A Case For Baking Soda

I know we all have heard a lot about the benefits of baking soda for nearly every aspect of our lives. At times it even seems a bit too much. Can one simple product really do so much? I mean… really?

The answer is Yes. And if you are at the very beginning of your zero-waste journey you should look into uses of baking soda because it will check so many boxes in your ‘zero-waste swaps’ list at once!

For your health and body

Aside from the actual baking, soda has many other uses in the household and many health benefits. I have seen so many claims of its magical properties that I myself have a hard time believing in some of them. So I will mention only those that I have found working for me and, as a bonus, will mention a couple that don’t.

• Oral hygiene. It has antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties which make it a great mouth wash. Not only it cleans your mouth, but it can also treat toothache and mouth infections like canker sores. When I was little, my mom made me gargle with baking soda and salt solution to treat sore throat.

• Body odor. Because of its antimicrobial properties, baking soda works as a perfect deodorizer. It captures and kills bacteria that create smells. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of home-made deodorant recipes. They work, I’ve tried a few of them myself. But honestly, you can just tap a little bit of dry baking soda into your armpit with the same effect. It will not stop you from sweating, but it will prevent yellow stains on your clothes.

• $1M smile. Speaking of stains, baking soda is an effective and gentle tooth whitener. You can mix it with your regular toothpaste or make your own tooth cleaning solution. There’s a ton of recipes online.

• Heartburn treatment. It also neutralizes stomach acid, so it’s is a very effective treatment for heartburn.

• Produce wash. You can use baking soda to clean your fruits and vegetables. Not only it kills bacteria and cleans out chemical residue from the fruit skin, but it also gently removes a wax coat that some producers apply to extend the shelf life of the fruit.

• Home SPA. Baking soda is a treasure for self-pampering! It is the main ingredient in bath bombs, shower melts foot soaks, and more.

Check-in with your zero-waste list.

With that said, here’s a list of self-care products you can check-off of your list:

• Mouthwash
• Toothpaste
• Teeth whitening strips
• Deodorant
• Bath bombs
• Foot scrab
• Produce wash
• Heartburn meds

Bonus fact, as promised.

My friend has read somewhere that you can completely swap your shampoo with baking soda. She was so excited that she can stop buying bottles of shampoo and bring her hair to their natural chemical balance. After a month or so of this treatment, her skull was completely irritated and hair began to thin out. She didn’t realize that she was scrabbing off the natural skull oils with baking soda leaving the skin and hair without any protection from elements. Luckily for her, this wasn’t a lasting effect. She stopped using it on her head and after a month she was back to normal.