# Baking Soda: Miracle Powder or Farce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759 "2011-01-15T23:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/21 "2011-01-17T17:03:12Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I thought baking soda degreases by undergoing some kind of reaction with the grease, not by containing soap. It actually degreases very well. If you add it to a pan with baked-on grease, it dissolves it and releases it from the pan. Even the hard, yellow baked-on thin layer of grease. My guess would be saponification. Remember that previous generations used to make their own soap with lye & animal fat; lye, like baking soda, is an alkali. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/22 "2011-01-17T18:05:20Z")
Another advantage to using baking soda to put out fires is if you’re using it in a chemistry lab. It’s also a good way to deal with an acid spill, so if something goes wrong in the lab, you can just reflexively grab the baking soda and dump it on, without having to stop to think about what it was that just went wrong. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/23 "2011-01-17T18:09:13Z")
The trouble with saponification is that the pH isn’t really all that high. It’s certainly a reasonable enough explanaition, but I suspect something else. The cooking process on it’s own may leave free acids and other various functionalities lying around. Also, depending on the type of pan, a surface could react. Not necessarily remove the metal, but simply displace the grease. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/24 "2011-01-17T18:32:44Z")
I use baking soda as an aid in dishwashing. I’m the “automatic dishwasher” so I add a ¼ cupful to a tub filled with soapy water, submerge dirty dishes for a few minutes, wipe off crud, and rinse. Even dried on, heavily encrusted dishes emerge sparkling clean without a lot of elbow grease. I’m highly impressed. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/25 "2011-01-17T18:49:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I think this used to be a very common treatment before the likes of TUMS, Rolaids, and Alka Seltzer. The soda neutralizes acids but does so in a violent reaction–drop some into some vinegar sometime to see it. There was a case that I read about in Science Magazine or maybe Science News (a news weekly or biweekly IIRC) around 1983 where a man had indigestion after eating a large meal at a Mexican restaurant, took some bicarb, and there was a rapid expansion of gas. For some reason the top end of the stomach was closed up and the pressure could not be released in the conventional way. It tore a hole in the side of his stomach. He was successfully treated and survived. > > (Those publications have online archives but they don’t go back far enough for me to come up with an exact cite.) The best part of using baking soda as an antacid is that it gives you carbonated burps! Those are fun. Best not attempted with a closed off esophagus, though. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/26 "2011-01-17T22:22:38Z")
I use baking soda to line my cat’s litter pans. I don’t use lining paper. Many cat deodorizing powders for cat litter contain baking soda. As alluded to previously, I sometimes mix baking soda and vinegar to get the reaction necessary for degreasing. I think you need the vinegar, not just the baking soda alone. The mixture releases the CO2 for vigorous reaction. Water will yield a milder reaction. I also put a little baking soda in a cup of water and keep my toothbrush in it, changing the solution nightly. Baking soda and vinegar can remove some carpet stains. The reaction of the base and acid is helpful for any cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/27 "2011-01-17T23:11:35Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > On the 4lb box I have, it recommends adding a cup to your laundry for softer, fresher smelling clothes. If I have some clothes that smell a little funky and the regular detergent alone isn’t quite taking care of it, I will add one oxyclean container scoop full of baking soda and that will generally take care of it and leave things feeling a bit softer. I find it works well in removing odours from shoes too. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/28 "2011-01-17T23:31:44Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I find it works well in removing odours from shoes too. So could it be possible that those powders for foot odor are essentially baking soda or something very similar? It wouldn’t surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/29 "2011-01-17T23:34:54Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I find it works well in removing odours from shoes too. That too. When I did Security work and would walk around with heavy boots on 40+ hours a week, after a couple of months those suckers would stink pretty bad. So about every 5-8 months when I came home on my Friday, I would pour most of a box into my boots. swish around for full contact, then seal them in a paper grocery bag for the weekend. On my Monday, open bag, pour and bang out the soda, and wear the shoes again. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/30 "2011-01-18T03:01:13Z")
I’ve not used baking soda as a toothpaste (my dentist sister-in-law said not to), but I’ve used it for everything else on your list. It quite effectively put out an oven grease fire several years ago, to my intense relief. I remember thinking that I couldn’t quite believe it actually worked. I have a little fire extinguisher under my sink now, but honestly for a little fire (say, in a frying pan) I’d probably reach for the baking soda first. There’s very little that’s happened in my kitchen that couldn’t be cleaned up with baking soda and vinegar. I run a little down the disposal every once in a while, too, to clean and deodorize. People have been noting the abrasive properties of soda and vinegar for some time - Proverbs 25:20 mentions it. And it’s dirt cheap. _Love_ that. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/31 "2011-01-19T20:40:59Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > You can also use a little baking soda in a glass of water to remedy indigestion or heartburn, so add that to your miracle powder list–although I’ve heard people say that this is a dangerous thing to do. Heh - google Zegerid some time. It’s Prilosec (omeprazole) with a tiny bit of sodium bicarbonate. My doctor prescribed that last spring when I was having a bit of stomach trouble. I did a price check before I got the scrip filled… my copay after insurance would have been over 500 dollars a month (my insurance doesn’t like pricey newfangled drugs). This, for 30 dollars worth of omeprazole and about a dime’s worth of baking soda. So, for the drug company, baking soda is apparently viewed as a miracle moneymaking drug! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/32 "2011-01-19T20:59:27Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > A pan that had a grease fire in it which you smothered with baking soda can simply be washed in the sink. The soda will simply dissolve and go down the drain. No harmful chemicals. Nothing to clog the sink. In that neighbourhood, baking soda (in concert with vinegar) is a great way to loosen sink clogs without resorting to heavy caustics. Vinegar first, add soda. I usually put the stopper in right away and fill the sink about halfway. This reaction is also great if you’ve managed to burn something stubbornly into a pot. I brushed my teeth for many years with plain baking soda, and didn’t damage my teeth any. (I still use Arm & Hammer toothpaste.) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/33 "2011-01-19T21:15:33Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > In that neighbourhood, baking soda (in concert with vinegar) is a great way to loosen sink clogs without resorting to heavy caustics. Vinegar first, add soda. I usually put the stopper in right away and fill the sink about halfway. > > This reaction is also great if you’ve managed to burn something stubbornly into a pot. I’ve been doing this for years, but I use the baking soda first, then add the vinegar. Does it make a difference what order they are in, and, if so, why? ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/34 "2011-01-19T21:18:32Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > In that neighbourhood, baking soda (in concert with vinegar) is a great way to loosen sink clogs without resorting to heavy caustics. Vinegar first, add soda. I usually put the stopper in right away and fill the sink about halfway. I just do not see this one working. If the sink is not fully clogged, the CO2 released will just pass by and out the pipe vent stack, right? Afterall, only the top most of the clog or narrow is where the vinegar will meet the baking soda. OTOH, just vinegar alone, left alone for awhile, will loosen up many things, since it is a mild acid. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/35 "2011-01-19T21:59:46Z")
Baking soda saved my wife, back when she was my girlfriend. I was on the phone with her while she was baking something in the oven, a pan of potatoes or something. She opened the oven, and went, “Oh oh oh, it’s on fire, what do I do, what do I do!” I said, “Do you have a box of baking soda?” “Yes, oh oh what do I do!” “Throw the baking soda on the pan.” “…hey, that worked. How’d you know to do that?” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759/36 "2011-01-19T22:48:48Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > I’ve been doing this for years, but I use the baking soda first, then add the vinegar. Does it make a difference what order they are in, and, if so, why? Probably not (and come to think of it, I think I add the soda first too, otherwise it’s hard to get it all down there.) > [@meanoldman](#): > > I just do not see this one working. If the sink is not fully clogged, the CO2 released will just pass by and out the pipe vent stack, right? Afterall, only the top most of the clog or narrow is where the vinegar will meet the baking soda. It works a treat. It’s not like pressure needs to build up and POP the clog out -(it doesn’t) it just gently loosens it. Wouldn’t be my choice for dealing with ten years of bacon grease and hair - but when it starts to take longer than it ought to drain, it usually works just fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-miracle-powder-or-farce/567759.md?page=1)