Here's a fan we're hearing more and more about: baking soda. This product, which at first glance seems like nothing other than a white powder, in reality allows for very varied uses. Your neighbor recommended it to you for making your cakes rise, your cousin for cleaning the oven, and your father for your stomach acids. All this with one and the same product? Well yes, they didn't take you for a donkey. Baking soda can in fact be used to make your household products, your cosmetic products and even to take care of yourself. How does it work, but above all how to use it? A quick overview of this totally natural, and above all ecological, miracle product!
This article was updated on 04/08/2023Baking soda: what is it?
Baking soda comes in the form of a very fine white powder, odorless, and soluble in water. Its appearance is reminiscent of salt, unlike its taste. If you too have made the mistake of “salting” your dish with baking soda, you know what I mean!
To obtain it, there are two schools, but you will see, you won't really have a choice if you are eco-friendly. On the one hand, bicarbonate exists naturally. It comes from the extraction of nahcolite, which simply corresponds to its mineral species. However, this form of bicarbonate is quite rare, and above all non-existent in Europe! It is mostly found in the United States. It is possible to import some, but the carbon footprint that would entail is not worth it. Instead, manufacturers found another form of synthesis of baking soda, also completely natural, it is the Solvay process. In short, the Solvay process is a chemical process which, from salt (sodium chloride), chalk (calcium carbonate) and ammonia, will produce sodium carbonate. What about sodium bicarbonate then?! I grant you, it's not the same thing, and we'll see that later. The Solvay process actually takes place in several stages. Baking soda is simply the reaction product of one of the steps, itself subsequently used to create sodium carbonate!
The properties of bicarbonate
There are many uses for bicarbonate, just look at the number of recipes offered. If they are so numerous, it is because bicarbonate has certain very versatile properties:
-
It is capable of rebalancing the pH. More precisely, it will play the role of a “buffer” substance, that is to say it will rebalance and maintain the pH at around 8.
-
It will react with the calcium and magnesium ions in the water, two components which, through evaporation, will form white traces on surfaces, this famous limestone. Bicarbonate therefore fights against limescale!
-
When mixed with an acid, baking soda will form a gas, CO2 or more commonly known as carbon dioxide. It is an omnipresent gas which would take too long to present, but you should know that it is produced in particular by yeasts, those which make bread rise! Baking soda is therefore a leavening agent.
This short presentation done, we quickly guess the many advantages that baking soda brings: it is above all versatile, but above all ecological and very economical!
Which baking soda to choose?
Pharmaceutical bicarbonate
Let's keep the suspense until the end and start with the least known of the 3: pharmaceutical baking soda. If you've never seen it while shopping, it's completely normal, it's becauseit is only available in pharmacies. It's a bit like the crème de la crème of bicarbonates! Intended for medical use, it's the purest because it has undergone many more analyzes and controls than the others. You will certainly have guessed it, it is therefore the most expensive: between 5 and €11.50 per kilo. However, it can be used for everything!
Technical bicarbonate
So here we go from cock to donkey in the face of pharmaceutical bicarbonate. Technical bicarbonate is the one which has undergone the least analysis, and whoseuse is reserved for strictly household use or… technical! It should therefore not be used for cosmetic use because it is too abrasive for the skin, nor for food use because it is unfit for consumption. Its price is a little lower than pharmaceuticals, it costs between 4 and €7.00 per kilo.
Food bicarbonate
This is usually what is in your basket when you check out. In fact, food-grade baking soda is the most common, the one most frequently found in stores. It is located exactly between the other two bicarbonates. It is not of the greatest purity so its price is very affordable, but it has still undergone some controls allowing it to be used in food and cosmetics. Generally, it is found at the same price as the technical one, between 4 and €7.00 per kilo. For all your hygiene product recipes and those that involve food contact, this is the one to use! And obviously, it can be used as a cleaning product. In short, in terms of price and versatility, we can say that food bicarbonate wins the prize.
The multiple uses of baking soda
Now that you know which baking soda to choose, you can use it without worry. You know us, we're not like that, we're not going to release you into the wild without some tools. Since the uses of bicarbonate are very numerous, not to say infinite, here are some simple ideas to use occasionally!
Please note, the uses below cannot replace medical treatment. If symptoms persist, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.
In household products
Bad smells : Bad odors are often caused by acidic or basic substances. Thanks to its buffering power, bicarbonate helps rebalance everything and fight against bad odors:
-
from the refrigerator: place a small dish,
-
trash, shoes: pour a small amount into the bottom,
-
the sofa, the mattress: sprinkle over the entire surface, leave to act for between 30 minutes and overnight, then vacuum. This also helps fight allergens.
-
pipes: pour a little bicarbonate into the sink, shower or toilet, leave to act then run the water,
-
and even the dog! Sprinkle it on your pet, massage well to penetrate the hair then brush it. A very pleasant moment for both!
Pipelines : to unclog and unclog the shower, sink or toilet pipes, pour baking soda then white vinegar. When the effervescence is over, run the water.
Limestone : baking soda helps eliminate traces of limescale, on a work surface, in the kettle, coffee maker, etc. Pour a small amount onto the sponge or directly onto the surface to be cleaned.
Traces of burnt : cooking accidents happen to everyone! But the most annoying thing is when it comes time to wash the dishes. Save time and energy, don't bother scraping off burnt remains. Just soak some baking soda and hot water in the pan. For the oven, form a paste with the baking soda and water, let it rest then clean.
In the kitchen
For the vegetables : On vegetables, baking soda has a double action. Before cooking, it allows deep cleaning to remove all impurities. During cooking, it helps preserve the color of the vegetables!
Leavening agent : bicarbonate not only reacts with acid, but also with heat. Above 70°C, there is therefore a production of gas, CO2. To make super soft and airy cakes, add a small amount of bicarbonate to the dough.
For health
Stomach pains : add a teaspoon in a glass of drinking water, to use occasionally. It's not good, but it's radical. However, this mixture should not be used everywhere: by reacting with an acidic solution, baking soda releases CO2, which can cause more or less severe belching. You wouldn't want everyone to hear you burp!
Itching (insect bite, chickenpox pimple) : prepare a paste by adding a little water to the bicarbonate, and apply to the pimple to relieve pain and itching.
In cosmetics
Toothpaste : baking soda helps protect tooth enamel and polishes them very lightly, making them whiter. Approximately every 2 weeks, pour a little baking soda on the toothbrush and brush as usual.
Mouthwash : to fight bad breath and relieve minor mouth problems, add ½ teaspoon in a glass of water, in combination or not with essential oils (Clove, Peppermint or Lemon).
Scrub : Mix a little water or vegetable oil with a small quantity of bicarbonate until a homogeneous paste forms, then massage the previously cleansed face to remove dead cells.
Deodorant : apply a small amount of bicarbonate under the armpits to absorb moisture and combat perspiration.
In the bath : if your bath water is too hard, add the equivalent of half a glass of bicarbonate to soften it and come out with soft skin!
Bicarbonate, percarbonate and soda crystals: what are the differences?
It's all about chemistry. I can already see you shuddering at the mere sight of this word which brings back many bad school memories, but rest assured, everything will be fine. Bicarbonate, percarbonate and soda crystals are not the same thing, simply because they have different chemical formulas! To make it easier to distinguish them, here are their identity cards.
Baking soda
Chemical formula : NaHCO3
Appearance : white powder
Origin/method of obtaining : extracted from nahcolite in its natural state, or synthesized by the Solvay process from calcium carbonate and sodium chloride
Main properties : softener, deodorizer, light abrasive, anti-limescale
Synonyms : bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate
Soda ash
Chemical formula : N / A2CO3
Appearance : white crystals
Origin/method of obtaining : From natural natron or trona deposits, or synthesized by the Solvay process from calcium carbonate and sodium chloride
Main properties : detergent
Synonyms : sodium carbonate, soda ash, Solvay soda
Its pH is more basic than that of baking soda. It is therefore more stripping and above all more irritating, it requires the wearing of protective clothing (gloves) for its use.
Sodium percarbonate
Chemical formula : 2Na2CO3·3 H2O2
Appearance : white crystallized powder
Origin/method of obtaining : Combination of soda ash (which constitutes soda crystals) and hydrogen peroxide.
Main properties : whitening, disinfectant, deodorizer, cleaner, degreaser. In short, an outstanding descaler! It is mainly used for laundry, washing dishes and cleaning dirty surfaces and floors.
Synonyms : solid hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, sodium carbonate peroxhydrate
It is the most corrosive of the 3, so it requires maximum precautions for use : wear gloves and mask!
Update on baking soda and white vinegar
Between baking soda and white vinegar, it's a great love affair. If in almost all recipes for homemade household products we find these two products, a doubt persists: is there any point in mixing them beforehand ? To elucidate this question, there is nothing like a little chemistry, starting with the love at first sight that occurs between the two, I of course want to talk about the chemical reaction:
NaHCO3 +CH3COOH —> CO2 + H2O + CH3COONa
This reaction is an acid-base reaction which, as its name suggests, reacts a base (bicarbonate) with an acid (white vinegar). This will give off gas (CO2), water, and a salt, sodium acetate (CH3COONa). If this reaction takes place in perfect conditions, in the best of all worlds, when everything is balanced, we will obtain a result... neutral, without much interest. Let's be honest, when you mix it up, it will be difficult to achieve balance. In reality, it's all a question of dosage. A little bicarbonate in white vinegar will help lower its acidic pH, and thus allow it to be used on sensitive surfaces that would not have tolerated the acidity of pure vinegar. If, on the other hand, we add a lot of bicarbonate, this time we will obtain sodium acetate which has a slight anti-bacterial property, and a surplus of bicarbonate. We keep the properties of it in the mixture! In short, we repeat ourselves, it’s all a question of dosage.
Finally, if what interests us most in this reaction is not the products we obtain but the reaction itself (you know when it goes psshhhh with lots of foam and you have the impression of being a mad scientist!), in this case, there is no question of mixing the two in advance, in a product that you will use later. This reaction which will, among other things, allow grease, tartar or encrusted limestone to be removed: as well enjoy !
Was this article helpful to you?
Average grade: 4.6 ( 206 votes)