Ways to Use Washing Soda in Your Home: Natural Cleaning 101

Have you ever heard of something called washing soda? And is it similar to the more popular baking soda? 

This article will share a few ways to use washing soda in your home, what it is, and how you can make it yourself. So stay tuned!

What Is Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate)?

Also known as soda ash or sodium carbonate, washing soda is a strong and versatile agent that many people prefer to use to clean laundry with stubborn stains of oil, dirt, or grime that just don’t seem to come off easily.

The one thing that makes it so strong is its high pH level. Washing soda is highly alkaline, with a pH reading of around 11. For context, this is higher than regular bath soap (pH level of 7-10) and lower or equal to bleach (pH level of 11-13)

Perhaps the best thing about this is the fact that it’s a green cleaner. This means that, unlike some other cleaning agents, it’s doesn’t do the environment any harm. It’s simply a mineral that’s been mined straight from Mother Nature.

Washing soda is known as a water softener because the sodium carbonate it contains softens hard water to help the other cleaning ingredients lift the dirt off the fabric.

Best Ways to Use Washing Soda for Cleaning

So, what do you even use this unanimously-considered magic powder for? Well, read on, for here is a list of the best uses for washing soda in your household and brief descriptions for each of them.

• Laundry Detergent
• Laundry Booster
• Carpet Cleaner
• Oven Cleaner
• Bathroom Cleaner
• Dishwashing Detergent
• Drain Cleaner
• All-Purpose Cleaner

Laundry Detergent

The primary usage of washing soda is as a laundry detergent.

It does a great job of seeping into the crevices and fibers of dirty clothes and extracting those pesky grime molecules that tend to overstay their welcome in those areas. Moreover, it’s safe to use because of how gentle it is with fabric.

Simply add the preferred amount to your washing machine, turn it on, and watch as it works its magic and makes your clothes look clean, tidy, and spotless.

If you want to brighten your clothes a bit more, consider using vinegar as well. This is a natural cleaning agent that helps reach the depths of the fabric and bring out its actual color whilst removing odor and increasing the effectiveness of your washing soda.

Laundry Booster 

If you’re not completely sold on the advantages of using Super Washing Soda as your primary laundry detergent, don’t fret! Start off by using it as a laundry booster instead.

Simply add 1/2 to 1 cup of washing soda to the drum of your washing machine along with the detergent you already use. 

It’s not until the washing soda dissolves that you actually begin to see it’s value. Soon, it’ll help catalyze the washing process and elevate the effectiveness of the detergent by enabling to get into the fabric and exterminate any odor, oil, or coffee stains with ease. 

Carpet Cleaner

Washing a carpet might seem like quite the challenge. If you’ve been in such a situation before, why don’t you make your life a lot easier with some washing soda? Yes, you heard that correctly; washing soda can be used as a carpet cleaner.

Here’s how you can clean your carpet with sodium ash:

1. Simply take a scoop of your soda and mix it in with some water. Make sure to add in small quantities of water to achieve the perfect consistency- like that of peanut butter. 
2. Apply this to the stained area on your carpet and spread it evenly with a spoon or spatula.
3. Let it sit for around 30-45 minutes to give it some time to break down the stain.
4. Then, grab a scrub brush and begin to work the paste into the stain in circular motions. Make sure to be gentle yet meticulous and thorough.
5. After you’re done, rinse the area with clean water or use a damp cloth to remove the paste.
6. Finally, dry it up with a dry towel or cloth.

Oven Cleaner

The oven in your kitchen is perhaps the one thing that’s prone to becoming dirty the quickest in your home. This is because when you bake, juices and spices may drip between the racks and accumulate in various corners of your oven or splatter all over your oven walls.

Thankfully, washing soda is here to save the day! Here’s how you can do it:

First, mix the soda with some warm water and use a spoon to mix it up until it forms a thick, creamy paste.

1. Apply this to every area inside your oven, especially the grimy spots.
2. Let it sit for an hour or overnight to get the best results. Giving the washing soda paste some time to latch onto the dirt and make stripping it away easier is a crucial step.
3. Grab a sponge or a scrub brush and begin scrubbing the oven. Make sure to get every single bit of it.
4. Finally, rinse off the residue and dry the oven with an unused towel.

Bathroom Cleaner

Washing soda can also be used to clean bathrooms. This is actually quite useful since bathrooms tend to accumulate substantial amounts of scum and grime over time. This means you’d have to buy a range of cleaning solutions, which could end up being quite costly. 

You’ll simply have to create a paste like the one I’ve previously mentioned. Apply this to the areas of your bathroom that are susceptible to dirt and muck build-up, like the edges of your sink, bathtub, or the spaces between your tiles.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing off dirt and rinsing the reside away with warm water. Now, you can enjoy the merits of a clean bathroom and a much healthier way of living.

Dishwasher Detergent

Another important thing to note is the fact that washing soda works well as dishwashing powder, too!

To use it, open the detergent compartment of your dishwasher and sprinkle a tablespoon of the washing soda inside instead of what you ideally use. Make sure to vary the amount you use depending on how dirty the dishes seem to be. 

This is way less costly than regular dishwashing liquid and powder. Plus, it minimizes the number of harsh chemicals that go down our drains, enter our water systems, and jeopardize our environment.

Get ready to see your cutlery, pots, and pans sparkle and shine, all thanks to your washing soda.

Drain Cleaner

Do you have a bathroom or kitchen sink that seems blocked? Well, before you call a plumber, consider using washing soda. Yes, this magic white powder can also be used as a drain cleaner!

Get yourself some boiling water and pour it down the drain twice. Then scoop up a cup of the washing soda and pour it directly into the drain. This will start interacting with the clog and break down the substances that are causing this issue in the first place.

Give it at least 25 minutes after proceeding to pour some more hot water down the drain to seal the deal. This should flush everything down and nip your clogged drain problem in the bud.

All-Purpose Cleaner

What if you prefer to use it on an entire myriad of surfaces like your tabletops, sinks, tiles, and chairs. Thankfully, washing soda’s natural properties make it ideal as a cleaning situation in almost every scenario.

All you’d have to do is add two tablespoons washing soda into a gallon of warm water and stir until the powder is completely dissolved.

For small stains, apply small amounts of the solution and wipe it down with a sponge or cloth. For larger areas, you may have to add more with a scouring pad or scrub brush and wait awhile to give the solution some time to work its magic.

Steps to Make Washing Soda at Home Using Baking Soda | The Ultimate Guide

Do you fancy making your own washing soda at home? Well, this sections expounds upon everything you need to know about preparing this agent from scratch to make your cleaning experience so much easier.

1. First, get yourself some baking soda, alternatively known as sodium bicarbonate.
2. Then, place the baking soda in a shallow baking dish, making sure to fill in every corner evenly.
3. Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 100 degrees Celsius) and pop it in.
4. Now set your timer for one hour, stirring the soda intermittently during the baking process.
5. Once the time is up, turn off the oven, retrieve the baking tray, and allow it to cool down at room temperature.

And now your washing soda is ready. This cost-efficient alternative to buying them from stores will also help you reduce packaging wastage which will be part of your contribution to protecting the environment and minimizing unnecessary costs it would otherwise need to bear.

Conclusion | Wrapping Up the Uses of Washing Soda

That brings us to the end of this guide to using washing soda around your home. You can find washing soda in the laundry aisle of any grocery store.

Remember to use gloves when cleaning with washing soda, as it could irritate the skin and eyes.

Make sure to keep washing soda AND baking soda out of the reach of small children and pets. It may be a safety hazard for them since it’s not edible, and ingesting either of them could lead to suffocation, diarrhea, stomach aches, nausea, and even mouth burns.