As far as the chemistry goes, grease is the biggest enemy of the kitchen, and here baking soda comes to the rescue. Grease is an organic compound, which means that it will react to an alkali. When applied on a greasy pan, the baking soda will begin reacting with fatty acids contained in grease, thus making it more prone to dissolving in water.
It becomes a “booster” in the laundry room too. Although no replacement for an industrial stain removing product with enzymes to tackle oil stains that have already formed, a little half cup added to the wash cycle will assist in balancing the pH of the water used, which in turn will make your usual detergent more efficient.
5. Neutralizing Pungent Hand Odors
Cooking regularly means dealing with the problem of “garlic hands” since some ingredients have sulfuric compounds that react with the skin and remain even when you wash your hands repeatedly with regular soap.
Using baking soda is an easy way to resolve the problem chemically by rubbing a little bit of the powder into your wet hands. You will get rid of the odors much quicker than usual soap does because the process works instantly against such strong smells.
