What is Washing Soda?
Washing soda is a highly alkaline chemical compound which can be used to remove stubborn stains from laundry. It also has numerous uses around the house, and it is used in a range of industrial applications as well. Washing soda should not be confused with washing powder, which is a powdered soap used as a detergent; it is also not the same thing as baking soda, although the two compounds are closely related. The chemical formula for washing soda is Na2CO3, and it is also known as sodium carbonate. It is a salt of carbonic acid, a chemical which produces a wide range of salts collectively known as carbonates. One common source of washing soda is the ashes of plants; for this reason, it is sometimes called soda ash. Sodium carbonate can also be extracted from sodium chloride, also known as table salt. In laundry, washing soda accomplishes several things. The high alkalinity of washing soda helps it act as a solvent to remove a range of stains, and unlike bleach, washing soda does not us
Is it baking soda?” Tawra: Washing soda is not baking soda. Here is an excerpt from http://frugalliving.about.com that explains it better than I would have! 😉 Washing soda should be in the laundry section of your grocery store. It comes in a yellow box, made by Arm & Hammer, but it’s NOT baking soda. If you’re interested, washing soda is Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3), baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and borax is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Na2B4O7*10H2O), all different chemical compounds. If you can’t find it locally, call this number: 1-800-524-1328. It’s the Arm & Hammer number and they should be able to tell you where the closest place is that you can find it. There are places on the internet where you can order it, but shipping costs will eat up a portion of your savings, so that would be a last resort. If you’d like to read more, refer to the Frugal living Section at About.com here.
