Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.
Baking powder on its own doesn't cause as strong a reaction as bicarbonate of soda, so it is recommended that you use around 3x the amount of baking powder when using it to replace bicarbonate of soda (eg. if the recipe calls for 1tsp. bicarbonate of soda, use 3tsp baking powder instead).
You can use bicarb to wipe away grease marks and water stains on everything from metal to plastic, plus it's highly effective at removing pesky mildew off bathroom tiles and even freshening up musty fabrics!
Sometimes called baking soda, bicarbonate of soda is a raising agent often used in baking.
Anything with deep grooves or cracks
Baking soda leaves behind a white, dusty residue after it dries. Therefore, you should never use it to clean surfaces with deep grooves or cracks because the residue will get left behind and can build up.
Because of the chemical differences between baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, baking powder isn't a very good substitute for soda when trying out a new cleaning hack. Bicarbonate of soda makes a really effective and natural cleaning product. Baking powder is designed for baking and isn't as effective at cleaning.
Mixing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) causes a chemical reaction that produces a salt (sodium acetate) and water, as well as carbon dioxide gas.
You can use bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to make a thick paste that will clean any bathroom surface you can think of. Combine a quarter cup of bicarb with one to two tablespoons of vinegar, mix well, and get cleaning.
Make a paste from two parts bicarbonate of soda to one part water, then rub onto dirty grout using an old toothbrush. An electric toothbrush with an old head will also work wonders and save your elbows!
Does baking soda really help whiten teeth? The very simple answer is yes, however it only whitens teeth by abrading the surface and removing surface stains. This comes with a couple of potential problems: excessive abrasion causing tooth wear.
Yes, these are two different names for the same product. In Australia, we tend to use the name bicarbonate of soda (or bicarb soda for short), whereas overseas they usually call it baking soda.
Bicarb is edible, biodegradable, non-toxic, preservative-free, water soluble, odourless, an antacid, and has anti-limescale properties. It can be used as a mild abrasive, scouring agent and deodoriser to dissolve dirt, tackle odours and cut through grime.
What is baking soda? Baking soda and bicarb soda refer to the same thing. Australia, New Zealand and the UK use the term bicarb soda, while the US refers to it as baking soda.
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), is a chemical that can undergo a decomposition reaction when heated. At temperatures above 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius), sodium bicarbonate starts to break down into three compounds, forming sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain. Always flush this mixture down with boiling water—no matter how long you leave it sitting in the drain.
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid; when the two are combined, you get a fizzy chemical reaction that has some properties that can eat away at a clog. However, when you use this combination to unclog a drain, it's just plain ineffective.
Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they're combined, acids “donate” protons to bases; in this case, it's acetic acid lending a hydrogen proton to the bicarbonate. When bicarbonate gains a hydrogen proton, it forms carbonic acid (or H2CO3) which is unstable and eventually decomposes.
The other thing to be careful of with baking soda is combining it with something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. As the chemicals combine with that satisfying fizz, they form a gas. If you combine them in a sealed container, like a soda bottle, it could potentially explode and harm you.
Too much baking soda is clearly not a good thing, creating too many bubbles in cakes, causing cakes to sink, leading to over-browning, and producing an off-flavour that might even be soapy.