Washing Soda - A green cleaning essential
Let’s talk about one of the most important ingredients in DIY green cleaning – washing soda. You might not realise it, but if you look at the ingredient list of many commercial cleaners, you’ll often spot sodium carbonate. Yep, that’s washing soda!
It's an essential component of cleaning products because it works in so many ways!
Why Is Washing Soda So Important?
Washing soda raises the pH of water, which is key to breaking down stains. It also releases hydrogen and oxygen, which work together to help lift dirt and grime from surfaces. But the magic doesn’t stop there. Washing soda softens water, which makes soap and detergents more effective.
You might also find washing soda under different names on labels, such as soda ash, sodium carbonate, or sodium carbonate decahydrate.
And you’ll often find it near the top of ingredient lists, which means it’s present in high concentrations. This tells you that washing soda is a key player in many cleaning formulas.
How Do I Use It?
Here is list of ways washing soda can be used—this is far from exhaustive, but it covers some of the main uses. Let's face it, general cleaning could be a whole section on its own, but I'll keep it concise. Here are just a few products that feature washing soda as a key ingredient:
I love adding washing soda, percarbonate, and castile soap to create a soap solution for cleaning my shower. Or, if I'm dealing with grout, I’ll mix a little water to create a paste. There’s plenty of room for experimentation and creativity with these ingredients.
Where does it come from?
When I fell down the rabbit hole and discovered that washing soda is naturally occurring in certain regions of the world, but it can also be produced synthetically.
It forms naturally when ancient lakes dry up and the water evaporates, leaving behind crystalline deposits of certain minerals that are mined and refined into the washing soda we know and use.
Along this journey, I also discovered that Bicarb Soda and Borax are all part of the same sodium family, both produced naturally the exact same way as Washing Soda. - they're just slightly different in their chemical formulas and pH levels.
In a nutshell, they fall into this order:
- Washing Soda – Strongest
- Borax – Mid strength
- Bicarb Soda – Mildest
Do’s and Don’t’s
Just a heads-up: be cautious when using washing soda on certain surfaces like aluminium, fibreglass, or painted areas. It’s strong enough that it could strip paint, so always test a small, inconspicuous area first.
Also use gloves if dipping hands in solution of washing soda and is strong and can cause skin irritations.
Other related articles you may like
Bicarb & Baking Soda: Unveiling the Confusion
SIDE NOTE:
I want to let you know that the Lectric Soda you find on the bottom shelf at Woolies is natural washing - which is great! However, it only comes in the 1 size (1kg) and in plastic packaging, so if you want bulk options, we (Under Your Sink) may be a better option and our packaging is all plastic free.
Also, Lectric Soda is the brand name and not an actual name for Washing Soda.
