Sodium Bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, is an underrated but versatile workhorse. The most common use for baking soda is in baked goods.  When baking soda reacts with an acid it releases carbon dioxide and acts as a leavening agent in your batter. In other words, it makes your cake fluffy!  But there are many uses for baking soda outside of the kitchen!

Make Your Shower Sparkle

Baking soda is a mild abrasive so it’s great for removing the gunk off the tiles of your shower.  Simply make a paste with baking soda and water or vinegar and spread it on the tiles.  Use a brush to spread the mixture so it evenly covers the space.  Let the paste sit for a few hours.  Then come back and scrub and wash away!

You can also use baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice to scrub toilet bowls and sinks too! No need for stinky chemicals to clean your house.

Keep Your Jewelry Shiny

To remove the tarnish from silver jewelry, line a bowl with foil with the shiny side facing up.  Put the jewelry on the foil and cover with a tablespoon of baking soda.  Pour boiling water over the mixture until it covers the jewelry and let it sit for an hour. Then wipe off the jewelry with a cloth and it will look like it’s brand new!

Whip Up Homemade Toothpaste

There are plenty of brands that add baking soda in their toothpaste to help whiten your teeth.  If you want a simple solution, you can use baking soda itself as a toothpaste.  If that method is a little too salty for your taste, you can make your own toothpaste using this recipe:

• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1.5 tablespoons baking soda
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil 

The ratio doesn’t have to be perfect, so you can add essential oils to your taste. You can find these three ingredients and more on our site.

Deodorize Shoes

Got a stinky pair of running shoes? Sprinkle some baking soda in it. You can also create a small sachet of baking soda with a piece of cloth and string to store in your gym shoes when you’re not using them.

Fire Extinguisher

As mentioned earlier, when baking soda is combined with an acid, it releases carbon dioxide.  To put out a small fire, you can use baking soda and vinegar which removes the oxygen needed for the fire to grow! 

For a fun science experiment to do with kids, check out this post: https://scienceexplorers.com/diy-fire-extinguisher-experiment-for-kids/