Feet problems

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems

Baking soda is well-known for its alkaline property that helps to regulate and balance our body's pH levels. This makes it great for treating indigestion and gastric reflux. However, baking soda is good for our bodies both inside and out. One positive effect is on our skin as it can be an excellent skin care treatment. On different parts of our bodies, it can improve both cosmetic appearance and help with odor and pain relief. In this oneHOWTO article, we will focus on how to use baking soda on your feet as this is where pain relief and odor problems become very important. It's a very effective and handy home remedy for many hygiene and healthcare issues. Did you know you can also use it to bake a cake?

You may also be interested in: How to treat athlete's foot with home remedies

Contents

  1. Why use baking soda on your feet?
  2. Baking soda exfoliator
  3. Baking soda to combat foot odor
  4. Baking soda for athlete's foot

Why use baking soda on your feet?

Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda and even cooking soda. It is a substance which has many different uses in a wide range of industries, but is also great for home health care. It is even used as a form of pest control, but often the science behind it works in a similar way despite these different purposes. Take pest control for example. It can prevent certain types of fungal growth and is registered as a type of pesticide. While this might be good on your crops, it can also affect fungal growth on your feet.

Baking soda is one of the best natural products to care for our feet and to always keep them healthy and beautiful. And you want to know how, right? First of all, baking soda can work as an excellent exfoliator to soften the foot skin and combat unsightly calluses often found on the heels. Again, this is similar to its industrial use as an abrasive. The science of how it can clean metals like aluminium, can be the same for sore feet or feet with a lot of dry skin. The difference is concentration and how we use it- Secondly, just as it eliminates odors on clothes, it is extremely effective in treating foot odor and athlete's foot. Pay attention to the following guide to learn how to use it in each problem.

It is important to remember that there is a difference between baking soda and baking powder. While baking powder does contain baking soda, it also contains a weak acid. This acid will not do you too much harm, but it is not good for your skin. If you want to make a baking soda foot soak or use baking soda for sore feet remedies, then do not use baking powder. This is particularly the case if you have sensitive skin which causes sore feet.

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems - Why use baking soda on your feet?

Baking soda exfoliator

It is not just the chemical composition that we use baking soda for feet. The granules in baking soda make it a great natural choice to exfoliate the skin, breaking down dead skin cells and making them easier to clean from sore or dry feet. This removes impurities and can leave skin much softer to the touch. You can make the most of this by also using it on your feet, especially if they always have hard skin, calluses and dry skin.

To make a baking soda exfoliating foot scrub, just mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a little water. To make it more effective, you can also add in 2 tablespoons of oatmeal. Thoroughly clean your feet and spread the mixture onto them in circular motions using an old toothbrush to remove all the dead skin. It will leave you with beautiful, soft and pedicured feet.

Another of the interesting sore feet remedies is a baking soda scrub which uses brown sugar. To make this baking soda foot scrub treatment, mix together equal parts baking soda, brown sugar and coconut oil. The baking soda will work on any fungus or foot odor you might have, the tough brown sugar granules will work as an exfoliating scrub and the coconut oil will help soothe and moisturize the skin. You can store it for months after making it, but just don't put it in your pantry and mistake it for a cooking ingredient.

Foot scrubs are not the only home remedies for sore feet, as baking soda is really versatile for other foot problems too.

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems - Baking soda exfoliator

Baking soda to combat foot odor

Do you suffer from sweaty or smelly feet? Even if you try hard to keep a good cleaning regimen, it can be hard to find ways to remove smelly feet odor once the smell gets in there. Many home remedies and store bought remedies only mask the smell, rather than effectively removing it. This is where bakins soda for smelly feet comes in. Baking soda is a natural product which works to neutralise odors by completely absorbing the smell.

It is a desiccant. This means it is a dry substance which absorbs moisture. It is a similar process to how you can make homemade dehumidifiers. The baking soda not only absorbs the moisture, but also the bacteria which causes the smell. There are two possible ways to use baking soda to tackle foot odor:

  • Place 2 teaspoons of baking soda inside your shoes, letting it sit there overnight. The baking soda needs the time to activate and work, so make sure you give yourself enough time for this home remedy. Also, be careful with the material the shoe is made from as you don't want to stain it.
  • Use it for an odor-eliminating baking soda foot soak or foot bath. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda into a bowl of warm water and let your feet soak in it for at least 20 minutes. When finished, dry your feet with a clean towel and apply a moisturiser or a specific foot deodorant to help you keep them smelling fresh. You can also add some home fragrances to the warm water to make it even more effective. Adding a little vanilla extract, aloe vera or even cinnamon can really help neutralize bad foot odor as they work together with the baking soda.

If you are looking for an effective baking soda foot soak, combine the baking soda with pleasant fragrances, but remember that you need both to work together otherwise you will just me masking the smell. Tea tree oil, lemon juice and coconut are good options.

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems - Baking soda to combat foot odor

Baking soda for athlete's foot

When wanting to use baking soda for feet, one of the most common infections which affects feet is called athlete's foot, otherwise known as foot fungus. It usually appears in-between the toes or on the soles of your feet. It can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as itching, burning and stinging. To treat it, you may be prescribed antifungal medication by a doctor or podiatrist (foot doctor), but there are some natural products such as baking soda that can help get rid of it quicker and combat its symptoms.

If you want to treat athlete's foot with baking soda, mix 2 tablespoons of it into a basin with half a glass of apple cider vinegar and two cups of warm water. This will provide a baking soda foot soak to which you can add fragrances like we mentioned before. Then, dip your feet into the mixture and leave them in for 15 minutes to let the disinfectant properties of both the baking soda and the vinegar fight against the foot fungus.

Another way to apply baking soda for feet as a home remedy is to mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with another of water to form a paste. Rub the paste directly on to the affected area and leave for half an hour. Wash off when the sore feet remedy with baking soda has started to work. This is not a miracle cure for fungal or sore feet, but repeated application can help stay on top of your fungal infection.

Like all of these home remedies for feet using baking soda, it can't hurt to use two or more to make sure you are well covered. Proper foot hygiene is very important and leaving it untreated is a slippery slope. Baking soda can be an effective home remedy for foot problems, so try it out for yourself.

How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems - Baking soda for athlete's foot

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

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3 comments
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Pat
This sight is briliant for helping with feet problems
My husband uses Bicarbonate of soda for very sore painful bunions and it works!.
My aged aunt 97, is suffering badly with a bunion can I use that on hers. All other help from the GP has failed her, now her bunion is slightly split.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Pat,

We're very glad you found this article helpful. Well down to your aunt and we hope it can help her too!
Rating:
gary e alexander
great article
OneHowTo Editor
We're glad it was useful for you!
Rating:
Bhavana Daya
I have dark marks on the top of the toes what can I use please
OneHowTo Editor
First of all you need to determine what the cause for these dark marks is. This is why we advise you to visit a doctor first, in order to know what your condition is and so you can treat it properly.
Hope this helps
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How to Use Baking Soda as a Home Remedy for Foot Problems