What is Bicarbonate of Soda?
Most of us know Bicarbonate of Soda as a cooking ingredient that is a staple to our kitchen cupboard - used as a leavening agent. It is an alkaline and is commonly used in recipes that mix moisture with an acidic ingredient (for example: lemon juice or chocolate) together to make batter rise.
Bicarb is generally referred to as Baking Soda in the US, but they are, in fact, one and the same thing. Baking Powder, on the other hand, is a 'diluted' version of bicarb. In this instant it has been pre-mixed with a dry acidic ingredient (such a Cream of Tartar) that causes baking to rise when mixed with wet ingredients.
When Bicarbonate is mixed with water it gives off carbon dioxide - making it bubble and froth!
So What Else Can It Do?
Well Bicarbonate of Soda has proved to be a multi-purpose product, not just for baking purposes, but for all sorts of use around the home as a toxin-free cleaner. It can be used to replace many of the cleaning products that we all spend so much money on!
Limescale remover
Laundry Detergent
Softener
Air Freshener
All Purpose Cleaner
So shall we start sharing some of the ways that you can benefit from using it?
Here are some of Mrs B's favourites ...
Descaling Your Beloved Kettle
We all love a cup of tea here in the UK, which means that our kettles can build up limescale deposits pretty quickly! This can be particularly troublesome if you live in an area with hard water, which has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium. Mrs B's quick fix with Bicarb of Soda could save you pounds on purchasing the over-the-counter remedies available. Simply mix a teaspoon of bicarb with about 2 cups of water and pour it into your kettle. Boil the kettle several times then allow the kettle to cool down for about 15 minutes. Rinse out the kettle with cold water and give it a wipe out with a clean cloth and any remaining limescale should wipe off.
Bicarbonate of Soda and Your Laundry
Bicarbonate of Soda and Your Laundry
Bicarb is a great alternative to commercial fabric softener. By adding about 1/4 cup to your washing load it will help to soften and keep the absorbency of towels. It also acts as a great deodoriser and neutralises those nasty smells
Deodorising Your Favourite Shoes
Do you take your shoes off at the end of a hard day and then suddenly wish you hadn't?! Mrs B likes to put a tablespoon of bicarb into a cloth (twist it so that the powder doesn't go everywhere!) and then places one in each shoe. After a couple of days her favourite shoes are smelling fresh as a daisy!
Spruce Up Your Silver
We all have those pieces of silver that are stashed away in our jewellery boxes and cupboards that have tarnished and are no longer on display or worn, and we all know that we can buy expensive silver cleaning products to restore them. Did you know that you can save yourself the expense by simply using Bicarb and some aluminium foil (just standard kitchen foil)?
Just put some foil (shiny side up) in the bottom of a bowl on the foil and (after washing your silver in soapy water and rinsing) Boil the kettle and make a solution of 1 part Bicarb to 4 parts boiling. Carefully pour the water over the silver and watch the reaction. You should see the tarnish moving from the silver and settling on the foil as yellowy flakes. Allow the silver to sit in the solution until its cooled enough to touch. Give the silver a rinse and dry with a non-abrasive cloth. Hey presto! Your silver is shiny and beautiful once again.
(For heavily tarnished silver you can repeat the process adding an equal amount of salt to Bicarb when you mix the solution, or add a half cup of white vinegar to every full cup of water to the solution).
Pots and Pans
How annoying is it when you've burnt your dinner to the bottom of the pan? The prospect of spending ages at the sink scrubbing doesn't appeal much does it?
Well, stress no more! Put some Bicarb in the pan and add some warm water. Put the pan back on the heat and bring the water to the boil. Let it simmer away for a while and those stubborn burns should start to lift. Then just swill it and wash it as normal - your pans will be looking like new in no time - and with minimum effort!
This list could go on and on, but I'll leave you to try out some of these tips first before bombarding you with more! Happy cleaning!
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