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.
------------------------- 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
1 response so far ↓
1 Adam Lucas // Jul 7, 2011 at 4:01 pm
I can’t do enough to dispel this myth. Baking soda most certainly doesn’t eliminate odors and is poor at “neutralizing” them.
First and formost;
Q: Where are the odors?
A: In the air!
Q:Where is the baking soda?
A: In the box! To even begin eliminating odors, you would have to make sure all the air in the fridge were being moved in and out of the box. Baking soda only works when it is mixed with whatever it is supposed to neutralize. If you don’t believe me or don’t understand me, think about putting an open bottle of vinegar next to an open box of baking soda vs. putting an open bottle of vinegar INTO and open box of baking soda…
Second, some odors are acidic, most aren’t. Overwhelmingly, acidity has nothing to do with a molecule having a smell. Pop some popcorn in the microwave and smell the odor (the more butter/oil, the better). Pop some popcorn in the microwave with some baking soda and what do you smell? Popcorn! Going back to our previous example, imagine pouring a bottle of vinegar into a box of baking soda as compared to pouring a box of olive oil.
Lastly, (I don’t have any ‘at home’ examples for this) if you need to neutralize something, baking soda is a convenient and cheap solution, but far from the best or most cost-effective. The main reason it’s so popular is because it’s good at neutralizing things you want neutralized (stains and grease spots, when applied directly) and not neutralizing things you don’t want neutralized (clothes, counter tops, your hands).
As for ‘neutralizing’ odors, coffee is considered a near-universal ‘palate cleanser’ and unlike baking soda, coffee will emit it’s odors into the air in your refrigerator rather than passively absorbing them. If you really want to ‘eliminate’ the odors, you’ll need a filter with some calcium carbonate or activated charcoal and something like a fan to move air around.
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