---
title: "Does Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) expire? Degrades in qua"
description: "It lasts for years as a cleaner and a deodoriser, but its baking power fades once the tub has been opened a while. What actually changes over time, whether it matter"
url: https://atoneplace.net/does-it-expire/baking-soda/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Does Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) expire?

**Does Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) expire?: It lasts for years as a cleaner and a deodoriser, but its baking power fades once the tub has been opened a while.**

About 2 years opened for baking; indefinite for cleaning

Sodium bicarbonate is a stable salt and does not rot, but it reacts with any acidity and moisture it meets, including in the air of a kitchen, so an open tub gradually converts at the surface and lifts less. It only produces gas in a recipe when something acidic is present — buttermilk, yoghurt, vinegar, cocoa — which is the difference between it and baking powder that catches people out. Test it with a splash of vinegar: it should foam immediately and hard. For scrubbing, deodorising and fridge duty, age is irrelevant.

## How to store it

- Airtight; the cardboard box it comes in is not airtight.

## How to tell it has gone

- A teaspoon in vinegar should foam violently. A weak fizz means use it for cleaning instead.

> "Use by" and "best before" are legally different. Use-by is a safety date and should be respected; best-before is about quality, and food is usually fine well past it. Where the two diverge matters, the page above says which applies.

## Common questions

### Does Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) expire?

It lasts for years as a cleaner and a deodoriser, but its baking power fades once the tub has been opened a while.

### How long does Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) last?

About 2 years opened for baking; indefinite for cleaning

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## Sources

- US Food and Drug Administration — FDA (https://www.fda.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]