Blonde By Nature

So I’ve only ever used baking soda for scrubbing pots and counter tops. BUT, my parents also had a box of baking soda in the fridge to eliminate odors. When I moved to Vancouver about 4.5 years ago, we didn’t really have the money to follow the ‘Fridge 101′ rule and therefore never purchased baking soda for the fridge, and still now we don’t have baking soda in the fridge. Guess it doesn’t matter after all, as it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference according to the US Department of Energies “Ask A Scientist“…

Question -  I am attempting to find out how Baking Soda works to

eliminate odors. In other words, what does it do, chemically speaking, to

eliminate odors. I need to be able to explain this complex process in

simplistic terms.

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Tony,

Hoping to not disappoint you, baking soda does not eliminate odors very

well at all. As a wash solution, it is mildly alkaline and can serve to cut grease

when dumped down a drain. However, crystal Drano is much more effective -- and far

more dangerous to use. The popular "open box of Arm & Hammer® in the refrigerator"

simply provides an adsorbent material that can soak up odors -- but not very effectively.

For example, if some of the odoriferous materials floating around in the refrigerator are

acidic, the alkaline baking soda can absorb and neutralize the acid. Even in that regard,

it is not all that effective because, as the powder in the box contacts water vapor, it tends to

crust over an lose a great deal of its already limited surface activity.It all sounds quite nice, but it does not work very well. Far better would be a

canister of activated charcoal because it can indeed adsorb vapors that contact the charcoal.

Regards,

ProfHoff

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