One thing that continually baffles me is the price of washing soda in comparison with baking soda. They are the same item essentially yet we can buy a box of baking soda for a dollar and washing soda will set us back 5. On top of the price, commercial washing sodas often come with added synthetic cleaning agents purely for marketing purposes.
If you're wondering what washing soda is, it is a powerful cleaning agent, rich in sodium, that removes grease, oil, and difficult stains. Its increased effectiveness comes partially from its ability to compete with magnesium and calcium ions in hard water, stopping them from bonding with soap and limiting its ability to clean. If you're interested in making your own laundry detergent or dish soap this ingredient is key and very simple to make.
To make washing soda, simply spread baking soda in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 400'F.
This process dries out the baking soda and transforms it to washing soda (also known as soda ash) by reaching the critical temperature of 400'F. At this temperature steam and carbon dioxide are released and the chemical makeup of the substance is changed. You can easily tell when your baking soda has transformed when the baking soda goes from
If you're wondering what washing soda is, it is a powerful cleaning agent, rich in sodium, that removes grease, oil, and difficult stains. Its increased effectiveness comes partially from its ability to compete with magnesium and calcium ions in hard water, stopping them from bonding with soap and limiting its ability to clean. If you're interested in making your own laundry detergent or dish soap this ingredient is key and very simple to make.
To make washing soda, simply spread baking soda in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 400'F.
This process dries out the baking soda and transforms it to washing soda (also known as soda ash) by reaching the critical temperature of 400'F. At this temperature steam and carbon dioxide are released and the chemical makeup of the substance is changed. You can easily tell when your baking soda has transformed when the baking soda goes from
- powdery to grainy
- crystallized like salt to dull and opaque
- clumpy to separate and granular
Now that you've made your very own washing soda try out its grease fighting abilities in this natural homemade Dish Soap Recipe.