Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda 226g

Baking soda is one of the few things in a kitchen that earns its shelf space three times over. In a bowl it lifts cakes, mandazi and pancakes. At the sink it scours a burnt sufuria without scratching it. In the fridge, an open box quietly takes the smell out of the air.

This is the Arm & Hammer box — pure sodium bicarbonate, no fillers, no scent. It is the same product whether you are using it for a birthday cake or a bathroom sink, which is why the box tends to live somewhere between the two.

How people use it

• Baking. Roughly a quarter teaspoon per cup of flour, with something acidic — buttermilk, yoghurt, lemon — to set it off.
• Scouring. Make a paste with a little water and work it over burnt pans, tiles or a stained sink.
• Deodorising. Stand an open box at the back of the fridge, or sprinkle it into a bin before the liner goes in.
• Soaking. A few spoons in warm water for tired feet.

Keeping it

Close the box after use and keep it somewhere dry. Kampala humidity will cake it solid if you leave it open.