Unique Uses for Baking Soda You Might Not Have Thought Of

How often do you use baking soda? Probably just to bake. Did you, however, know that baking soda has many more uses and not just as baking powder? Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate is an essential alkali that makes our lives so much easier. It is cost effective and has myriad uses around the house.

Here is a list of some interesting uses for baking soda:

1. For Dental Hygiene: Did you run out of toothpaste and forget to stock up the last time you went to the supermarket? Well, you don’t have to worry if you have some baking soda sitting in your kitchen closet. You need half a tablespoon of baking soda and peroxide. Mix them until you have a paste-like consistency. You can use this alternative as your toothpaste until you get another tube.

Baking soda has whitening properties. All you have to do is dip your toothbrush in some baking soda before you brush every morning. It also has adsorption properties, or in other words, it can attract molecules that adhere to its surface. So, if you gargled with a baking soda solution, you can say goodbye to bad breath.

2. For Digestive Trouble: Baking soda is an age old cure for an upset stomach. Indigestion, acid refluxes, heartburn, you name it; baking soda gives you instant relief. The baking soda neutralizes the acidic reactions inside your tummy and soothes your discomfort.

3. As First- Aid: Do you have a beehive in the backyard? Aren’t you extremely cautious to not disturb the hive when drying clothes in the yard? Also, do you ask your kids not to wander off too far and stay away from the hive?

Bee venom contains melittin that is a highly acidic protein. If you apply a paste of baking soda and water and leave it for 15 minutes, it helps soothe the sting. Since baking soda is an alkali, it neutralizes the acidic effects of melittin.

Or, if you have a splinter from wood shavings as you were making your bed. You can use baking soda to force the splinter out. In this case, the baking soda paste causes your skin to swell and pushes it out. You can apply the paste and wear a band-aid on it. Leave it on for a few hours, and then remove and rinse it. You can use a tweezer to pull the splinter out. Remember to dab some antiseptic after washing off the baking soda paste.

4. For Plants: Some plants need acidic soil for their growth. Now, it is understandable if you don’t know the soil type in your backyard, but you can always perform your experiments to identify the soil pH. Just take a quarter cup of baking soda in two glasses of water and stir it. Then, add some of the soil from the yard to the diluted solution. If the solution foams, then you can be certain that the soil is acidic.

Baking soda is also beneficial to plants. You need another dilute baking soda solution where you take one tablespoon of baking soda in 2 liters of water. Keep adding this solution to your plants now and then, for healthier and greener growth.

5. As A Detergent: Do you have a greasy kitchen table top, floor, yellowed washbasins, and toilets? Or, scratches on vinyl walls and floors, or damp smelling carpets? Baking soda solution is magic in a bottle.

Sprinkle baking soda on the table tops and washbasins and leave it for an hour before scrubbing these surfaces. You will be surprised because they will look like they did when you had installed them.

For the carpet, or any upholstered furniture, sprinkle a handful of baking soda and vacuum clean it. The carpets will no longer have that ratty, dampness about them.

You can also use baking soda as a laundry detergent as opposed to expensive liquid detergents. As to your precious vinyl walls, use a baking soda solution to wipe the crayon marks and scratches left behind by your 3-year-old little Picasso.
The many extraordinary uses of baking soda as opposed to its price will blow your mind. It is a life-saver and extremely handy. Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of baking soda, its time you try them out.

What is your favorite way to use baking soda?

About the author: Vineetha Reddy

Being a regular practitioner and adviser of everything related to nutrition, fitness, health and wellness, I also have begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. I strongly believe that the organic food you find in your pantry provide the best benefits for good health. Follow me for my best ideas and solutions : Twitter

 

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