Baking soda has been seen as a “magic” ingredient for kitchen usages and cleaning. So, is baking soda for cleaning and cooking the same, and what are the ways to use baking soda to cook or clean? In this post, we are going to find the answer!
Let’s find out the most common usages of baking soda now!
Table of Contents
Is Baking Soda for Cleaning and Cooking the Same?
The baking soda used for cleaning and cooking is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and called plain bicarb or bicarbonate. For this reason, cooking baking soda and cleaning baking soda are generally the same.
The difference between baking soda used for cooking and baking soda used for cleaning is that the one made for cooking purposes is safer to eat while the other might not. For cooking baking soda, its production process is guaranteed to be safe for consumption.
Therefore, it is fine to use cooking baking soda for cleaning, but for your ultimate safety, do not use cleaning baking soda to cook. When you buy baking soda for your cooking, make sure it is said in the package that the baking soda is safe for cooking.
While baking soda can be used for cleaning, many people have confused this edible ingredient with washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate. This compound should never be used with food because it was not originally made for this purpose.
Ways to Use Baking Soda to Cook or Clean
Ways to Use Baking Soda to Cook
Before jumping into what we can cook with baking soda, we want to remind you only to use cooking baking soda for the following purposes. Now, let’s see what we can do with this compound in the kitchen!
- Make Potatoes More Starchy
Parboiling tomatoes in water with baking soda will make the texture of your tomato dish more stretchy. If you love starchy potatoes, then this will be a great way to go.
- Reduce the Acid Levels in Tomato Dishes
Tomato dishes might be a little bit acidic to some people. To reduce the acidity, put a little bit of baking soda into the dish, then it will become more neutral.
- Reduce Gas in Beans and Soften Beans Faster
When you eat too much bean at once, you might have a gassy stomach and fart a lot. These symptoms will not do any harm for your body, but they can cause embarrassing and annoying moments, especially when you work or live with other people.
With a little bit of baking soda, you can reduce a good amount of gas on this healthy food while maintaining its taste and nutrition.
As we all know, beans normally need to be soaked overnight. However, sometimes, big beans can still stay hard even when being soaked for hours. In this case, baking soda will soften the beans faster and give you an easier time to cook.
Ways to Use Baking Soda to Clean
- Unclog Your Drain
When you have clogged drains, the first thing you might think about is to buy chemicals to clean it or call a plumber. But do you know that the combination between baking soda and vinegar will be so effective for these problems? Sometimes it works even better than the drain cleaner itself.
The chemical reactions in vinegar and baking soda will clean the dirt inside of your drains and unclog it.
- Remove Leftover Remains on Stovetop, Oven, Sink, and Other Utensils
To remove leftover remains on your stovetops, oven, sink, or utensils, you can mix baking soda with hot water or use baking soda and vinegar. These two mixtures will clean the dirt so well while leaving you with no unpleasant smell like other products.
- Stains on Floors
Again, with the “magic” combination of vinegar and baking soda, you can clean the stains off your floors or many other areas in your house. Sometimes, this combination works even better than floor cleaners themselves.
Other Usage of Baking Soda
Besides cooking and cleaning, baking soda can also be useful in other areas that not many people know about. Here are the extra things you can do with this chemical compound.
- Clean Vegetable and Fruits
If you see so much dirt or soil on vegetables or fruits, then baking soda will be a perfect cleaner to use. Just by adding three tablespoons of baking soda into a big bowl of water, you can safely wash your veggies and fruits.
This cleaning process is safe for our bodies, but again, it is recommended that you use cooking baking soda in any way related to eating for your ultimate safety.
- Maintain the Freshness of Cut Flowers
This is just a small usage but will save you more money if you love to have a vase of flowers in your house or room. Only by adding a tablespoon of baking soda into the flower vase, the flowers will be fresh for much longer. Besides, it also makes the vase’s water stay clean for a longer time and have less bad smell.
- Control Small Fires
For small fires, baking soda can also extinguish them. You can do this by throwing baking soda straight into the fires. In case you have bigger fires, it will be helpful to use other, more powerful methods.
Conclusion
Is baking soda for cleaning and cooking the same, and what are the ways to use baking soda to cook or clean? After reading this article by ChocolateaAndCraft, we think you now have the answer to these questions. Just by choosing the right type of baking soda for the right purpose, you will get the best benefits while ensuring that your health is protected.