20 Clever Uses For Club Soda You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

If 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.

Uses for club soda - Club soda in a cocktail
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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.

Fluffy pancakes
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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 turns out.

Don’t miss these brilliant cooking shortcuts.

Outdoor plants on a balcony
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Give your plants a mineral bath

Don’t throw out that club soda after it’s gone flat—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.

Here are more genius gardening tips you’ll wish you knew sooner.

Shucking oysters
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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.

These clever kitchen hacks will change the way you cook.

Using club soda to clean the fridge
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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.

Here’s how to clean absolutely everything in your kitchen, according to Charles the Butler of CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show.

Man cleaning car windshield with club soda
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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.

Check out more clever car cleaning tricks the pros don’t want you to know.

Diamond ring
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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.

Discover more cleaning hacks for hard-to-remove stuff.

Upset stomach
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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.

Find out more highly effective home remedies for indigestion.

Rusty nut and bolt
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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.

Here are 100 more vintage home hacks every do-it-yourselfer should know.

Guilty looking chocolate lab puppy
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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.

Check out more hacks to get rid of household odours.

non-alcoholic summer drink with lemon, orange ice, on a light background, high key
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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.

Find out the best (and worst) drinks to keep you hydrated.

Pouring club soda
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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.

These brilliant laundry hacks make stain removal less of a chore.

Club soda hacks - cleaning cast iron skillet
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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.

Find out the viral trick that makes your pots and pans look brand new.

Uses for club soda - matzo ball soup
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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.

Here are 20+ chicken soup recipes that will warm your soul.

Jelly dessert with strawberries and raspberries on wooden background
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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.

Check out 30 easy desserts that start with cake mix.

Woman's hand holding dry, blonde, tangled hair on the light gray background. Hair problem and solution. Daily women's issues.
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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!

Find out more healthy hair secrets.

Back seat of car
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Clean 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.

Surprise—this pantry staple is the best polish for your dashboard!

black raisins on white background
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Use club soda in science experiments

If want to wow a little one who has a vivid 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!

Uses for club soda - woman cleaning mirror
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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 fingerprints, simply spray the mirror with some club soda and your result will be a streak-free and odourless finish.

Check out 50 more dollar store solutions to life’s little problems.

Originally Published in Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

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