The Versatile Baking Soda: From Baking to Graffiti Cleaning

By Daria Zaitseva

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), can be found in almost every household counter. Despite its name, most people keep baking soda in their homes not because of their baking passion, but due to its wide applications. Sodium bicarbonate is a weak base that has an alkaline pH range of eight to nine when dissolved in water. This article will explore some uses of baking soda within and beyond your home.

Baking Fluffy Pastries

In baking, sodium bicarbonate serves primarily as a leavening agent [1, 2]. When reacted with the acidic ingredients in a recipe — such as cream of tartar, lemon juice, or yogurt — baking soda undergoes an acid-base reaction to produce carbon dioxide gas, causing the dough or batter to rise and create the fluffy texture of baked goods. The acid-base reaction alone can take place at room temperature, but sodium bicarbonate also undergoes thermal decomposition at temperatures above 50°C to produce extra carbon dioxide (table 1).

Table 1 The two reactions of sodium bicarbonate that produce carbon dioxide during baking.

However, it is crucial to strike a balance between the amount of acid and base in a recipe. An excess of baking soda can lead to a bitter and metallic taste due to the unreacted sodium bicarbonate. In fact, a product called baking powder aims to ease this task, as it consists of both sodium bicarbonate and powdered acids already mixed in a right proportion [1].

Combating Foul Smell from Trash Bin

Another handy household application of baking soda comes from its ability to neutralize odors. The offensive smells produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in your trash bin can be attributed to volatile fatty acids and ammonia [3, 4]. A study found that spreading 50 grams of baking soda at the bottom of an eight-liter food waste bin could reduce odors by 70% [3]. Baking soda can mitigate the unpleasant odors by neutralizing odor-producing acids, turning the volatile acids into involatile salts [5]. For example, as a volatile acid with a boiling point of 164°C [6], the vaporization of a small portion of butyric acid can already give an odor like rancid butter. Sodium bicarbonate can neutralize the acid to sodium butyrate, a solid with a melting temperature of 250°C, so it will require a much higher temperature to vaporize [7]. This simple method showcases the practicality of the compound in maintaining a fresher environment within kitchens, with a possibility of extension to local food waste collection points.

Maintaining Dental Hygiene

Baking soda doesn’t just shine in kitchens; it can also safeguard our dental health. It is used as an abrasive agent in dental air polishing by dentists to remove teeth stains [8]. Similarly, you might have seen baking soda as an ingredient in a toothpaste formula; it is added to polish and remove dental plaque and stains with the help of a toothbrush [9].

While other common abrasives in toothpaste, such as hydrated silica and calcium pyrophosphate, rely solely on physical scrubbing, the alkaline and bactericidal properties of baking soda can provide additional protection against cavities (tooth decay) [9]. After the ingestion of sugary foods, oral bacteria will metabolize the carbohydrates and produce organic acids which lower the oral pH. It is known that the solubility of enamel significantly increases when the pH is lower than 5.1–5.5, causing the demineralization (or the loss) of enamel [9, 10]. Research has shown that brushing teeth with a baking soda-based toothpaste after a meal can prevent cavities by restoring the oral pH. In addition, baking soda was also found to have bactericidal effects on various bacteria found in dental plaque, such as Streptococcus mutans, especially when used in combination with hydrogen peroxide [9].

Removing Graffiti and Stains by Soda Blasting

Akin to how dentists use baking soda as abrasives to clean our teeth, soda blasting is a technique that rids the streets from graffiti paint and other stains [11]. By shooting fine particles of baking soda in compressed air or water at a pressure as low as 140 kPa, paint or rust on delicate materials like wood, masonry and copper can be removed. It is a milder method than sandblasting, which operates at 550–1,050 kPa and optimized for tougher surfaces like aircraft parts and concrete. In addition, compared to other common abrasive blasting substances, such as slags [12], soda blasting poses less risk to the respiratory health of workers, and is kinder to the environment as a non-toxic compound.

The Versatile Baking Soda

Summing up, baking soda is a remarkable compound with diverse applications in culinary, cleaning, and many other fields. Not only does it produce fluffy pastries, but it is also applied to keep our environment clean, our bins fresh, and our oral cavity healthy. As researchers continue to look for broader applications, baking soda will remain a versatile compound for us all.

References

[1] Wang, C. (2022, May 19). What’s the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder? Office for Science and Society, McGill University. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/student-contributors-general-science/whats-difference-between-baking-soda-and-baking-powder

[2] Graves, A, & Qualmann, K. (2018, August 3). The Science of Baking Soda. ACS Axial. https://axial.acs.org/cross-disciplinary-concepts/the-science-of-baking-soda

[3] Qamaruz-Zaman, N., Kun, Y., & Rosli, R. N. (2015). Preliminary observation on the effect of baking soda volume on controlling odour from discarded organic waste. Waste Management, 35, 187–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.09.017

[4] Mackie, R. I., Stroot, P. G., & Varel, V. H. (1998). Biochemical identification and biological origin of key odor components in livestock waste. Journal of Animal Science, 76(5), 1331–1342. https://doi.org/10.2527/1998.7651331x

[5] Schwarcz, J. (2017, October 30). Can baking soda really absorb odors in the fridge? Office for Science and Society, McGill University. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/general-science-you-asked/can-baking-soda-really-absorb-odors-fridge

[6] National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2025). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 264, Butyric Acid. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Butyric-Acid

[7] ACS Chemistry for Life. (2021, October 11). Sodium butyrate - American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/s/sodium-butyrate.html

[8] Hongsathavij, R., Kuphasuk, Y., & Rattanasuwan, K. (2017). Clinical comparison of the stain removal efficacy of two air polishing powders. European Journal of Dentistry, 11(3), 370–375. https://doi.org/10.4103/ejd.ejd_152_17

[9] Myneni, S. R. (2017). Effect of baking soda in dentifrices on plaque removal. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 148(11S), S4–S9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2017.09.004

[10] Kolumban, A., Moldovan, M., Țig, I. A., Chifor, I., Cuc, S., Bud, M., & Badea, M. E. (2021). An Evaluation of the Demineralizing Effects of Various Acidic Solutions. Applied Sciences, 11(17), 8270. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11178270

[11] Khodair, Y. A., Ahmed, M. M., Perala, V. S., & Shareef, M. S. (2024). Anti-Graffiti Protection Systems. Illinois Center for Transportation. https://doi.org/10.36501/0197-9191/24-022

[12] Neulicht, R., & Shular, J. (1997, September). Emission Factor Documentation for AP-42, Section 13.2.6, Abrasive Blasting – Final Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Emission Factor and Inventory Group. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/documents/section_13.2.6_abrasive_blasting.pdf