Remember that person who had a crush on you for years—who hung out right there, by your side, close but not stalking, quietly waiting to be noticed while you messed around with flashier, trendier versions of the real deal? Who, once wizened by adulthood, did you look back on and think, “Huh. They were pretty great, actually. I should’ve given them a chance.” Well, that crush is baking soda. And we all should be ashamed for taking it for granted.
Sodium bicarbonate (street name: baking soda) is a kitchen staple that, if you’re anything like me, mostly hangs out in the pantry or back of the fridge waiting for rare moments of usefulness—or until its box becomes too busted up with sugar granules and sticky vanilla drippings to justify keeping. But it turns out, baking soda is the cheap, all-purpose cleaning ninja you never knew you always had. And it deserves respect.
Not only do its acid-reacting, leavening properties make cakes and cookies fluffy, its mild alkaline compounds break down grease, and its gritty granules abrade grime. Behold, the many wondrous uses of that humble crush you should have taken seriously.