Washing soda - 6 applications in the home

Washing soda, also called sodium carbonate, is one of the most important household products, as it can be used for a wide variety of applications. It can replace almost any detergent and therefore must not be used by anyone who plastic free living is missing. The advantages of washing soda are that it is environmentally friendly and therefore better for your own health and also much cheaper than conventional cleaning agents for cleaning.
Today I would like to show you in this article how you can make great DIYs at home with little effort and materials. It's not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet! 😉 At the end of the article, I'll also show you the exact difference between washing soda and baking soda so that you don't confuse the two miracle products in future. Let's get started!
Here is another short Table of contents for you:

• Ideas for washing soda applications
• The difference of soda and washing soda
• Conclusion

Practical applications for washing soda

1. washing soda against blocked drains

Do you often have problems with the drain in the bathroom or kitchen? Then try the following washing soda application against a blocked drain:
You need:

• 4 tablespoons washing soda (Washing soda you get here)
• Vinegar

Pour about 4 spoons of washing soda directly into the sink and add half a cup of vinegar. White foam should now form. Wait another two minutes so that the resulting solution can soak in well. Rinse with hot water afterwards.

2. use washing soda as a dishwashing detergent

Saving the world a little with your daily dishwashing? No problem with this simple DIY dishwashing liquid.
You need:

• 150 g washing soda (Washing soda you get here)
• 150 g citric acid
• 150 g Baking soda (You can get sodium bicarbonate here)
• Optional: 75 g dishwasher salt (You can get the salt here)

Mix all the ingredients together well and store in a dry place. The optimum amount depends on the number of dishes, the degree of soiling and the water hardness. Try one or two spoonfuls to start with. After a few cycles, you will notice what the optimum amount of dishwasher detergent is for your dishwasher.
Important: Do not use the automatic program, but a program with a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, as the conversion of citric acid can cause deposits at higher temperatures.
If you would like more recipes for natural washing-up liquid, take a look at this article: Make your own washing-up liquid - natural & plastic-free

3. washing soda cleaning from grease, lime and dirt

Mix one to two tablespoons of soda with one liter of water and you will have a simple solution that can easily remove almost any stain. Simply spray onto the affected area, leave to work and wipe off with a cloth or rag. Another cool washing soda application for household cleaning.

4. use washing soda as toilet cleaner

You don't even need a recipe for this great tip. Simply pour a tablespoon of soda into the toilet, spread it around with a brush and leave it to work for a short time. Soda can also be used to easily remove urine scale.
You need:

• 2 tablespoons soda (Soda you get here)
• Vinegar
• Water

Mix water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio and dissolve two tablespoons of soda in the solution. This mixture is a simple way to combat urine scale.

5. washing soda to neutralize odours in T-shirts

If your cotton shirts still have an unpleasant odor after washing, it's time for a solution. Dissolve a tablespoon of soda in five liters of water and wait 30 minutes. Place the dirty laundry in the water and leave it to soak overnight. The laundry can then be washed as normal. This tip is primarily intended for white laundry. You need to be careful with colored laundry so as not to attack the color. It is therefore better to start with less soda (one tablespoon per 10 liters).

6. cleaning upholstery/carpet with washing soda

You will need liquid soda to clean upholstery and carpet. Take a cloth and wet it with warm water. Now put a little soda on the cloth and rub it on the affected areas. Repeat the process a few times. After a while, the stains should be removed. Positive side effect: upholstery and carpets smell fresh again after a "soda cleaning". A cool household soda washing application, isn't it?

The difference of soda and washing soda

Surely you have also confused it once: soda and Baking soda. They are often confused with each other because they look very similar and have similar applications. So what exactly is the difference?
Soda ash (Na2CO3) is also known as sodium carbonate. It is particularly well known under the name washing soda or pure soda. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is also known as sodium hydrogen carbonate or more commonly as baking soda or under the brand name Kaisernatron. Soda and baking soda are both based on sodium and are, as their scientific name suggests, carbonates. Carbonates are the salts of carbonic acid. The difference between the two products lies in the term "hydrogen".

This is the hydrogen component. Baking soda reacts very sensitively to moisture and heat. If it comes into contact with acid, the baking soda releases carbonic acid. This is why baking soda is also an ingredient in baking powder. Washing soda reacts even more strongly than baking soda and is therefore usually more suitable for cleaning agents. Caution is advised with washing soda. In direct contact, washing soda irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Washing soda is slightly dusty, which is why you should be particularly careful. If you have small children in the household, you should be particularly careful. Soda should be kept away from small children at all times.

Washing soda - The all-purpose weapon

As you can see, the combination of soda and baking soda is perfect for household cleaning and maintenance. Washing soda and baking soda are cheap, environmentally friendly and versatile, making these simple agents irreplaceable. Now that you know the difference between the two miracle products, you can start trying out the tips above straight away 😉.

If you have any questions about the use of washing soda in the household, suggestions or your own experiences, feel free to write me a comment below this article.

Stay sustainable,

PS: Would you like more tips and tricks on the subject of baking soda?
Then check out this article: 25 Applications of sodium bicarbonate in the home