Common alkaline substances: a practical guide from the kitchen to life

Common alkaline substances: a practical guide from the kitchen to life

Did you know? The bag of "soda ash" in the kitchen that makes the dough fluffy, the "caustic soda" used to unclog the sewer, and even the "slaked lime" used to adjust the soil when growing flowers, they seem inconspicuous, but they are actually very strong alkaline masters. They seem ordinary, but they quietly play an indispensable role in food, clothing, housing and transportation - today, let's talk about these "a little tempered" old friends and see what's so powerful about them.

Common alkalis in life and their functions, in simple terms:

- Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda, caustic soda): It has a strong alkalinity and is mainly used in industry, such as making soaps and detergents. It can also unclog blocked sewers (dissolve oil and hair).

 - Calcium hydroxide (slaked lime): commonly used in construction (mixed with sand to build walls), can improve acidic soil in agriculture, and can also disinfect and sterilize (for example, disinfect fish ponds).

- Sodium carbonate (soda ash, soda): moderately alkaline, commonly used in the kitchen, can remove grease (washing dishes, scrubbing pots), and can neutralize sourness and make the dough fluffier when making pasta.

- Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): It has a weak alkalinity and a wide range of uses. It can be used to make dough and cakes, clean fruits and vegetables (remove pesticide residues), and relieve excessive stomach acid.

From kitchen cleaners to building stabilizers, from the deliciousness of food to environmental management, these common alkalis are like a group of low-key "behind-the-scenes heroes". After all, the stable operation of life has always been inseparable from the silent help of these alkalis.