I've lost count of the amount of hacks I've scrolled through or articles I've read - or written - that counts as the 'holy grail' natural ingredient. It has so many uses, from multi-purpose to , baking soda can really do it all... allegedly.

It supposedly has the capacity to help whiten and brighten discoloured and stain . I don't typically wear white out of fear of stains. I just know I'm clumsy enough to spill or drink down myself.

However I took the plunge and bought myself a white t-shirt just a few months ago. I can count on two hands the amount of times I've worn it, but even still, I couldn't escape the slight yellowish hue forming from sweat.

Granted, this is an occupational hazard with wearing white. Nothing stays pristine forever.

Even though I've washed the t-shirt on the correct setting, the stains still persist. However, multiple influencers swear by a homemade concoction of baking soda paste to help brighten these stains.

Although there are many variations, some of which include hydrogen peroxide and washing up liquid, the main paste is made merely of baking soda and water. The paste needs to be liquid enough to spread over the stain, but not too runny.

It's difficult to know what the correct ratios are; with mine having around two tablespoons of water to over 100 grams of baking soda. I targeted the stains under the armpits by applying the paste liberally, as well as to a very small foundation stain on the neck of the t-shirt.

Once applied, I left it to stew for about 30 minutes. Some people suggest leaving the paste to do its magic overnight, but my patience runs thin.

After 30 painstaking minutes, the paste had the consistency of wet sand slowly drying out. The blemished areas of the t-shirt looked saturated enough, so satisfied, I popped it in for a wash at 40° for one hour and 25 minutes.

When the wash was over, I gave the t-shirt a quick inspection before tumble drying. Alas... the highly touted baking soda hack had not worked.

Although the sweat and make-up stains weren't terrible in the first place, I expected this to mean that the stains would be easier to lift from the fabric. The discolouration hadn't budged in the slightest.

There's still a slight tinge of yellow under the armpits and a small line of foundation on the collar. Clearly on its own baking soda doesn't make much of an impact, but in conjunction with the likes of other chemicals evidently fares better.

I can't say I had high hopes for this hack, but I was hoping to be proved wrong. Baking soda, you let me down.