Washing Soda: Everything You Need to Know

While you most likely have a box of baking soda sitting in your home, do you happen to have a box of washing soda? You may have never heard of it, and are wondering what we’re talking about. Sodium carbonate is a compound that is most commonly referred to as washing soda or Soda Ash. 

Washing Soda: Everything You Need to Know 

Some people mistake this as the same thing as baking soda, but that is not the case. Both of them are cleaning agents that are used for different cleaning situations.

This product can be used for numerous purposes around the house and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about it. So this is more information about washing soda, and what purposes that it will serve you throughout your home.  

Washing Soda for Make-up

Washing soda consists of sodium, carbon, and hydrogen, making it a great candidate for natural cleaning and boosting other cleaning agents. It’s also the perfect all-purpose cleaner for hundreds of jobs around your home.  

Household Purposes

Laundry Booster

Washing soda was originally intended for this very purpose. It is the perfect laundry booster with your laundry detergent. Simply add ½ cup of washing soda, to help brighten your clothing.

Helps Remove Many Stains

Not only does it help brighten clothing, but it can also help get many tough stains out of clothing. Go ahead and sprinkle the washing soda over the stain ahead of time to treat it, and then wash them.

Be careful not to leave it on the stain too long before washing, because the alkaline that’s in the washing soda can damage your clothing.  

The Perfect Water Softener

Yes, it can actually help with softening water. That means that it can make sure that your clothes are not being washed in hard water, for softer fabric when you’re done. 

Removes Soap Scum 

Have you ever had soap scum building up in your washing machine or dishwasher? It can remove all that soapy grime. Go ahead and pour 1 cup for your dishwasher, and 2 cups for your washing machine, while running them both empty, and those soapy residues should come right off. 

Helps Clean Carpet

Washing soda can help get out those irritating stains out of your carpet. Here’s how you can use it to remove those carpet stains. 

Bathroom Cleaner

Do you ever get hard water stains left on your sink, bathtub, and faucets in your bathroom? Again, washing soda will work effectively on these types of stains as well. 

Removes Buildup From Pots and Pans

Do you ever have difficulty getting food buildup that’s holding onto your pots and pans for dear life? Washing soda can work alongside your dish detergent to give it that extra boost to help with your pots and pans in the kitchen. 

Cleans Outdoor Furniture 

Every spring you go out to sit on your outdoor furniture, realizing that mold and caked dirt is all over it. It can help get all the muck and grime off your patio furniture and have them presentable for guests in no time. 

Grill Cleaner

Cleaning a grill can be a challenge if you have grease that’s been on it for a while. Also, burned food on the grill can be an issue if it has been sitting on the grill for a while. You can remove and soak your grill grates in a mixture of warm water and washing soda. All that buildup and grease should easily come off. 

Helps Clean Drains

Pouring a ½ cup of washing soda down your drains every few weeks can help with odors and keep your drains from getting clogged up. 

Deodorizes the Trash Can

Everyone’s trash left in the kitchen trash can will begin giving a foul odor from time to time. Sprinkling it directly into an empty trash can will help minimize the smell. If a particular bag of trash that’s not quite full yet is giving off a foul smell, you can also pour washing soda into the garbage bag too. 

Where to Find Washing Soda

You can find this ingredient at most grocery stores down their laundry detergent aisle. You can even purchase it online in bulk. The good news is that it’s fairly inexpensive for how versatile it is. 

How Do you Make Washing Soda

You may have a hard time finding it in certain grocery stores across the country. If they don’t happen to sell it anywhere in your town, not to worry. It’s relatively easy to make.

You can make it by simply using baking soda. You simply are changing the structure of the baking soda, through a chemical reaction due to heat. Here’s how you can do it.

Directions

You will need an oven, a large baking sheet, and a box of baking soda. Go ahead and turn your oven to 400 degrees.

Spread the baking powder onto the cooking sheet, until it’s about ½ inch thick. You’ll want to bake this for at least an hour, stirring once to two times halfway through. 

You can tell if it’s done because it will have a different consistency than baking soda. Baking soda is more of a powdery texture, while washing soda is more grainy feeling. You’ll want to allow it to cool and then place in a container that is air-tight. Voila, now you have your washing soda.   

Caution: Washing Soda Can Irritate the Skin

When you’re cleaning with it, be sure to wear gloves so that you do not irritate your skin. You will also want to make sure that you don’t get any in your eyes, or your lungs by inhaling it. And you certainly don’t want your little ones swallowing it. Ingesting it can cause vomiting and extreme discomfort in your abdominal region. 

Final Word

Is this the first time that you’ve heard of this product? If so, with the many cleaning purposes that it helps with around the house, do you think you’ll be picking up some soon?

If you’ve used washing soda for a number of years, what other things have you cleaned around the house while using it? May God bless this world, Linda

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