system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is baking soda and why is it universally so good at cleaning?

People even brush their teeth with it. I don't understand why it has so many useful applications.
gpt
Baking soda is a chemical called Sodium Bicarbonate. It does two things when cleaning. One, it chemically reacts with acids and greases to help break up dirt and grime. Two, it is a soft crystal, meaning it can scratch away at trouble spots without scratching the harder surface underneath.

The second property is why it works so well for teeth.