What is Baking Soda?
Scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a compound made of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and sodium atoms. It’s an essential ingredient in many products:
Toothpaste: Helps remove food stains from teeth
Personal care products: Prevents damage in creams and deodorants, neutralizes odors
In home cleaning, it serves multiple roles:
Neutralizing odors
Removing stains and moisture from mattresses
Cleaning kitchens and bathrooms
Lesser-Known Uses of Baking Soda
1. Eliminating Cat Odors
If you live with one or more cats, sprinkle baking soda in their litter box. It keeps odors at bay and extends the time between litter changes.
2. Testing Soil Acidity
For gardening enthusiasts, baking soda can help check soil pH:
Take a cup of garden soil and divide it into two bowls.
Add ½ cup of organic vinegar to the first bowl. If it fizzes, the soil is likely alkaline.
Add ½ cup of baking soda with a little distilled water to the second bowl. If it fizzes, the soil is acidic. No reaction means the soil pH is suitable.
Tip: For precise results, use a pH meter.
3. Treating Insect Bites and Stings
Baking soda is excellent for treating insect bites:
Make a paste with baking soda and warm water.
Apply to the affected area several times a day to relieve pain.
Tip: Test on a small skin area first.
4. Maintaining an Aquarium
If your fish tank’s pH is off, adjust it using baking soda:
Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 cup chlorine-free water.
Add gradually (1 teaspoon per 1.8 liters) over several hours until the pH is balanced.
Remove fish before doing this.
5. Reviving Wilted Flowers
To refresh wilted flowers:
Replace dirty vase water with clean water.
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Trim stems at an angle and place in the solution.
Flowers revive within hours and last several more days.
6. Caring for New Clothes
Baking soda can help remove harmful chemicals from new clothes, especially for infants:
Add ½ cup baking soda to your laundry detergent during washing.
7. Repelling Insects
To safely get rid of ants and cockroaches:
Mix 1 cup baking soda with 1 cup white sugar.
Sprinkle the mixture where insects are seen.
When ingested and combined with water in their bodies, it kills the insects safely.
Baking soda is truly a multi-purpose household hero, useful in cleaning, gardening, pet care, laundry, pest control, and even floral care. Keeping a box at home is both practical and eco-friendly.
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