Baking soda vs baking powder: Both can be used for cooking, but only one will clean your house

Both pantry staples that are commonly used in baking, the similar names of baking soda (bicarb soda) and baking powder mean the two often get easily confused.

While they sound like they could be the same thing and easily swapped out for one another, they're quite different and not exactly interchangeable.

So what is baking soda and baking powder and why can't we swap one for another?

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Baking soda

Also known as bicarbonate of soda, bi-carb soda and sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a salt that breaks down into bicarbonate and sodium in water.

Baking soda is alkaline, meaning it dissolves in water and has a pH of more than seven (with seven being neutral) and this is what gives it the ability to break down acid so well.

In terms of baking, bicarb soda is a leavening agent that makes the batter or dough expand. This happens when the alkaline baking soda reacts with the acid in ingredients like buttermilk, yoghurt or lemon juice and creates carbon dioxide gas resulting in your cake rising once it's in the oven.

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Baking powder

Here is where things get confusing, baking powder is a combination of sodium bicarbonate and powdered acids like cream of tartar and cornstarch.

So this leavening agent has both the alkaline and acid components that will make your cake rise once it's added to the mixture and popped in the oven.

Can baking soda and baking powder be substituted in cooking?

If you've run out of baking powder while cooking you can use baking soda, but only if you add some cream of tartar or cornstarch to it.

And if you've run out of baking/bicarb soda then you can use baking powder but you'll need to use three times the amount listed in the ingredients. For example. one tablespoon of baking soda should be substituted with three tablespoons of baking powder.

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Is baking soda or baking powder better for cleaning?

Baking/bicarb soda is hands down the superior of the two when it comes to cleaning.

While you can clean with baking powder there is no reason to as it won't be nearly as effective as baking soda. It'll also be more expensive as baking powder tends to cost more for smaller amounts than baking soda.

There are a few reasons baking soda is best for cleaning including it's alkalinity. Since it's not acidic – unlike baking powder – it will react with acids making it good for cutting through grease and removing stains.

This also means baking soda is brilliant at absorbing odours, which tends to be a big issue around the home so you want something affordable and easy to use to combat them.

Finally, baking soda is more abrasive than baking powder. This allows it to gently scrub surfaces to remove grease, grime and dirt.

Those three factors combined are what makes baking soda so good for cleaning, so keep the baking powder just for cooking.

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