Baking Soda is a white powder with crystalline grains. It is popularly called cooking soda. The chemical formula of Baking Soda is NaHCO3 ( sodium bicarbonate). It is a chemical salt with wide array of uses. Baking Soda has a mild alkaline taste similar to washing soda (sodium carbonate). Natural mineral form of Baking Soda is called nahcolite, often found dissolved in geysers and springs. It is often used as food tenderizer and leavening agent. Due to its ability to neutralize acidic molecules, Baking Soda is also used as deodorizing agent. In launderettes, Baking Soda is used to stabilize the pH level of the water and enhance detergent’s washing effectiveness. Baking Soda is often confused with baking powder. Baking Soda is pure bicarbonate of soda but baking powder is made from sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar and starch.
