Sodium Bicarbonate Uses
First - How is it Made?
Example of Mining for Nahcolite Deposits
Pure sodium bicarbonate comes from Nahcolite. Nahcolite is a mineral that is mined. It is found underground or above ground wherever you will find naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate. The process used to mine Nahcolite is a very simple process of adding hot water to the Nahcolite beds.
This causes the Nahcolite to dissolve and can be further extracted as sodium bicarbonate crystals. The crystals begin to form as the hot solution begins to cool.
In North America the Piceance creek basin contains the largest known mines of Nahcolite. This North America Nahcolite mine supplies a large number of the population with the sodium bicarbonate they use for animal feed, human food, and pharmaceutical needs.
Piceance Basin - Roan Plateau (Colorado)
Sodium bicarbonate is good for the environment. It will naturally clean water and air pollution. In ancient times the Egyptians used sodium bicarbonate for mummification, cleaning and other health problems.
Purchasing Baking Soda
Bicarbonate of soda can be purchased at your local supermarket. You can use it for cleaning, treating and in baking products. You can also purchase baking soda online. In the supermarket you may not find baking soda in the cleaning section. That is because most supermarkets do not consider it a cleaner; it is sold as a baking enhancement ingredient. If you are interested in purchasing box supplies of baking soda you may want to look at a country like China where the cost of making baking soda is far less than the cost in North America.
Bicarbonate of soda is a white powder substance. Its chemical compound formula is NaHCO3. If you taste baking soda it has a salty flavor resembling the taste of washing detergent. The natural form of sodium bicarbonate is known as Nahcolite. Although Nahcolite is a natural altering mineral, it is also manmade. A few of the nicknames include bicarbonate of soda, so ash, baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, or bicarb.
Mold and Mildew in Carpets
Baking soda can do so much when it comes to cleaning in your home. It is a multipurpose natural cleaning agent that amazes me more and more every time I use it. The best part about it is it’s environmentally friendliness and safety for usage.
Cleaning Carpet
When your carpets begins to smell it is usually a sign of mildew and molds building up in your lower carpet layer. If it is left untreated the undesirable smells will only become stronger. The best cure for your problem is salts and bicarb. Simply vacuuming your carpet is not enough to combat molds and mildew. Vacuuming your carpet simply removes surface particle soil, but not the deeply imbedded bacteria. To remove the mold and mildew pretreatment is needed.
- Loosen the carpet area with a brush or cloth
- Sprinkle sodium bicarbonate on surface area
- Let sit for fifteen minutes
- Vacuum up sprinkle
- Repeat if necessary
Vacuum the area slowly positioning the nozzle in many different directions. After sodium bicarbonate sprinkle it is important that you do a very thorough vacuuming of carpet surface. It is important to the indoor quality of the air you breathe in your home.
Just a Sprinkle
A sprinkle a day keeps the doctor away. I know it’s an apple a day, but I think a sprinkle of sodium bicarbonate a day has hundreds of different methods. Let’s explore some of them:
- Itching- For skin irritations such as poison ivy, mosquito bites, or relief of itching. Just sprinkle bicarb.
- Clean your bathroom –make your bathroom smell clean and fresh with a sprinkle of baking soda.
- Facial acne –mix equal parts of a meal, baking soda and add a little bit of water to help remove acne.
- Drain clog –for minor drain clogs sprinkle a little bit of sodium bicarbonate in the drain to clear congestion.
- Deodorize –to remove foul smells from pet sprinkle sodium bicarbonate on the surface to freshen the smell of the air.
- Clean appliance – Clean appliances that are soiled with Greece using baking soda.
- Extinguish fires –all of a sudden a small fire starts on your stove top. Don’t panic, reach for your box of baking soda, and extinguish fire quickly.
- Cat litter –sprinkle a little sodium bicarbonate on and around the cat litter surface.
- Clean metals–for cleaning knives, forks, spoons, coins or any silverware.
Cleaning Stuff
Natural and safe uses of sodium bicarbonate are limitless. This mineral will deodorize and fresh and the air without the effort. It can be used as a scouring powder and applied with a sponge to cut through the toughest of surfaces. Simply add 2tbsp. of baking soda to 8oz. of water, mix and pour into a spray bottle. Now you have a way to quickly clean countertops, bathroom, and appliances. One of the most common ingredients mixed with sodium bicarbonate is borax. Similar to sodium bicarbonate, sodium Borate also deodorize is, freshens, disinfects, cleans, prevents soap film from forming in softens water.
Another very common ingredient to be used with sodium bicarbonate is white or cider vinegar. You can use white vinegar to leave a fresh smell and viciously cut through Grease. Why not try cider vinegar with the tree oil and a little bit of GSE, which acts as an antifungal ointment?
Furniture Scratches
If you are addicted to coffee you may not like this remedy. Use 2tbsp. of water mixed with instant coffee, mix until it turns pasty. Use Q-tip or a cotton pad to dap the scratched the surface with a solution. Every time you make contact with the scratched surface you will notice it darkens.
