Baking soda is essential in each of our households, but more in the kitchen. But if you get into it, it has a whole other world of uses that the average person knows a little about but not everything. There are many baking soda uses in the kitchen; for cleaning, for your skin, and even your hair, which you probably do not know about.
Researching about this topic has made me realize what a wonder baking soda is and how it is being pushed under the rug and ignored. My mom and Nanimaa used to often tell me to use baking soda here and there, mom still does, but I never really paid attention to it, but now that I have, I can see that baking soda usage is everywhere.
History of Baking Soda Usage:
In ancient olden days, Baking soda was used by Egyptians as a cleanser as well as to preserve mummies. Ancient Egyptians also used it to paint their hieroglyphics on the walls. Later, Alfred Bird discovered the leavening and rising properties of baking soda in bread and baked goods as a replacement of yeast, to which his wife was allergic. As of now, it is readily available, and a lot of people have replaced their chemical products for cleaning with baking soda as people go towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle.
What is Baking Soda?
Baking Soda is an acid salt of sodium and carbonate called sodium bicarbonate. It has other names like bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda. It is a crystalline white solid which tastes a little salty. It should not be confused with baking powder, which usually consists of 30% sodium bicarbonate along with other acidic salts like calcium biphosphate and sodium aluminum phosphate. It is alkaline, and the other acidic compounds make the metallic taste go away when the chemical reaction takes place, and sodium carbonate is formed. There are important uses of baking soda in cooking, pest control, skincare, pyrotechnics, disinfectants, fire extinguishers, medical and health areas like personal hygiene and cleaning.
Is Baking Soda Good for Health?
Uses of Baking Soda in Food:
2. It is also used as a leavening agent in pakoras, idlis, and dosa batters in Indian Cuisine.
3. You can make scones and puffed pastries with baking soda.
4. The best thing about cooking with baking soda is that you need 1/3rd of the amount of baking powder you would have needed. But you need to combat the metallic taste by adding more acidic ingredients.
Uses of Baking Soda in the Kitchen:
1. Mix it with some warm water and add your dishwashing liquid to make it even more potent, and remove the grease stains.
2. Mix Baking Soda with hot water and soak your burnt pots and pans in the mixture to restore them to their original shiny state.
3. You can also use the hot water and baking soda mixture on the stove to remove stubborn burnt bits.
4. It works well in odor removal. You can put a packet in the fridge to absorb the various smells, or you could clean the knives and cutting boards or mixers to remove fragrance or smells from these utensils. Also, wash your hands with it to remove the smell of spices, meat, or garlic.
5. You can refresh your dishcloth and sponges by using baking soda and warm water and soaking them in the mix.
6. Clean your oven with baking soda. We forget to clean the oven a lot as it is a less used appliance in the average kitchen. But cleaning and getting the grime out is important and baking soda is a healthy, natural, and potent cleaning agent that will get everything out.
7. You can use baking soda paste to remove coffee and tea stains from cups.
8. You can also use baking soda paste to refresh your silverware.
Uses of Baking Soda in Cleaning:
2. You can clean fruits and veggies that you bought from outside to make sure that all the dirt is out.
3. You can deodorize musty smelling rugs, carpets, upholstery, and mattresses, especially pet mattresses, with the help of a little sprinkling of baking soda or washing in baking soda water.
4. You can use it to remove mildew from bathroom walls and also remove crayon stains from the walls made by kids. Just scrub them down with some baking soda and warm water mixture.
5. You can also use it to unclog blocked drains.
Uses of Baking Soda on Skin:
2. It helps in alleviating acne scars and dark spots also.
3. Use a baking soda mask to calm dry skin. Mix baking soda with honey and lemon juice to rejuvenate your skin and make it feel hydrated and clean.
4. Use a mask made out of cucumber juice, lemon juice, rose water, and baking soda to unclog your pores. Always moisturize after this mask.
5. Baking soda combined with an egg is also said to tighten the skin and reduce wrinkles and aging.
6. You can help reduce and treat a Yeast infection by consuming baking soda with lots of water or applying a baking soda paste to the affected area for 3 to 4 minutes. Its alkaline nature helps in reducing inflammation.
7. It can also be used as a tan remover.
8. You can use baking soda as a shampoo to clean your hair by adding it to the water you are bathing in.
9. You can also use it as a dry shampoo to keep your hair fresh even when you haven’t washed it in 3 days. It will absorb the oils and grease and make your hair feel fresh and clean.
10. Using it in conjunction with your shampoo or conditioner helps remove dandruff a lot. It is scientifically proven, given its alkaline and anti-fungal properties. It acts against dandruff and helps remove it.
Conclusion:
It is always great to learn about things that are available readily that you never knew had so many benefits. Baking soda is one such ingredient found in every household. It is easily and readily available, is sustainable as of now, and is so much better than chemical cleaning products and other things we use in our daily lives, which harm the planet and ourselves in the long run. Having a readily available natural alternative is the need of the hour, as we are spearheading towards drastic climate change. Using baking soda is something that our ancestors have been doing for the longest time, and we should also start dipping our toes into it. If we can get something done naturally and affordably, why not?