Does baking soda actually remove smells?

Two experts explain why baking soda is such an effective smell-stopper.

Table of Contents Show

The Science Behind the Soda
The Best Way to Use It
Keep Your Cooking Baking Soda Separate
What Works When It Comes to Baking Soda and Odour Removal
Why Doesn’t Baking Powder Remove Smells?

If you're curious about how natural cleaning products work or why baking soda is such a powerful ingredient, you've come to the right place. We'll explain the science behind some of the most popular cleaning methods and tools, so you can you clean smarter—not harder. Follow along with Clean Science to see which technique we break down next.

It's been a household trick for generations: Sprinkling a little baking soda on everything from your cat's litter box to the bottom of the kitchen trash can reduce unpleasant odors. And while this trick generally works, you may not know why it is so effective. To get to the bottom of it, we talked to two experts, and here's what they have to say.

The Science Behind the Soda

The "why" behind baking soda's successful absorption of odors has more to do with chemistry than anything else, says Alex Reed, the co-founder of Truman's: "Most smells are acidic in nature, and baking soda can be a pH neutralizer." Simply put, the chemicals in baking soda are perfect at neutralizing the acids that cause bad smells.

The Best Way to Use It

For the best results, spread baking soda in a thin layer, explains Reed, which is why it does such a good job at combating odors when sprinkled across the bottom of a trash can or the surface of a litter box. But the fact that it really should be spread out to do its job to its full potential is what means it's less effective in the refrigerator. "Baking soda in the fridge will have a minimal impact on odors if the corner [of the box] is simply left open," Reed says. "It needs to be spread more evenly on surfaces to have a meaningful impact." Interestingly enough, the benefits of using baking soda as a deodorizer don't stop in your home. Trisha Lake, owner and CEO of TLC Cleaning, explains how it can battle personal odors, as well: "Very few people know that baking soda actually makes a great deodorant and works well in tennis shoes."

Keep Your Cooking Baking Soda Separate

It may be tempting to steal a pinch of baking soda from that open box in your refrigerator if you run out of the stuff in your cupboard, but that would be a mistake, says Lake. "When we utilize baking soda as an odor reducer, the molecules in the air react to the baking soda to grasp those odors," she explains. "If we were to take that same box and use it in our food, we would run the risk of having our foods' tastes altered." The reason? That baking soda has spent all that time in the fridge "grabbing" odor molecules and has since become flavored by everything that has a smell—which is probably not what you want to think about while whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. For good measure, you should always keep your cooking and deodorizing baking soda separate.

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We all have a wealth of home cleaning methods handed down through the generations, and cleaning with baking soda is an effective one – if you know how to use it. Here’s a list of all the ways you can get started on some baking soda cleaning to get rid of nasty smells in your home.

Firstly, though, it’s important to know there are limitations when it comes to baking soda and vinegar cleaning. You can certainly use bicarbonate of soda to remove smells – even just leaving an open container of it in a room will help neutralise odours overnight. More ingrained smells, however, can require a more advanced solution, and bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda) can damage some surfaces.

You can easily get rid of odours around the home and in the fridge using bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda). Just place a small container of baking soda in the fridge and let it absorb any bad smells. You’ll need to replace it periodically to get the full effect.

What Works When It Comes to Baking Soda and Odour Removal

Baking soda can be used to get rid of dozens of common household smells. A lot of people will place a box of it in the fridge to keep it smelling fresh in between proper cleans. Here’s a few more helpful baking soda cleaning tips:

Pour a few tablespoons of baking soda straight into a drain and run the hot tap over it for a few minutes. This can help breakup and disperse small, smelly blockages. More serious blockages might require a commercial product. Make sure you always read the safety instructions on the label of products like this.
To get rid of the smell from shoes, sprinkle a bit of baking soda into them. This generally works just as well as commercial odour-removing products. Just let the baking soda do its job overnight and then empty it out in the morning. Be careful if you have sensitive skin, though, because baking soda can irritate it.
If your vacuum cleaner smells, you could fix it by sprinkling a little bit of baking soda on the carpet before you go over it.
You can also get rid of nasty smells from household items just by creating a baking soda solution and scrubbing them down gently. This can even work on stained carpets.

Why Doesn’t Baking Powder Remove Smells?

Baking powder is a very different product to baking soda.

Baking soda – or bicarbonate of soda – can help get rid of odours and clean household materials, and it’s also used in baking and cooking. Baking powder, on the other hand, is different. It’s mainly used for baking, and while it does contain the same main ingredient, it also contains many other ingredients that make it an ineffective cleaner.

Baking soda is a handy household cleaner that can sit alongside white vinegar in your cleaning arsenal. Just using the tips above, you can safely create a better home environment.