You are over thinking it. Simple chemistry. Sodium barcarbonate solution neutralizes acid but is NOT high pH...buffering capacity and pH are two different things.
If sodium bicarbonate was high pH, you couldn’t eat a Tums or drink a bicarbonate without destroying your esophagus.
Ya, I over think. In my minds eye, acid is more effective at penetrating a substrate than sodium bicarbonate but I am most likely wrong. Sorry to beat a dead horse and I appreciate you entertaining my inconsistency