Sorry, didn't know whether to put this in Food or Other/General.

I'm looking for the Swiss equivalent (if it exists) to Arm & Hammer baking soda. Americans on the forums will know it for the box that you put in the fridge to deodorize and then pour down the sink to clean and deodorize the pipes.

The closest I've come across is the little sodium bicarbonate packs in the baking section of Coop/Migros. But they're just too small. Does anyone know if there is an equivalent or if there is some other product I should be looking for?

Go to the drugstore (Apotheke) and ask for 'Natron'.

The chemically correct term in German is "Natrium-Hydrogenkarbonat." An obselete term but still widely understood and slightly less of a mouthful is "Natrium-Bikarbonat."

Even when bought by the pound or so it may still be ten times as expensive as baking soda in the USA.

I knew that but thought 'Natron' would be equally widely understood - or am I wrong? - and even less of a mouthful.

I hope no-ones aiming to eat it...

You can buy Arm and Hammer Baking soda in cologny at a great store - American Food Avenue It is 1.50chf for a small box and 2.50 for a large box. I just bought some myself this last weekend. 5 Rue de Mairie in cologny.

You can buy natron at all grocery stores. It's located next to the vanilla zucker in some places and in the spice section (as in Migros) in other stores. They come in small packets.

Probably not the stuff they're looking for. Certainly in the UK there are 3 entirely different things: (1) bicarbonate of soda and (2) baking powder used for cooking, and (3) baking soda used to clean drains, scour pans, etc.

Sounds like the OP is looking for (3). And you REALLY wouldn't want to eat that stuff...

kodokan

Kodokan, you are right, except your item (1) is a bit more complicated than you wrote. Anyway, chemists don't like the term "natron" because of its ambiguity. That's why I mentioned the chemically correct terms for baking soda. And baking soda (NaHCO3) is what the OP was asking for.

As I wrote, those terms are a bit complicated, but it shouldn't be too difficult for the OP to write one of those terms on a slip of paper to show at the drugstore.

And you REALLY wouldn't want to eat that stuff...

kodokan[/QUOTE]

I have to totally disagree, Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, is totally edible, it is the BEST anti-acid one could ever find, it has none of the crap that Tums and Rollaids have. One can add it to the mixture for a netti pot nose rinse, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp Baking Soda in 2 cups of warm water (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation Solutions used for nasal irrigation)
I also add 1/2 tsp of xylitol.

And It makes great Soda Bread and Corn Bead... been cooking with Arm and Hammer Baking Soda for 30 years.

You can also often find Arm and Hammer at specialty stores... such as Asian food stores or any other "foreign" food store. I usually buy my brown sugar, baking soda, distilled white vinegar, etc. at such specialty food stores as they are (as other posters have mentioned) easier to find and 10x less expensive Hope this helps!

Baking soda has a lot of uses. The fridge stuff is the same as the stuff that we eat, clean tea cups with, brush teeth with etc. I am assured that you can get the big boxes at Carrefour in Aosta.

Excellent, I just arrived in Chur on Saturday the 5th and my HHG won't come for 10 weeks, I'd love to get some Agave syrup, Xylitol, rice vinegar, Dan's Prime widow maker and Texas stinger hot sauces. I went to the website that MrMert suggested (American Food Avenue ) and found Argo aluminum free baking power and French Worcestershire Sauce, Argo corn starch and Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.

Sorry, a bit off topic for the OP...
You are lucky to in Chur, we have a really wonderful health food store in the old city called Rägawurm ,which is by far the best store (only store) I have found of the sort... reminds me of the stores back home... quite different, more down to earth and health oriented than the standard Reformhaus.

Comandergasse 3
7000 Chur
Tel. 081 252 16 95

Montag
13.30 - 18.30
Dienstag - Freitag
9.00 - 12.15 / 13.30 - 18.30
Samstag
9.00 - 16.00

Another store I just found (I've never been) is called Welt Laden...

Untere Gasse 22
7000 Chur
Tel. 081 252 20 72

Di-Fr 9.00-12.00 / 13.30-18.00
Mo 13.30-18.00
Sa 9.00-16.00

And the address for the Reformhaus
MÜLLER REFORMHAUS VITAL SHOP AG
GRAUBÜNDEN, 7000 CHUR, QUADERSTRASSE 15

Chur: Montag - Freitag: 08.30 - 18.30 und Samstag: 08.30 - 16.00.

OH Thank you Thank you Thank you so very much!!!... I just arrived from Seattle, after living there since 1996... it kinda gets into the blood for health conscious stuff :-) My Swiss wife lived in Chur from 16 to 26 then met me in Seattle, she wanted to come back home, I had no reservations in leaving. Switzerland is so awesome! she says she knows where the Rägawurm is, and maybe we can get lots of different beans and stuff.... it's cool to see sweet potatoes at the coop today.

I should add that she met me in 1999, we got married and lived in Seattle till the 5th of July :-)

In the fall, you can even get fresh cranberries at coop and migros. I love the small Manor for fresh produce, bread, fish, etc. Canned beans, and even Heinz tomato soup, your BBQ sauce and what not can also be found at Manor and coop. For more unique things... there is canned pumpkin, brown sugar, blooming teas, and many other things I haven't found anywhere else at the Globus under the trainstation (but it is also crazy expensive). I buy my brown sugar, "jello", and some other baking things at the Portuguese store (a lot cheaper than Globus) @ Ottostrasse 20. Otto's discount sells huge bags of rice, specialty sauces, and other foreign goodies. Maple syrup I get from Coop, peanut butter from Otto's, Coop or Lidl... I can write a book, or I could just show you Welcome to/back to Chur

Thanks so much!, if I could add to your times thanked, I would, but I'm new to this forum stuff and can not find the button, or since I'm a newbie I need to post 500 times in order to be considered a non-spam entity or something. I guess i could go read the forum rules. Anyway, today my 3.5 y/o daughter and I get to go to Kleiderboerse Sunnaschy and the Post, and stop at the Coop on the way back and get a Utility boom, so I can sweep the common ways... my dogs nerves has caused her to drop a bit of hair all over the 48 stairs. :-)