You Should Put Some Baking Soda in a Salt Shaker — Here’s Why

The spillage is real. Whether you’re measuring a small amount for a recipe, or shaking a mound into your sink drain, baking soda always leaves a powdery mess behind. You’d think someone would have designed a better spout for baking soda boxes by now, but at such a low price point (less than a buck a box) we can’t really expect many bells and whistles. It’s what’s inside that matters anyway — right?

So it follows that we just go on with life, expecting a spill every single time we pour baking soda out of the box.

But spills mean waste. So why not take matters into your own hands and remedy the problem by simply transferring the contents of the box into a vessel that’s more efficient (and easier) to use?

A salt shaker (empty of any previous contents) is inexpensive and gives a precise pour every time. It also fits perfectly in your cleaning caddy. (Ditto for a sugar dispenser that you’d see at a diner or coffee shop.) Admittedly, I was a bit worried about clumps, but that powder streamed right out of the holes like water every time.

You can likely find a simple salt shaker in the housewares aisle of your local grocery or dollar store, or snag one on Amazon for around $5.

(Editor’s note: The cheapest salt shaker result on Amazon is for those caps that turn Corona bottles into salt and pepper shakers, in case you want to bring a little Key West to your cleaning caddy. Just make sure you label everything clearly so that you can differentiate between your table salt and your baking soda shaker.)

If nothing else, the satisfaction that comes from not having to deal with that box each time you use baking soda is a major win in my book!

• Why Is Baking Soda Such a Good Cleaner?
• Even More Things You Can Clean with Baking Soda
• How To Clean an Oven with Baking Soda & Vinegar
• The Top 10 Things to Clean in the Kitchen with a Box of Baking Soda
• 4 Things You Should Never Clean with Baking Soda

Baking soda is an all-natural, slightly abrasive compound. While it’s a neutral, its pH is slightly higher, making it mildly basic. Most odors are acidic, so baking soda reacts with them, neutralizing the air. It absorbs odors rather than masks them, and since it’s mildly abrasive, it can clean everything from your teeth to silver. There are very few things in your home you actually can’t clean with baking soda.

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Why You Should Put Baking Soda in a Salt Shaker

How do you use baking soda in your home?