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Baking Soda -- The Everyday Miracle ™
We call Baking Soda ‘The Everyday Miracle™’ because while it’s pure and simple, it’s also an astoundingly
versatile, multi-purpose product.
What is Baking Soda? Baking Soda, a sodium bicarbonate, is a naturally occurring substance that is
present in all living things--it helps living things maintain the pH balance necessary for life. Baking Soda
is made from soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate. The soda ash is obtained in one of two ways: it
can be manufactured by passing carbon dioxide and ammonia through a concentrated solution of sodium
chloride (table salt). In our case, it is mined in the form of an ore called trona. Whether the soda ash is
mined or processed, it is dissolved into a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled, and sodium
bicarbonate precipitates out, forming 'Pure, Safe and Natural" Baking Soda. It is pure enough (more
than 99%) to be listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) since 1848.
How can Baking Soda do so much, so well? It is the natural chemical and physical properties of Baking
Soda that account for its many safe and effective uses. The five specific capabilities of Baking Soda are
listed below.
Cleaning: Baking Soda acts a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to
dissolve easily in water for effective removal. When it is not fully dissolved, like when it is sprinkled on a
damp sponge, Baking Soda is mildly abrasive and can lift dirt for easy removal as a gentle scouring
powder. Since it’s gentle, Baking Soda is safe and effective as a cleaner for glass, chrome, steel, enamel
and plastic. Because Baking Soda is a pure, natural product that is also a food, it is non-toxic, unlike many
other household cleaners. It is safe to use around children and pets and is ideal for cleaning food
preparation surfaces. In your home use Baking Soda to clean sinks, tubs, tile, microwaves, plastic
containers, even teeth without scratching. Industrially, Baking Soda is used to clean large machinery and
commercial kitchen equipment.
Deodorizing: Baking Soda’s deodorization power is a result of its ability to neutralize odors, rather than
just covering up odors with perfumes. Most unpleasant odors come from either strong acids (like sour
milk) or strong bases (spoiled fish). Baking Soda deodorizes by bringing both acidic and basic odor
molecules into a neutral, more odor-free state. Use Baking Soda as a personal deodorant for underarms
and feet, and as a household deodorant on carpets, upholstery and in the fridge and freezer. Baking
Soda can also deodorize when it’s dissolved in water. So you can use Baking Soda as a mouthwash to
neutralize garlic breath, as a diaper soak to neutralize that ‘ammonia’ smell (basic) and to deodorize
plastic food containers that have absorbed that pickle or sauerkraut smell (acidic). Industrially, Baking
Soda is used for odor control of sewage disposal plants and around barn and feedlots.
Leavening: The most universal use of Baking Soda is for baking in which Baking Soda is used to promote
leavening. Leavening increases the surface area of dough or batter by causing it to rise and become light
and porous. The most common leavening agent is carbon dioxide, a gas that is produced by a chemical
reaction with the use of Baking Soda, baking powder or yeast in a recipe. Baking Soda yields the carbon
dioxide for leavening when it’s heated. When used as a leavening agent, Baking Soda also reacts with
acidic ingredients to render a neutral, tasteless residue. Common examples of these acidic ingredients
include sour milk, buttermilk, molasses, cream of tartar, lemon juice and the acidic substances in baking
powder. Baking Soda has been used by generations of good cooks who have trusted our unwavering
standard of purity since 1846...from our great-grandmothers, to our grandmothers and now to us.
Buffering: Because of its chemical makeup, Baking Soda has unique capabilities as a buffer. Buffering is
the maintenance of a stable pH balance, or acid-alkali balance. As a buffer, Baking Soda tends to cause
acid solutions to become more basic and to cause basic solutions to become more acid, bringing both
solutions to a stable pH around 8.1 (slightly basic) on the pH scale. A buffer also resists pH change in a