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30 amazing uses for Baking Soda
Part of being prepared is being resourceful and using items for more than one purpose. It’s important to be able to know how to use items like Baking Soda again and again to help you in different regards.
Baking soda is a great tool in your multi-use arsenal! You can use it for cleaning, cooking, refreshing, maintaining and more! Here are a few ideas!
1. Make toothpaste
You can combine baking soda with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution to create a non-fluoride toothpaste.
2. Facial scrub
Instead of going to an expensive spa, make your own facial scrub! Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean. This is gentle enough for daily use.
3. Deodorant
Pat baking soda under your arms to neutralize body odor. It’s a great alternative to harsher deodorants.
4. Use as an Antacid
Baking soda is a safe and effective antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach and/or acid indigestion. Refer to baking soda package for instructions.
5. Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower.
6. Make a Bath Soak
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft. Epsom salts are pretty miraculous for the bath too.
7. Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak feet. Gently scrub.
8. Make a Hand Cleanser and Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean.
9. Freshen Sponges
Soak stale-smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of the mess (4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water).
10. Polish Silver Flatware
Use a baking soda paste made with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plated serving pieces.
11. Clean Shower Curtains
Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it up to dry.
12. Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent
Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. A better balance of pH in the wash gets clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.
13. Gently Clean Baby Clothes
Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers, which are increasingly available, but odor and stain fighters are often harsh. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization.
14. Remove Oil and Grease Stains
Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
15. Clean Batteries
Baking soda can be used to neutralize battery acid corrosion on cars, mowers, etc. because its 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. Please be careful when working around a battery–they contain a strong acid.
16. Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Place an open box in the back of the fridge to neutralize odors.
17. Deodorize the Cutting Board
Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse.
18. Remove Odor From Carpets
Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest. (Note that your vacuum cleaner bag will get full and heavy.)
19. Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaners
By using the method above for carpets, you will also deodorize your vacuum cleaner.
20. Camping Cure-all
Baking soda is a must-have for your next camping trip. It’s a dish washer, pot scrubber, hand cleanser, deodorant, toothpaste, fire extinguisher and many other uses.
21. Extinguish Fires
Baking soda can help in the initial handling of minor grease or electrical kitchen 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), turn off the gas or electricity if you can safely do so. Stand back and throw handfuls of baking soda at the base of the flame to help put out the fire–and call the Fire Department just to be safe.
22. Septic Care
Regular use of baking soda in your drains can help keep your septic system flowing freely. One cup of baking soda per week will help maintain a favorable pH in your septic tank.
23. Fruit and Vegetable Scrub
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.
24. Clean the Microwave
Baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.
25. Relieve Diaper Rash
Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.
26. Fresh Flowers
Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.
27. Repel Rain
Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.
28. Music Fruit Relief
Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.
29. Spot-Treat Acne
You can make a paste with baking soda and water. Apply the paste to surface zits. It probably won’t work as well for deep blemishes.
30. Obviously, Cooking
Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.
Thanks to care2.com for contributing to this article.
What ideas do you have? Comment below to tell us what you’ve used baking soda for!
In addition:
1-when you have burned something in a pan, while it is all still hot and fresh; douse it with baking soda: it performs a chemical release on the burn and you can wipe it right out with a scrubber and cool running water(after it cools a bit)!
2-combined with vinegar it gets crazy stinky smells out (like rotten meat): thoroughly clean the stinky area with a disinfectant solution and then coat it with baking soda. Pour vinegar onto the baking soda and allow to dwell for at least 10 minutes. If you are dealing with a “spoiled” refrigerator or freezer I would leave it for an hour or more.
Refrigerators and freezers often have porous tubes that have been absorbing the stinky media so this is tricky. When I have been able to get to the unit before the tubes have been contaminated I have been able to save them. (Sometimes to the tune of a 5,000 dollar unit or more). I have not tried replacing the tubing so I don’t know if that would help or not. Don’t forget to disinfect then treat the door linings also. When you have a particularly spoiled unit you might want to treat it a few times. It is definately worth your time in order to save your refrigerator/freezer!
3- A thick paste of baking soda
(1 Tablespoon soda with a few drops of water to make it adhere to the skin) on a “wasp or bee bite” can be very therapeutic. Within a few seconds the pain will be alleviated.
4- in my recipes I use baking soda in 1/2 the proportion of baking soda (1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
August 6th, 2012 at 11:44 amI use baking soda as a shampoo (mixed with distilled or soft water, not hard water) it is great at taking oil and residue out of your hair. (And then rinse with an apple cider vinegar rinse). I also use it in my toothpaste but not just mixing it with peroxide. I use baking soda, powdered STevia, coconut oil, pepperming and spearming essential oils.
It also helps cleaning the microwave… boil a cup of water in a coffee mug (or other unbreakable container) for about 8 minutes. Then, get a mixture of baking soda and water and wipe down the walls and ceiling of the microwave. It cleans so easily!! And you can use the same mixture in the fridge, but I use hot water mixed with baking soda for that job.
August 6th, 2012 at 1:06 pmGreat…Love these kinds of recipes. Gives good insight to everyday living as well as emergencies. Keep it up. Thank you.
August 6th, 2012 at 1:23 pmWow I had no idea that there were so many uses. I thought it was for cooking only.
Great info!
August 6th, 2012 at 2:34 pmmixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to the consistency of a paste and applying it to cookie sheets with burned on grease and letting sit for a little while will make
August 6th, 2012 at 2:55 pmthem clean easily. Works on the glass on your oven door too.
For slow drains, pour in a 1/2 cup of baking soda followed by a 1/2 cup of vinegar. After 20 minutes pour in some hot/boiling water to flush. This is a good alternative to the harsh commercial products.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:42 pmRemember, baking soda soaks up odors and moisture. I’ve used it to freshen a wool rug that got wet and smelly after being in the garage. I sprinkled it with the soda, rolled it up and left it a couple of weeks—when I unrolled it, fresh as new–the baking soda was brown like sand, it had soaked up the odor and helped to dry the rug.
August 6th, 2012 at 5:40 pmAlso an excellent thing for storing a tent–especially if it’s been a bit damp—sprinkle liberally with baking soda and the next time you use it, —shake it out, and it will smell fresh, not stale.
Holy wow! I think I’m going to start stocking up on Baking Soda!
August 6th, 2012 at 5:47 pm31. Neutralizer
I learned in my High School chemistry class to use baking soda to neutralize harsh acids that dripped or spilled on my skin – very important first aid treatment.
32. Burn remover from cookware
August 6th, 2012 at 12:11 pmWhen you burn your food in cooking, quickly douse the ruined ingredients with Baking Soda. Allow to dwell for a few minutes and then rinse with cold water and while doing so, wipe out. The Baking Soda performs a chemical release on the burn and allows a simple wipe out instead of hours of painful scrubbing and scraping.
to repair plastic items. cover break with super glue and add baking soda and more super glue.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:37 amI sprinkle it in my kitty litter boxes. Even tho I use the scoopable litter, it does make a difference with helping control any odors.
August 7th, 2012 at 2:17 amOh,, and don’t forget , It cures CANCER, Dr. Tulia Simoncini ( an oncologist ) was curing cancers in 2 weeks with a solution of distilled water and pure baking soda ( no impurities), and injecting it in the tumors. His book; ” CANCER IS A FUNGUS”. Cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment ( eat more organic vegetables ) Italy revoked his medical license because he wasn’t following “protocol”
August 7th, 2012 at 11:54 amAnother way to deoderize your refrigerator is to place some baking soda on a plate and top lay a few pennies on top of the soda (about 5 or os). It removes odors from your refrigerator even better than an open box.
August 7th, 2012 at 12:57 pmI just found this one. Turn baking soda into washing soda for making your own laundry soap and such.
August 7th, 2012 at 3:32 pmhttp://www.pennilessparenting.com/2011/01/homemade-washing-soda.html#
I had an oil fire in my oven and it went out immidately when I threw a handful of baking soda on it.
August 7th, 2012 at 7:01 pmIf you have coffee or tea built up stained in your coffee or tea cups, add some baking soda with a smidge of water to make a paste, rub around the inside of the cups and rinse. It will remove the stained look.
August 7th, 2012 at 7:24 pmSince childhood, I have soaked in a tub of warm water, 1 quart (or more) of apple cider vinegar & 1 box (or more) of baking soda to relieve a sunburn or allergy rashes. The severity of the sunburn &/or the rash, determines how much vinegar & baking soda one may need. Also, it takes the sting, burn &/or itch out of the burn or rash & with a sunburn, it leaves you with a nice tan that doesn’t peel.
August 8th, 2012 at 12:05 amOnce when my son was about 5 years old he fell into the neighbors cactus garden. I immediately had him soak in the vinegar & baking soda in the tub and the needles did not fester & itch. Every time the cactus needles began to surface again, I put him in the tub to soak once more. It made the needles soft & much easier to pull out with tweezers and reduced the pain considerably for him. He soon was telling me, “Mom, I gotta soak again!!!” By having him soak right before going to bed & sprinkling his sheets with baking soda, he was soon able to sleep most of the night without the pain of the needles still surfacing, causing him enough pain to wake him up.
got to love the fact that of all thirty uses…
not one is BAKING!!!!
ha
August 8th, 2012 at 7:20 pmBesides the last one HockeyGuy …
August 8th, 2012 at 7:31 pmI am extremely allergic to bee stings, and have found that baking soda is very effective on drawing the poison out. However, if baking soda is not readily available, another very effective…and usually available…paste can be made from a little dirt and water. Works for all kinds of stings…just be sure the stinger (if a bee) is removed first. Works like magic…just a little messier.
August 11th, 2012 at 2:04 pmI found it a little amusing how many people repeated a use that was already on the list
. And @ Bea – for a bee sting, a little dirt and water (mud) applied to the bee sting and allowed to dry will draw the stinger out in most cases. I got into a nest of sand hornets when a small child, and my even younger brother plastered me with mud immediately. It was allowed to dry and each stinger stuck to the mud and fell off with it. Just be gentle removing the mud.
September 4th, 2012 at 8:11 amI always carried a tube of fluoride toothpaste with me, and still keep one in my emergency kit in the car. Dab it on stings and it takes away the pain. Note: remove stingers first. Scrape off with a credit card or something with a hard edge. DON’T grab bee stingers as the poison sac is attached and you will pump more venom into the wound.
March 23rd, 2013 at 9:42 amMy son used to get sinus infections all the time. So the doctor told us to make a nasal rinse using water, picking salt (not table) and some baking soda. The salt gets rid of the infection and the baking soda keeps the sinus membranes moist so his nose didn’t dry out. This stuff really works well and is a lot cheaper than the saline sprays you can buy in the store.
March 23rd, 2013 at 11:03 amMy mother dabbed baking soda (dry) on cancer sores in my mouth when I was a child. Relieved the pain and dried them up.
March 23rd, 2013 at 5:00 pmSorry — I meant CANKER sores not CANCER sores!
March 23rd, 2013 at 5:01 pmBruce is off base. It is NOT baking soda that you use to make that product, it is WASHING SODA, which is soda ash – totally different.
May 1st, 2013 at 3:54 pmI use it instead of shampoo. It works great, cleans your scalp nicely and then I rinse with apple cider vinegar in water. No need for shampoo due to the baking soda and no need for conditioner because apple cider vinegar is a natural conditioner.
May 1st, 2013 at 5:04 pmI use it all the time in suitcases before storing.
May 1st, 2013 at 8:22 pmAnother thing that baking soda can be used for ( I was a hairdresser) and when we had a customer that had alot of hairspray in their hair and even water would not penetrate, we took the box of baking soda and shook it on to the hair mixed with shampoo than rubbed it in all over and to the ends of the hair. The hair became soft, pliable and rinsed all the gook out, leaving the hair completely manageable!
May 7th, 2013 at 10:33 amRonda, the link Bruce posted was actually correct. If you’d checked out that link – it’s instructions for how to convert BAKING soda, to WASHING soda so that you can make DIY laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. From your comment, it seems as if you thought the link was to the detergent recipes, which it’s not. I have been making washing soda from baking soda for a while now, and using it in my homemade laundry and dish detergents. It’s all I’ve used for quite a while. Quite effective and cheaper!
I just fill a cookie sheet with baking soda, and keep it on the bottom rack of my oven, stirring every now and then and switching out washing soda for fresh baking soda once I can tell it’s all converted(I bake bread @ 400 degrees so can easily convert my baking soda with current use of my oven). Bonus: I find that the pan of baking/washing soda works as a diffuser in my oven, and my baking actually turns out better! 
May 8th, 2013 at 11:50 amI use Baking Soda in my cooking water to cook my chick peas. This cooks much faster. And also all other dried beans.
And also as a kids play putty. Baking Soda, a bit of water and food coloring. you have a funny paste that looks wet, but yet hard to the touch. Kids can play hours on a table or a plastic table cloth.
June 2nd, 2013 at 1:40 pmHave fun!
I regularly use it to get rid of thrush. I make a strong solution, soak a tampon in the solution, insert it and leave it for a few hours. Its a lot cheaper and just as effective as thrush creams and pessaries from the chemist
June 15th, 2013 at 9:22 amI have a horse. Use it after cleaning the barn/stall. Won’t even know a horse lives there!
June 17th, 2013 at 2:12 pmI take water aerobics about 5 times a week. The pool water is extremely hard on bathing suits. I rinse them at the pool with plain water, bring them home and soak them in the sink with about 1/4 cup of baking soda and small amount of cool water (about 2 ins). Seems to neutralize the chlorine. The fabric has no chlorine smell at all after about 15 to 20 mins. Oh yes, then I rinse the suit w/towels from the day in the washing machine!
June 19th, 2013 at 2:43 am