Uses for Baking Soda
Did you know baking soda could be used for a lot more than just sticking it in your fridge to absorb odors? Over the last few years, I've compiled a handy list...some you may have heard, others maybe not so much. But I'm sure we can all agree that our good friend sodium bicarbonate is probably more helpful than we give it credit for!
Acid reflux - Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion. It’s an old remedy that was used for centuries before Tums and Rolaids came on the market. Take a small spoon of baking soda in a glass of water after every meal to keep acid stomach at bay.
Toothpaste - You can use it alone or make a paste from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution that can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes.
Mouthwash - Put one teaspoon baking soda in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up; it also helps to reduce periodontal disease.
Efferdent Alternative - You can soak dental appliances, like dentures and bridges, in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a glass or small bowl of warm water. The baking soda loosens food particles and neutralizes odors to keep appliances fresh. You can also brush appliances clean using baking soda.
Bodywash On The Go - Add a bit of baking soda in that bucket of water you use to wash the BO off, and you will find that you stay stink-free longer. Or add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration.
Deodorant - Pat some baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor. Put a dash in your shorts to prevent chaffing, reduce odor and keep those delicate areas dry.
Foot Powder - Add a liberal amount of baking soda to your boots. It will keep your feet drier, better smelling and help prevent blisters.
Cleaner/Deodorizer - There is not much that baking soda can’t un-stink. You can use it when you wash cloths, scrub down counters after you butcher a hog or to clean out the car you just spent 6 days and nights in bugging out.
Foot Soak - To soothe your feet after a hard day of hiking through the bush, dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak your feet.
Hand Cleaner - Use some baking soda as a hand cleaner. It will gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on your hands.
Terminal Cleaner - Baking soda can be used to neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, generators, etc. because it’s a mild alkali. (Be sure to disconnect the battery terminals before cleaning.) Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply with a damp cloth to scrub corrosion from the battery terminal. After cleaning and re-connecting the terminals, wipe them with petroleum jelly to prevent future corrosion.
Septic System Maintenance - Regular use of baking soda can help keep it flowing freely. 1 cup of baking soda per week will help maintain a favorable pH in your septic tank.
Kitchen Fires - You can extinguish fires with baking soda. It can help in the initial handling of minor grease or electrical fires, because when baking soda is heated, it gives off carbon dioxide, which helps to smother the flames. For small cooking fires (frying pans, broilers, ovens, grills), Stand back and throw handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flame to help put out the fire.
Pest Control - Scatter baking soda around the garden to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies. Use baking soda for repelling ants & roaches
Stain Removal - For stubborn stains, try soaking overnight in the baking soda solution and detergent or scrubbing with baking soda on a damp sponge.
Coffee Pot Cleaner - You can eliminate bitter after tastes in coffee pots using a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water.
Fruit/Vegetable Rinse - Baking soda is the food safe way to clean dirt and residue off fresh fruit and vegetables. Just sprinkle a little on a clean damp sponge, scrub and rinse.
Poultry Processing - When dipping a chicken, to get the feathers off add a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.
Bean Cooking - Soak dried beans in a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.
Cooking With Fish - Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside a cooler before you cook it.
Lower Acidity When Cooking - Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.
Doing Dishes - Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel cookware. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.
Insect Bites - You can treat insect bites and itchy skin with baking soda. For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin (toothpaste also works here). To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin.
Cleaning Wounds - It even makes a fairly good cleaner for wounds, but it will sting a bit. Apply it on rashes, and poison ivy irritations.
Sinus Relief - The group medic can use baking soda to unblock a stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to a pot of boiling water and having the patient inhale the vapors.
Cleaning Cloth Diapers - Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers. Dissolve ½ cup of baking soda in 2 quarts of water and soak diapers thoroughly. A little baking soda in a diaper at night can reduce ammonia smell and the rash it causes. After the fact, you can put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help treat diaper rash.
Neutralize Pet Odors - You can use baking soda to deodorize pet bedding and deodorize the cat boxes. Cover the bottom of the litter box with baking soda, then fill as usual with litter. To freshen between changes, sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter after a thorough cleaning. Eliminate odors from your pets bedding by sprinkling liberally with baking soda, wait 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odors), then take them outside and beat them like you would a rug.
Pet Bath - You don’t want the pets stinking up the cabin? Give them a bath using baking soda. It’s good for their hair and skin and does a great job of getting rid of that wet dog smell. By the way, this baking soda bath works fairly well after skunk attacks, for humans and animals alike.
Drain Cleaner - Combine salt and baking soda and pour down the drain, followed by vinegar. This combo will help keep the drain clean and flowing freely.
And here's a few more via infographics I haven't seen until now:
Have any more ideas? Make sure to comment below and share them with the rest of us. Thanks!
Love this! I use baking soda for a bunch of the reasons you listed but also after reading this will be using it for other things I had never heard of like insect bites, drain cleaner and a foot soak! Awesome tips. Thanks :)
Thank you @bluetsky! It's a lot more versatile than most people give it credit for. Plus, I love having another natural cleaner around the house.