Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which can be used in baked goods as a leavening agent. If you mix Baking soda with an acid, baking soda reacts, causing bubbles and this gives off carbon dioxide, this in turn  causes dough to rise. 

It is reported that baking soda has been used for centuries by ancient civilizations to make certain foods rise.

This alkaline substance has , anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It can also be used as a powerful medical product  effective at combating everything from colds to beauty problems to skin issues.

Here is 21 amazing uses, benefits, beauty tips and lifehacks for baking soda.

If you prefer to watch on video the benefits of baking soda then click below............

1. Deodorant Replacement - Over the years, we’ve been able to learn exactly how harmful certain chemicals can be…chemicals that are found in everyday products such as deodorant. Since baking soda can absorb bad odors, a little under the arms will prevent any smells. Before using this tip, make sure you test a little on your skin just in case there’s a slight reaction.

In the past, we’ve heard that mixing a tiny amount with water is the best concoction before then applying it under your arms.

2. Heartburn Treatment - In case you didn't know, heartburn means the pH level in your stomach is a little high thus creating an acidic burn. With a small amount of baking soda dissolved into water, you can drink this and neutralize the stomach acid; this isn't a long-term solution but will relieve the acid reflux so you can sleep or work in comfort.

3. Teeth Whitening - If you look for homemade teeth whitening recipes online, you’ll find hundreds but baking soda remains as one of the most popular options of all. With teeth whitening products, baking soda is actually an important ingredient because surface stains are removed by the gritty texture. Therefore, if you mix a number of teaspoons with water (or lemon juice) to make a paste, this can be used as a homemade teeth whitening solution.

For best results, we recommend wiping any saliva away before applying the paste and then leaving it on for a minute or so. Afterwards, don’t forget to rinse to prevent damage to the enamel.

4. Drain Cleaning - Ever have issues with your drains? If so, try combining baking soda and vinegar because these two ingredients react. With vinegar as an acetic acid and baking soda as a bicarbonate, the reaction will cause some bubbling and this moves through the drain while clearing debris and dirt along the way.

To take advantage of this trick, start by pouring boiling water down the drain before then adding half a cup of baking soda and letting it settle for a couple of minutes. When ready, pour down a mixture of equal parts hot water and vinegar. To prevent the bubbling coming back up, cover the drain with a plug and leave for up to ten minutes. After flushing the system with boiling water, the drains should be cleaner than ever.

5. Brush Cleaner - Ideally for hair brushes, this technique will keep your hair healthy and clean with each brush. Before starting, remove as much hair as you can from the comb or hairbrush. With water and baking soda, you can remove all oil and product that has built up. Thanks to the baking soda, the gritty texture will remove the buildup and leave the tool clean for its next use.

6. Pet Urine Removal - Typically, pet urine will be acidic which is why it can sometimes smell. Since baking soda can effectively neutralize acidic substances, it can be mixed with white vinegar to remove the odor. After creating a paste from these two ingredients, apply a little to the furniture, carpet, or wherever the accident occurred; let it sit for a while and then wipe it up and you should notice a difference.

7. Defoliant - Over time, our pores become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and all sorts of other gunk. With the way baking soda is structured, it actually comes as a perfect defoliant. Even if your skin is sensitive, the grains break down and dissolve so there’s no lasting impact. As we said before, we advise testing first or speaking to your doctor just in case you have a reaction. After mixing the baking soda with some water, it can be applied to the skin before then rinsing it away.

8. Kitchen Cleaner - As a natural cleaner, adding some baking soda to a damp cloth will work wonders when attempting to clean and disinfect worktops, cutting boards, pots/pans, and more; all you need is a little baking soda on your sponge or cloth and you’ll be away.

9. Deodorize sponges - Rather than throwing those smelly sponges away, why not get a bit more life from them by soaking them in baking soda and water? After just a few hours, all gunk should be removed and it should smell normal once again. As a natural ingredient, it can be used on food surfaces after too.

10. Splinter Removal - As strange as this may sound, you can actually coax a splinter from your skin by applying a baking soda paste and covering the area in a bandage. Every so often, you can apply some more mixture but, depending on how long the splinter is, you should find it starting to leave the skin after a few hours.

11. Insect Bite Treatment  - If you’ve had an altercation with an insect, you can create that trusty paste we’ve spoken about several times now. With the paste, apply it to your bite and leave it in place for around ten minutes before then washing it away; you’ll be amazed at how you feel.

12. Toenail Whitener -Into a plastic bowl, add half a lemon’s worth of juice and then keep adding baking soda while stirring until you get a thick paste. With an old toothbrush, you can apply this paste to your toenails before then rinsing it all away. If you do this a few times, it won’t be long before you start to notice an improvement.

13. Shower Head cleaner - Ever look at your shower head and wonder how it ever got that dirty? If so, you aren't alone but you can clean it by first finding a plastic bag that will fit around the head. After mixing together one cup of vinegar with 1/3 cup of baking soda, add the solution to the bag and tie the bag around the shower head (or use a rubber band). If you leave it overnight, you should be able to wipe all the gunk away in the morning.

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14. Spray Paint Removal - Next up, you might be looking for an efficient way of removing spray paint from your hands and baking soda strikes again with this solution. As you mix together water and baking soda in equal parts, pour the solution over your hands and start to work it into all the cracks and dried paint. After a minute or two, your hands should be perfectly clean.

15. Sunburn Treatment - After a pleasant afternoon in the sunshine, this can soon turn into an evening of pain if you didn't take the right precautions for your skin. However, you can prevent this by adding half a cup of baking soda to a lukewarm bath; this should cool the skin. Once you’re out, allow your body to dry naturally rather than rubbing away with a towel.

While on this note, baking soda is actually a superb home treatment for many different skin issues. With a bath like this, the skin acidity will neutralize and you can also encourage toxin elimination. After leaving the bath, your skin should feel soft and fresh.

If you want a full detoxification for your skin, have these detox baths for around two weeks (each using half a cup of baking soda). According to experts, twice a week should be enough as long as you leave a minimum of two days between detox baths and you soak for around fifteen minutes in each.

16. Oven Cleaner - So far, we’ve already seen baking soda come in handy when cleaning other things so you might not be surprised to see it as an oven cleaner. Once again, we’re going to suggest a paste before then allowing the oven to sit for numerous hours. Then, with a wet rag, wipe the baking soda away. If it needs a little help, place some vinegar in a spray bottle and add a couple of sprays wherever necessary. As long as you’re careful, having the oven on a low heat can also be helpful.

17. Washing Machine Assistant - When you combine baking soda and water, you have a concoction that will remove plenty of different stains. After the machine has filled, add half a cup of baking soda and it should dissolve into the water immediately; a full cup can be used for larger loads. From here, you can let the wash cycle continue as normal.

18. Toenail Fungus Removal - In a large bowl, pour some water and one cup of vinegar before soaking your feet for 15 minutes. After allowing them to dry, add numerous teaspoons of baking soda and soak your feet for another 15 minutes. If you do this a couple of times per day for a while, the fungus should die while the baking soda prevents further growth since they prefer acidic environments in which to grow.

19. Jewelry Shining Mixture - When our favorite jewelry decides to fade and lose its sparkle, it can be a sad time but you don’t need to give up. If you allow it to soak in water and baking soda, it will soon be shining again.

20. Fighting Cancer? - Of course, we would never claim baking soda to be the solution we’ve all been looking for but there is some interesting research which is worth addressing. In Italy, baking soda is sometimes recommended in the treatment of cancer in the digestive tract including the intestines, colon, the rectal area, and the throat. Considering cancer thrives in acidic environments, the idea is to use baking soda which is alkaline in nature.

On the flip side, Robert Young, a writer in the US supporting alternative medicine, has discussed the use of baking soda previously in his book ‘The pH Miracle’. For many years, Young had been treating cancer sufferers before the Medical Board of California started an undercover investigation in 2011. During the investigation, they found that fifteen people had been treated at the ranch with none of them outliving their condition. Eventually, Young was convicted of treating ill individuals without a license and will now be in prison for around three years.

In the years ahead, the contrast of cancer’s preference for an acidic environment and the alkalinity of ingredients such as baking soda is likely to be explored some more.

21. Odor Removal for Carpets - On a lighter note, you can replace your chemical-filled cleaning products with baking soda when cleaning your carpets. With a sprinkle on the carpets, or even furniture, leave it for around twenty minutes before vacuuming and you should notice the difference in the coming days. Before going ahead with this strategy, test a little in a corner somewhere just in case the baking soda discolors the carpet.