YSK to put out grease fires with baking soda and NOT WATER

50+ Uses for Baking Soda

Not only can it be used for baking, but it is also a great product to use to clean your home as part of your house cleaning checklist. Don’t resort to using harsh chemicals! Baking soda is bicarbonate of sodium.

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Does hot oil and water make fire?

The reaction is so violent because water and oil don’t mix. When the water is poured into the beaker of burning oil, it sinks to the bottom and, due to the intense heat, vaporizes into steam almost instantaneously. … This oxygenates the oil and creates the huge flame…”

How Does Baking Soda Work?

Although baking soda is not flammable, it is ‘reactive’, particularly when it comes into contact with acids. When the chemical compounds in sodium bicarbonate meet acids they release carbon dioxide.

It is these tiny carbon dioxide bubbles that give cakes and sponges their lovely, airy appearance and texture. It is also this release of carbon dioxide that causes baking soda to fizz and foam when mixed with acidic substances, like coca cola or vinegar – but more on that later!

How to Prevent Your Cooking Pan from Catching Fire

The best way to make sure grease fires don’t become a common occurrence in your home is prevention.

Here are a few ways to do just that:

Never Leave Food Unattended

When you’re cooking, it should be your only priority. For example, someone might get a phone call which is very likely to distract them.

Even if you’re on your phone, make sure to always stay in the kitchen – especially when you’re cooking with grease or when your oven or toaster is at a very high temperature.

It only takes 30 seconds for the smoke to turn into fire. If you have to leave the kitchen for an emergency, don’t forget to turn the burner off before exiting.

Don’t Cook When You’re Tired

After a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is spend time in the kitchen. A good idea is to prepare your meals beforehand or order out if you’re too tired because cooking can be potentially dangerous.

Cooking needs your undivided attention, and this is why you shouldn’t do it when you’re intoxicated or tired.

Remove Moisture

Before you start cooking, it is a good idea to remove as much moisture from your food as you can. If your pan is hot, food with a high moisture content can cause a fire.

Try to avoid putting frozen food into hot grease – this not only causes a fire but also causes your pan to crack.

Monitor Grease Temperature

Since grease is the most common cause of a fire, we suggest checking the temperature of the grease. Make certain to keep the grease at the recommended temperature.

Check the instruction manual that comes with your pan to learn more about the recommended temperature of your pan. You can use a thermometer to monitor the temperature easily.

Heat Oil Slowly

To prevent your pan from catching fire, make sure to heat the oil slowly. This means that you can’t directly raise the temperature very high— do it gradually so that your pan doesn’t heat up very quickly either.

When adding food, make sure to add it gently— this will avoid hot oil from splattering all over you. Wear gloves when dealing with hot oil at all times.

Can you use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda?

This is an important point that is sometimes overlooked. It is very easy to confuse baking soda with baking powder.

They may be in similar containers in the same kitchen cupboard. You may accidentally refer to them by the wrong name. That becomes a problem when considering using bicarbonate of soda to put out fires.

Baking powder is not safe to use because it is much more volatile when in contact with the flames. Sprinkling baking powder on a fire could lead to small explosions that worsen the fire and create a bigger health and safety risk.

It is also crucial to remember that there is a similar effect with flour, so don’t use that either.

If you have any doubts, call 911 and wait for the fire department to arrive.

There is great potential in using bicarbonate of soda to control small fires in your home. You may be able to extinguish small electrical fires before they get out of control or tame a grease fire so it doesn’t spread too far.

But, there is nothing wrong with just vacating the property and waiting for professional help if you aren’t confident in trying out bicarbonate of soda. Keep some on hand in case of emergencies, but always call the fire service for help.

Is there a Substitute for Baking Soda?

If you are in the kitchen cooking and find that you don’t have the baking soda that is needed, you can always use baking powder as a substitute. Baking powder contains a small amount of baking soda, so you have to triple the amount called for in the recipe.

Can you use bicarbonate of soda on kitchen fires?

One situation where you can make use of baking soda for fires is a kitchen fire. Kitchen fires can occur when grease or oil catches alight.

Deep fat fryers are a big fire hazard but there are also incidents with hot oil on stovetops. When this happens, refrain from throwing any water at the fire because this will cause the oil to spit and possibly send more flames into the air.

This then increases the risk of burns and fire damage. Instead, what you need to do is smother the flames to remove the oxygen.

There are a couple of ways that you can do this depending on the intensity of the fire. The first option is to get your container of baking soda and dump it over the flames.

The more you use the better the impact. This could cause such a quick response with the generation of carbon dioxide in the heat of the flames that the oxygen depletes rapidly enough for the fire to go out.

Or it could control the fire enough for you to get a cover for the pan. Covering a pan fire is a brilliant way to stop the fire as there is a physical barrier stopping more oxygen from getting to the flames.

A pan lid is ideal but a baking sheet could also work.

Can Baking Soda Explode?

No, baking soda is not combustible, and therefore cannot explode. However, it can create some pretty impressive reactions when mixed with certain other ingredients.

• When baking soda is added to coca-cola it fizzes up enormously and creates a bubbly fountain that jets high into the air depending on how much you use.
• When mixed with sugar and lighter fluid, baking soda creates something called a ‘black fire snake’ – however we do not recommend you do this experiment at home unless you have a fire extinguisher on hand.

What is the fastest way to put out a fire?

Sprinkle baking soda or salt on the grease. This will quickly absorb it and will put out the fire out at its source. You can also use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire, but DO NOT use water or flour. Flour can make it worse and water does not mix with oil, hence it would only cause the fire to spread.

Risks

• Baking soda may be ingested for heartburn, gout or even urinary tract infections. Mixing a small amount of this white powder for relief is a relatively simple and very inexpensive way to help improve your body’s pH so that these health conditions are not as severe. Baking soda is not a cure for any disease, nor is it a substitute for regular medical care. Be sure to talk to your doctor first to see if ingesting baking soda is right for you and how much is safe.
• Baking soda is high in sodium and is not safe in high doses nor should it be used over a long period of time. It is also not safe for people who have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease or edema. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid it unless directed by their doctor. If not dissolved properly or if taken on a full stomach it can cause an upset stomach.
• Possible side effects of drinking baking soda in water include stomach cramps and increased thirst. If you notice more serious side effects such as nausea, weakness, slow breathing, mental changes or swelling of the feet, contact your doctor.

• Baking soda’s a natural fire-stopper. Keep a box close at hand when you’re working with live fire of any kind. A handful can put out grease, electrical, wood, and fuel fires.
• Run a baking soda and water solution through your coffee maker, followed by two fresh-water brew cycles to keep your java tasting tip-top.
• It’s also great on the grate. Sprinkle it on the grill, or make a paste with water, and scrub grit off the grill without the danger of adding nasty cleaning chemicals to your food.
• Zap nasty cutting board tastes and smells but scrubbing them with a mixture of baking soda and salt. It’ll cut grease, won’t dry out the wood, and will also take garlic and onion smells off your skin.
• Use a damp paper towel and a sprinkling of soda to remove tea and punch stains from china and plastic.
• A pinch of baking soda in a gallon of freshly-brewed iced tea takes out bad-tasting tannins and prevents cloudiness.
• When you’re soaking dried beans or cooking cabbage, add a dash to the water to make them more digestible.
• To keep tomato soup from curdling, sprinkle some soda on the boiling tomatoes and skim off the white foam before adding milk or cream.
• Two tablespoons added to boiling corn and cauliflower keeps the veggies crisp.

• Don’t give oral health the brush-off. Soak retainers, mouthguards and dentures in a baking soda and warm water solution (2 tsp to a drinking glass full) and keep your choppers feeling clean.

• Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water for an effective and inexpensive skin exfoliant. Just apply it to your skin with fingertips or a washcloth in a gentle, circular motion and rinse. It also works well
• Mix a little soda into your shampoo to strip out product build-up, or rub it into your conditioner for extra-healthy, non-split-prone tips.

• Apply a paste of baking soda and water to take the ouch out of bug bites, bee stings, sunburns, rashes, poison ivy, or pour in bathwater for relief from the itch of chicken pox and measles.
• Drink 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 a glass of water to relieve acid indigestion and heartburn, or use it as a mouthwash to soothe canker sore pain.

• Neutralize spilled battery acid in a flash with a handful of baking soda.
• Baking soda on a wet wash cloth makes an excellent bumper buffer when little scuffs appear. It also shines up bike chrome.
• Use a soft brush and a baking soda and water paste to clean efficiency-killing grease and grime from your car’s battery.

• No one likes reeking of smoke, sweat or spit-up. Rub baking soda directly on baby spit-up to nix the smell quickly. Soak sweat-drenched headbands, hats and gloves or smoky clothes in a baking soda solution before they hit the washing machine. Or, if you’re pressed for time, sprinkle it on clothing for a quick odor mask, and wash when you get a chance.
• Shoes can smell a bit iffy after you’ve been wearing them all day. Once you’ve kicked them off, stick a small cloth pouch of baking soda in the toe overnight to tame any icky odors.

• Keep fungus, black spot and powdery mildew off your precious plants by mixing baking soda, horticultural oil and soap and applying it to affected leaves. It’s also effective on rose leaves. Just add 1 tsp of soda and a few drops of dishwashing soap to a gallon of water, and spray once a week, and after it rains.

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