.
It also helps remove grease stains and bad odors from clothing, plus it is a natural fabric softener!
Dirty Dishes
Baking soda helps get the job done when you’re faced with really dirty dishes.
- Sprinkle the broiler pan with heavily with baking soda, then top with a wet paper towel. Let soak for 30 minutes, then clean as usual. This also works well on BBQ grills.
- Sprinkle the bottom of your dishwasher with baking soda and then run as usual to reduce odor build up.
Homemade Baking Powder
Out of baking powder?
Make your own using 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch
From My Friends
I asked a few of my friends what their favorite uses for baking soda were because I knew they’d think of some good ones that weren’t on my list.
Here’s what they had to say:
Shaina: Making volcanoes and soda bottle rockets with the kids. Put it on insect bites. Underarm Deodorant.
Cheryl: Scouring my sink. I also make a paste with vinegar and put it on insect bites.
Kristan: I only like baking soda to bake…I’m so boring. (you are NOT)
Jamie: To absorb carpet spills…for example, if someone spills soda we blot up the area, spray with water, and shake on baking soda. It will lift the stain, once it dries, you simply vacuum it up and rub the area a bit.
What are some of your favorite uses for baking soda?
Wanda says
For your slow drains- pour about a cup of soda down the drain then add about 1/2 cup of salt. Pour boiling water over this! Drain will run clearer and get rid of smells.
Wanda says
The tip for sweet tea is an old family tip that my grandmother taught us to make good old southern tea! While your tea bags( 7 tea bags) are boiling in about 6-cups of water put about 1/4 tsp of soda. Let foam up. To a gallon jug add 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Drain the tea over this and stir well. This dissolves the sugar. Then finish filling the jug up with cold water and stir.
shelly says
When cooking my green veggies, I add a dash or two to the water and then bring to a boil as usual. It helps them stay green.
kiki says
i have a new obsession with baking soda. I mix a few teaspoons of baking soda and a teaspoon of water to form a paste. I then spread it all over my face and it clears my acne in like two uses! its amazing.
alana says
Do you let it sit on your face or do you Rinse it off. Is it like a mask or cleanser?
Liz Figures says
a little with plums or rhubarb or gooseberries makes them a bit less tart.
it will get the stains off non stick but don’t use the pan again if the non-stick too damaged.
if making a mix with it in, put it in as the LAST ingredient so you can put the lid on straight away. once it starts to fizz and bubble cant fit other ingredients in the jar or bottle.
if doing hand washing or cleaning with it wear gloves or limit contact with hands cos it dries out the natural oils that protect the skin.
enjoying all your comments and getting some new ideas xx
Dierdre says
I use it about every two weeks in my shampoo to remove hairspray build up.
Once my dog got into something horrendously smelly. I could not get close enough to wash her until I neutralized the smell. I liberally sprinkled her with baking soda, gave it a hour or so then rinsed her off. After that I was able to abide her smell enough to bathe her.
Susan says
to remove burned on food from a pan, simmer it with water and baking soda. Most of the food will be softened and can be removed easily. I’ve seen some pretty-much-ruined pans cleaned this way.
Put a cup of baking soda down a blocked toilet (empty as much water as possible first) then follow it with a cup of vinegar. It cleans out a lot of gunk
Rachel says
Great list! I love using baking soda for a lot of stuff. It’s really great at cleaning corningware. It easily removes not only food, but also those awful dark lines caused by metal utensils.
We use white vinegar to clean the coffee pot. Just one a generous cup of vinegar and water to fill the pot thru a coffee making cycle. Then when it’s thru “brewing”, put baking soda in your sink drain and pour the hot vinegar solution down the drain. It works a like a charm and no waste!
Sarah says
Oh, I love this post! Thanks for all the great tips.
I use it in my baby’s bath water when he has a sore bottom. It helps sooth the skin and clear up the redness. It also softens the water so you don’t need as much soap in baths and laundry.
ahoova says
I use it for many of the above reasons plus one more that I would like to add.
I bought mini mason jars and i popped holes in the top and filled the jar with baking soda and added a tablespoon of my fabric softener (mixed) and keep it in my clothing cupboard to keep it smelling fresh.
also, using the same mixture, i sprinkle it over my mattress once a season and let it sit for an hour and then vacuum it off (gets rid of dust mites and freshens up the mattress)
Holls says
I use baking soda for anything that i can think of… I keep it in a shaker (like a tall sugar or parm cheese one from a restaurant) and use it for food buikd up in pots and pans, to remove coffee stains, but most importantly for a fruit and veggie cleaner.
Tia says
I use Bi-Carbonate for EVERYTHING.
Especially useful if the little one has an accident in bed for soaking up the wet (after towel sopping), and deodorizing the mattress. Vacuum after 2 hours and then a light spritz of half water/half vinegar to finish the job.
Marcela says
Great idea!
Autumn says
The best tile grout cleaner I have found is to mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, and scrub the grout with the paste and a toothbrush. It is the only thing I have found to get my grout white! And I have tried almost everything!
Gold Party says
Very handy! It’s always great to look for ways to save money and stretch your dollar (or find ways to make some extra money too!).
Cheryl says
I love to put in a a foot tube and soak my feet>