What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda? Which one is best for using in the garden?
Bonita F., Marysvale, UT
Baking soda and baking powder serve different purposes in the kitchen and for other uses around the home. The primary difference between baking powder and baking soda is based on acidity. Baking soda is alkaline, a base that combines with an acid (like vinegar) to make carbon dioxide. Baking powder already has baking soda in it plus an acid like cream of tartar. So when baking powder gets wet, it begins to react and produce carbon dioxide without the need for another acid.
These facts mean that you’re likely to bake bread or make cakes with baking powder. But baking soda, while still useful for cooking, is better for gardening. For example, check out this article to see how many ways you can use baking soda all around the house: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/baking-soda-uses/
Tomatoes are a good example of what you can do with baking soda. If you prefer sweet tomatoes, mix baking soda into the soil around them. Also, this substance will kill slugs, aphids, and spider mites if you combine it with oil.
Perhaps you have a box of baking soda that’s been on the shelf for a while. You can test it for freshness by pouring a little into a bowl, then dropping a little vinegar on it. If it reacts energetically, it’s still good. This is true even if it’s absorbed odors from sitting in the fridge.
Don’t use smelly soda for flavor-sensitive projects but use it for natural cleaning instead. Even old baking soda works perfectly as a drain cleaner. Use baking soda as part of a paste as grout cleaning solution or for how to remove grout haze after you have installed new grout.
Baking soda is ideal for how to clean stinky shoes. Sprinkle some baking soda in the shoes and let it sit overnight. Dump out the soda and wipe out the excess. Add a little water to baking soda to rub on the outside of the shoes if they are a little dirty, as well.
Wipe clean to give your leather or canvas shoes a nice shine. The shoes will smell and look much better after a baking soda treatment.
You can also use baking soda as toothpaste. Additionally, it helps with canker sores, soothes bug bites, and relieves the pain of sunburn. It will also soften the skin to help you remove a splinter.
Or, you can mix it into warm water to soak your feet and remove odors. Add baking soda to the laundry to help freshen the clothes and make them look even brighter.
In conclusion, I hope you find lots of ways to get the most out of baking soda.