Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a substance that has so many uses in our daily lives, that it deserves its own day.
It helps the cookies and cakes we make to be soft, it helps with cleaning jobs, teeth whitening, sore throats, abdominal pain, skin lightening and even cancer treatment and more. It is good for so many things besides baking.
Soda water is not water with baking soda! Soda water that can be drunk is water (which consists of hydrogen and oxygen) in which carbon dioxide is dissolved. Their chemical formula is: H2CO3. Baking soda is a hydrocarbon sodium, and its chemical formula is: NaHCO3.
You may have known the baking soda from a science experiment you did in class, the volcano experiment - put in lemon juice or vinegar a little bit of food coloring, add baking soda powder and get a bubbling stream of trend on the classroom table.
Who discovered the baking soda?
The main industrial process for producing baking soda is called the Solvay process after the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solva who developed the method and built the first production facility in 1864. In this process CO2 carbon dioxide is transferred through a concentrated solution of NaCl cooking salt and NH3 ammonia.
How to celebrate the day of baking soda?
You can celebrate the day of baking soda by building your own volcano: put lemon juice or vinegar in a cup, food coloring (if any - optional), some baking soda and you will get lava bubbling from a volcano. If you also add some dish soap to the celebration - you will get a spectacular foam that will burst from the cup.
Besides, you should learn about the different uses of baking soda and how much it can help you in life. You may discover a new use for soda and drink that you did not know about, and thanks to this special day you will start to enjoy it.
The wonderful properties of baking soda:
1. Clarifying blemishes on the face - Applying a mixture of squeezed lemon juice with half a cup of baking soda on the face will help you get rid of blemishes, freckles, acne scars and more on the face. More on treating baking soda against acne.
2. Treatment of sore throat - Drinking 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a glass of warm water will relieve your sore throat immediately.
3. Teeth Whitening - Dipping your toothbrush in water with baking soda and brushing for a few minutes will help you whiten your teeth and keep them white. Just do not overdo brushing with soda water because it may erode your teeth.
4. Preventing bad breath and plaque on the teeth - mix in half a glass of water 2 teaspoons baking soda and a little lime juice, rinse your mouth and get rid of bad breath. With a solution of water with 3-4 teaspoons of baking soda will do the job.
5. Baking soda as a deodorant - If you sprinkle some baking soda under the armpit like talcum powder, it will neutralize the unpleasant odors of sweat and prevent the appearance of sweat stains on clothes. This is because baking soda is a basic substance. The bacteria that emit the smell of sweat need an acidic environment so baking soda neutralizes them.
6. Anti-rhinitis and phlegm remedy - If you cough and suffer from excess phlegm, add a teaspoon of baking soda to boiling water and drink before bed. To get rid of a runny nose, drip a solution of soda into the nose.
7. Treatment of aphthous ulcers - Aphthous ulcers in the mouth are painful and annoying wounds that are difficult to get rid of. Gargle baking soda with warm water for half a minute and you will see a significant improvement.
8. Get rid of itching - Applying a mixture of water and baking soda to an area of skin that has been stung by an insect or burned by a jellyfish sting or itchy burn while helping you get rid of the itch quickly.
9. Preventing and Treating Cancer - Baking soda helps lower excess acidity in the blood. It can therefore reduce the pH level of cancer cells and inhibit their spread in the body.
10. Get rid of dandruff - If you suffer from dandruff, moisten your hair and massage your scalp with baking soda. After you wash the scales will disappear. The process will make the hair a little drier, but soon the sebaceous glands in the scalp will regenerate and restore its moisture.
11. For relieving abdominal pain - drinking half a glass of water with a flat teaspoon of baking soda will help get rid of abdominal pain, heartburn and gas.
12. Get rid of stretch marks on the skin - Regular massage of the skin with 3 teaspoons of baking soda and the juice of half a lemon will make the tissues recover faster.
13. Against warts - lukewarm water baths with baking soda will help the skin of your hands and feet to be soft and pleasant.
14. Neutralize bad odor on the hands - When working with substances that make a bad odor like garlic or fish, apply baking soda on your hands and on the cutting board and get rid of the odor.
15. Neutralize bad odor in the refrigerator - If you have a bad odor in the refrigerator, put a glass of baking soda in it and the odor will disappear.
Warning - For external use of baking soda there are no side effects and dangers, but people who have low acidity in the stomach or who receive antacids, should not drink baking soda water (because it is an alkaline substance and they may suffer from too low an acidity level in the blood). Also, drinking baking soda can have side effects like loss of appetite, nausea, headache and abdominal pain. In such cases stop using it.
December 30 is also Bacon Day