Baking soda can be your secret weapon against stains and clogs – here’s the science behind its cleaning power – PJ
After cooking all day and enjoying a hearty feast with friends or family, it’s inevitable that your kitchen will need cleaning. You might have stains on your stove or a sink drain clogged with food debris. But what happens if your cleaning solution bottles are all empty?
Don’t panic! Your pantry may have one simple ingredient that can help you clean most things in a snap.
From removing stains in your oven to unclogging drains to eliminating unpleasant odors in your refrigerator, baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent with a wide variety of uses.
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What is baking soda?
Its chemical name is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). It exists in white crystalline or powdery solid form.
Baking soda can be obtained in different ways. It can be extracted from nahcolite, a natural mineral. It can be produced by refining sodium carbonate, called sodium carbonate, from mined trona stones. It can also be made by passing ammonia and carbon dioxide through a sodium chloride solution.
A barge pumps sodium carbonate from the bottom of Lake Magadi in Kenya. Photo: Shutterstock
Crystals that remove stubborn stains
Baking soda is made up of sharp, hard and fine crystals, therefore slightly abrasive.
When baking soda is mixed with water, the paste can easily remove dirt from an object. Some people even brush their teeth with toothpaste that contains baking soda.
To clean surfaces in your home, spread a paste of baking soda and water and let it sit for a while before scrubbing it with a damp cloth or sponge. But avoid using it on mirrors, windows and ceramic surfaces as the crystals may scratch the glass.
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Alkalinity is key
Baking soda is slightly alkaline, meaning its pH is above seven. Its alkalinity is the main reason for its versatility as a cleaning agent.
Fat is made up of fatty acids and when these come into contact with baking soda, a chemical reaction called saponification occurs (see graphic). This process makes baking soda ideal for removing greasy stains.
The pH of baking soda also makes it an effective deodorizer. Some unpleasant odors on clothing or plastic containers are produced by acids, which are low pH solutions. Baking soda can neutralize acids to eliminate bad odors. Some cat owners even mix baking soda with litter to absorb the smell of their pet’s urine.
Mixing baking soda with vinegar creates another incredibly powerful cleaning agent, perfect for unclogging drains. Baking soda is a basic solution because its pH is nine. Vinegar, which has a pH between two and three, is an acid.
Add baking soda to your drain, then pour in vinegar. When these two substances are combined, the chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide bubbles through the plug, breaking up the material. After about 10 minutes, add pressure by pouring boiling water to flush the drain.
There are many other uses for baking soda. What others do you know?
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