20 Clever Uses For Club Soda You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Updated: Oct. 02, 2020If you're only using club soda to mix a fancy cocktail, you're tapping just a fraction of its potential. Find out how to put these versatile bubbles to work all around the house.
20 Great Uses For Club Soda (Besides Drinking It)
Fascinating facts about club soda…
Bubbling water has been associated with good health since the time of the ancient Romans, who enjoyed drinking mineral water almost as much as they liked bathing in it. The first club soda was sold in North America at the end of the 1700s. That’s when pharmacists figured out how to infuse plain water with carbon dioxide, which they believed was responsible for giving natural bubbling water health-inducing qualities. Club soda and seltzer are essentially the same. However, seltzer is a natural effervescent water (named for a region in Germany where it is plentiful) whereas club soda is manufactured.
Besides serving as a mixer in many popular drinks, club soda can come in handy all around the home. Here are some clever uses for club soda you might not have considered.
Use club soda to make pancakes and waffles fluffier
If you like your pancakes and waffles on the fluffy side, substitute club soda for the liquid called for in recipes. You’ll be amazed at how light and fluffy your breakfast treats turn out.
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Give your plants a mineral bath
Don’t throw out that left over club soda—use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants. The minerals in the soda water help green plants grow. For maximum benefit, try to water your plants with club soda about once a week.
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Make light work of shucking oysters
If you love oysters but find shucking them to be a near-impossible chore, try soaking them in club soda before you shuck. The oysters won’t exactly jump out of their shells, but they will be much easier to open.
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Clean kitchen countertops and fixtures
Pour club soda directly on stainless steel ovens, countertops and sinks. Wipe with a soft cloth, rinse with warm water, and wipe dry. To clean porcelain fixtures, simply pour club soda over them and wipe with a soft cloth. There’s no need for soap or rinsing, and the soda will not mar the finish. Give the inside of your refrigerator a good cleaning with a weak solution of club soda and a little bit of salt.
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Clean your car windshield
Use club soda to help remove bird droppings and greasy stains from the windshield. The fizzy water speeds the cleaning process.
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Restore your hair colour
If your blonde hair turns green when you swim in a pool with too much chlorine, don’t panic. Rinse your hair with club soda and it will change back to its original colour.
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Clean precious gems with club soda
Soak your diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds in club soda to give them a bright sheen. Simply place them in a glass full of club soda and let them soak overnight.
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Tame your tummy
Cold club soda with a dash of bitters will work wonders on an upset stomach caused by indigestion or a hangover.
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Use club soda to remove rust
To loosen rusty nuts and bolts, pour some club soda over them. The carbonation helps to bubble the rust away.
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Eliminate urine stains
Did one of your four-legged friends have an accident? After blotting up as much urine as possible, pour club soda over the stained area and immediately blot again. The club soda will get rid of the stain and help reduce the foul smell.
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Sip a diet-friendly drink
If you enjoy a tasty cocktail but don’t want all the extra sugar and calories from pure juice or soda, use club soda as a mixer.
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Remove fabric stains with club soda
Clean grease stains from double-knit fabrics. Pour club soda on the stain and scrub gently. Scrub more vigorously to remove stains on carpets or less delicate articles of clothing.
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Ease cast-iron cleanup
Food tastes delicious when it’s cooked in cast iron, but cleaning those heavy pots and pans with the sticky mess inside is no fun at all. You can make the cleanup a lot easier by pouring some club soda in the pan while it’s still warm. The bubbly soda will keep the mess from sticking.
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Preserve newspaper clippings
Preserve newspaper articles worth holding onto by soaking the clippings in a club soda and milk of magnesia mixture for about an hour, then take them out to dry.
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Make amazing matzo ball soup
Club soda doesn’t just make pancakes and waffles fluffier, it can also be the secret ingredient in matzo ball soup. We all know the best part of matzo ball soup is the matzo ball itself, so add some club soda to your favourite recipe so it is extra soft and moist.
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Make your gelatin dessert dazzle
The next time you serve this up at a party, try replacing cold water with club soda when combining the powder. Not only will it make each bite have a hint of fizz but also it will add a literal sparkle to the dessert. You can even use flavoured seltzer if you want some added taste.
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Control frizzy hair
Shampoo your hair as you normally would, but instead of using conditioner, pour club soda on your wet hair and work it through, then rinse it with cold water. Style your hair as you normally would and you may find that your frizz is tamed once and for all!
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Clean up your car upholstery
Club soda can be a great cleaner when it comes to car upholstery. For gross stains such as vomit, spray club soda on the stain and let it sit for half an hour. Then blot it with a clean cloth or paper towels and you should notice a difference.
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Use club soda in science experiments
If want to wow a little one with an avid imagination, try some science experiments. Fill a glass about halfway with club soda, then drop in a few raisins. The raisins will dance up and down thanks to the carbon dioxide bubbles—a fascinating science lesson you didn’t learn in school!
Make your mirrors sparkle
Just as you can use club soda to clean off your filthy car windshield, you can also use it to make your mirrors at home shine. To get rid of all those smears and fingerprint stains, simply spray the mirror with some club soda and your result will be a streak-free and odourless finish.
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