Many Ways To Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

Article: How To Build a Baking Soda Volcano

From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.,
The kitchen equivalent of a no, not a real one. It's cool all the same! The baking soda no is also more or less non-toxic, which adds to its appeal.

Time Required: 30 minutes
Here's How:
1. First make the 'cone' of the baking soda no. Mix 6 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 4 tablespoons cooking oil, and 2 cups of water. The resulting mixture should be smooth and firm (more water may be added if needed).
2. Stand the soda bottle in the baking pan and mold the dough around it into a no shape. Don't cover the hole or drop dough into it!
3. Fill the bottle most of the way full with warm water and a bit of red food color (can be done before sculpting if you don't take so long that the water gets cold).
4. Add 6 drops of detergent to the bottle contents.
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5. Add 2 tablespoons baking soda to the liquid.
6. Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle. Watch out - eruption time!
7. Chemistry is Cool :-)

Tips:

1. The cool red lava is the result of a chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar.
2. In this reaction, carbon dioxide gas is produced, which is also present in real nos.
3. As the carbon dioxide gas is produced, pressure builds up inside the plastic bottle, until the gas bubbles (thanks to the detergent) out of the ' no'.
4. Adding a bit of yellow food coloring too will result in lovely red-orange lava!

What You Need:

* 6 cups flour
* 2 cups salt
* 4 tablespoons cooking oil
* warm water
* plastic soda bottle
* dishwashing detergent
* food coloring
* vinegar
* baking dish or other pan
* 2 T baking soda

Vinegar is acetic acid:  CH3COOH
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate:  NaHCO3

Mixing the two is simply and acid base reaction.

CH3COOH  +  NaHCO3  --->  CH3COONa  +  H2CO3

That last product is carbonic acid which quickly decomposes into carbon dioxide and water:

H2CO3  --->  H2O  +  CO2

The CO2 is what you see foaming and bubbling in this reaction.
Article>> Vinegar and baking soda

For sluggish or clogged drains pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. Let set for a few minutes, Then pour a kettle of 6 or more cups of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar breaks down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.
DO NOT USE THIS METHOD AFTER ANY COMMERCIAL DRAIN OPENER HAS BEEN USED OR IS STILL PRESENT IN THE STANDING WATER.

Read article... Creative Uses for Vinegar and Baking Soda  

Taken From:  How To Do a Vinegar & Baking Soda Foam Fight

1. First, you need bottles for everyone. The classic 2-liter bottle is nice because it's compressible and holds a large volume. Gatorade bottles are also good because they have wide mouths, so it's easier to recharge the bottle.
2. Fill each bottle most of the way full of warm water and add a squirt of dish washing detergent.
3. Gather the rest of the materials you will need: lots of vinegar and baking soda and food coloring if you want colored bubbles. Be advised: adding food coloring could result in staining of clothing and other surfaces.
4. Add some baking soda to the bottle (couple of tablespoons or so). Put your hand over the bottle opening and shake it up to get the detergent water all sudsy. Drip a bit of food coloring onto the suds.
5. Note: if you add the food coloring before shaking the detergent water, then the dye will go into the water and the bubbles will be clear. If you add the coloring just prior to adding the vinegar then the bubbles will be deeply colored (which also increases the staining potential).
6. Pour in some vinegar. This starts the reaction. Feel free to give the bottle a little squeeze to help things along. Do NOT seal the bottle with a cap or lid. That basically makes a baking soda bomb, which is dangerous.
7. You can recharge the reaction with more baking soda and then more vinegar. If at any time you feel like shaking up the bottle only do this with your hand over the opening and never cap or seal the bottle.
8. The foam fight part most people figure out on their own. Have fun!

Tips:

1. Avoid getting the mixture into your eyes or mouth. If eye contact occurs, rinse the solution out. Don't drink the contents of the foam fight bottle.
2. Avoid contact with unreacted vinegar or undiluted dish washing detergent. Both can irritate skin and mucous membranes.

What You Need:

• empty compressible plastic bottle - no lids
• water
• dish washing detergent
• baking soda
• vinegar
• food coloring (optional)

Science Guy Bill Nye Killed In Massive Vinegar/Baking-Soda Explosion
(Click to read whole story… below is an excerpt)

Date of article August 23, 2000 | Issue 36•29

SEATTLE- "In a shocking, educational tragedy, PBS television host and science guy William "Bill" Nye was killed Monday in a massive vinegar/baking-soda explosion that destroyed an entire city block and showed kids how they can inflate their very own weather balloon using everyday household items."

…

"According to colleagues, Nye, the popular host of Bill Nye The Science Guy, had previously performed the fatal experiment on a much smaller scale without incident. On Monday, however, he filled a 5,000-gallon In-Ground Steel Container Of Science to the top with white vinegar and pulled a Giant Red Lever Of Science, releasing a dump-truck load of baking soda into the vat. "

"The resulting exothermic reaction was supposed to inflate the Giant Weather Balloon Of Science that Nye had suspended above the vat," Anspaugh said. "But something went horribly wrong and the resulting explosion destroyed the tank, the truck, the balloon, and Nye himself. We're still searching for his body and bow tie."

3 Homemade Natural Cleaning Products
From Sarah Aguirre,

Using lemons, vinegar, and baking soda as natural cleaning products in your home

One of my earliest memories is of my mother cleaning with what looked to me like cooking ingredients. She would be listening to the radio as she poured baking soda, lemon, and vinegar combinations on the surfaces of our home. Magically these natural cleaning products kept our home clean and smelling fresh, without stretching an already thin household budget. Here are a few basic household ingredients and items you can use to clean your home.

Vinegar
Uses: Vinegar naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner. Mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new store bought spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an inconspicuous area.
A Naturally Clean HomeLearn How Enzymes Clean Better. As seen on NBC's Today Show!chemfreesolutions.com
It is safe to use on most surfaces and has the added bonus of being incredibly cheap. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Never use vinegar on marble surfaces. Don't worry about your home smelling like vinegar. The smell disappears when it dries. Here are some uses for vinegar in the rooms of your house. Use it in the…

1. Bathroom - Clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and countertops. Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings. Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down. Pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim. Scrub down the bowl. Mop the flour in the bathroom with a vinegar/water solution. The substance will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tile. Make sure it is safe to use with your tile.

2. Kitchen- Clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops, and floor.

3. Laundry Room- Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.


Lemon Juice
Uses: Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home. Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Lemon is a great substance to clean and shine brass and copper. Lemon juice can be mixed with vinegar and or baking soda to make cleaning pastes. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains. Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.
My favorite use for the fruit is to put a whole lemon peel through the garbage disposal. It freshens the drain and the kitchen. Orange peels can be used with the same results.

Baking soda
Uses: can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. Try these three kitchen ingredients as natural cleaning products in your home.

How to Wash Your Hair Without Shampoo

There are many reasons to eschew typical shampoo and conditioner. For one, shampoo can actually be damaging to hair by building up a residue. Secondly, it costs money that you could put toward other things. And greatest of all, your hair will be a lot more healthy as well. 

Steps

1. Before showering, combine one tablespoon baking soda with one cup warm or hot water in a plastic bottle. Shake it for a moment and put it aside.
2. Combine one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) with one cup water in another plastic bottle.
3. Shower. Wet hair and slowly pour the baking soda mix onto your hair. Massage your scalp for a few minutes. You will probably not feel the baking soda, but it's there. Briefly work through the rest of your hair. Rinse.
4. Apply the ACV solution. Massage into scalp, and follow with a cool rinse. The cool water closes the cuticles and cuts down on frizzes.

 Tips

• This will work best if you wait a few days after your last hairwashing. Your hair may also have to go through a "detox" period of greasy hair which can last a week or two. During this time your hair is getting rid of old shampoo build-up. Be patient.
• ACV, of course, smells like vinegar. Don't worry though; once you have rinsed your hair the smell will go away. If it doesn't, you are using too much ACV.
• You don't have to condition your hair every time you wash.
• Don't be afraid to experiment and do what works best for you.
• Baking soda is also known as bicarbonate of soda. It is sold in most supermarkets, health food stores and similar places.
• Your hair may go through a transition period of up to two weeks, but if you can get past that, your hair will look and feel great!

 Warnings

• You can double or triple the baking soda recipe, but don't use more than one tablespoon per cup of water. Using too much can dry out your hair.
• Don't use baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking powder is too fine.

 Things You'll Need

• Plastic bottles
• One-tablespoon measuring spoon
• Baking soda
• Apple cider vinegar