Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a white, crystalline, or granular powder. In water baking soda is soluble, and in alcohol it is slightly soluble. Baking soda helps to maintain pH for everyday life. It is made from soda ash called sodium carbonate. It is dissolved in a solution, carbon dioxide bubbles out, and the sodium bicarbonate precipitates out. Baking soda can be used for cleaning, deoderizing, leavening, buffering, and fire extinguishing among other things. Baking soda also has some medical importance. It is used as an antacid, correction of acidosis in kidney disorders, minimize acid crystallization during gout treatment, and many others.