While I now know that making DIY washing soda from baking soda is incredibly easy, I didn’t even know what washing soda was before I started making my own homemade laundry detergent. These days, washing soda is a staple in my laundry room, aiding in everything from stain removal to softening hard water!
Since I find it so useful in my own laundry room, I want to make sure that everyone knows how easy it is to make at home! But before we get to that, I want to start with a quick review of some washing soda basics, like what it is and what washing soda can be used for.
A Quick Refresher on Washing Soda
Washing soda, otherwise known as sodium carbonate or soda ash, is just a water-soluble salt with a very basic pH of 11. When dissolved in water, washing soda makes an alkaline solution with powerful cleaning and water softening properties. It makes a great cleaning agent, laundry booster, and more!
As far as safety goes, washing soda gets an A rating from the Environmental Working Group, which means they recognize it as non-toxic and generally safe to use. But similarly to many other cleaning agents, washing soda can be irritating to skin, so it’s best to wear gloves when handling it.
If you’d like to learn more, my in-depth guide to washing soda is a great resource! It covers everything you need to know, including how washing soda differs from baking soda, borax, and other laundry powders.
Is Washing Soda the Same as Baking Soda?
Although baking soda and washing soda are not the same, they are related! Washing soda is sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), while baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaCHO3).
In addition to the many ways you can use baking soda around the house, it has another useful property, too — you can turn baking soda into washing soda using just your oven!
How Do You Use Washing Soda?
While washing soda is highly useful for cleaning everything from dirty dishes to toilet bowls, it’s mainly marketed as a laundry booster. In fact, I first learned about washing soda back when I was developing my homemade laundry detergent recipes. After sharing those recipes on my blog, I received a number of emails from international readers asking for advice, because they couldn’t find soda ash anywhere in their country!
That was how I ended up learning you can make your own washing soda at home! If you ever find yourself in a situation where you can’t find washing soda locally, you’ll be glad you learned how it make it yourself.
How to Make Washing Soda From Baking Soda
You’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Cookie sheet
Directions:
Spread baking soda evenly across a cookie sheet, and break up any clumps, if present. (You can use any amount of baking soda, as long as it fits on the cookie sheet in a relatively thin layer.)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then bake the baking soda for 1 hour. The heat from your oven will convert baking soda to washing soda by cooking off excess water and carbon dioxide. (Cool, right?)
Allow the washing soda to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container for storage. Use your washing soda as an ingredient in homemade laundry detergent, soften hard water, to scour messes out of a baking dish, and much more!
More Ideas You'll Love
If you compare your DIY washing soda with baking soda side by side, one thing you’ll notice is that washing soda feels a bit grainy compared to the silky smooth baking soda. (Fun fact: The washing soda will also weigh less than the baking soda did originally, due to the loss of water and carbon dioxide.)
Note: You can also make washing soda on your stovetop, in a toaster oven, or even in an air fryer — as long as the baking soda gets hot enough, long enough! (I would avoid trying to make washing soda in your microwave, though, since bicarbonate doesn’t play well with microwaves.)
Where Can I Buy Washing Soda?
If you don’t want to make it yourself, you can usually find Arm & Hammer super washing soda in the laundry aisle at grocery stores and big box chains. If you don’t see it right away, check the top and bottom shelves. That’s where I usually find it!
You can also find washing soda online at Amazon and other online retailers. Some people suggest getting it from pool suppliers, but industrial forms of sodium carbonate (like AquaChem) have a slightly different chemical structure and may not be suitable for household use. Better to stick to the store-bought and homemade varieties!
Have you made DIY washing soda at home?
How To Make Washing Soda From Baking Soda
Video
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- Baking soda
Instructions
- Spread baking soda out on a cookie sheet in an even layer.
- Bake the baking soda at 400°F for 1 hour.
- Allow the washing soda to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container.
We have terribly hard water. How much should be used per load of laundry?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this. I am from a really small town in Canada and I cannot find washing soda anywhere, but I want to make my own laundry detergent. I am so happy to hear that I can make my own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for posting this tutorial. the place i buy my Washing Soda, hasnt carried it since i ran out over 2 months ago. i bought 2 large containers of the Baking Soda, but i knew it wasnt the same as Washing Soda. Now i can get out my cookie sheet this weekend and make my own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Since i am dabbling in making my own washing pods for the laundry, i really needed Washing Soda!
I have made my own laundry soap for the last 2 years, and i wouldnt go back to the store bought crap for anything. even hubby has mentioned how much better my clothes look!
So I zip out to Walmart to get the ingredients for making my own laundry soap. And they are out of Washing Soda. Really?!! These people never stock. lol. Thank you for this, Jillee!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A further question on the baking soda. I stored some loosely wrapped raw onions in my refrigerator overnight, and now my fridge reeks of onions even though the onions are gone. My bowl of baking soda in the fridge obviously was not up to the task. Maybe that baking soda is too old. Now I’m wondering if I stick that old baking soda in the oven and bake it to become washing soda will it still be effective as washing soda? I’ll let you know how it goes to see if the onion smell gets baked out of that as well. LOL
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are such useful tips and I did look to see how to make washing soda as I live in Bulgaria and have never sen it here. I find it very scary to think that baking powder, which I use all the time, turns into washing soda after an hour of baking…and I eat this stuff !!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am glad to have found your blog post. I remember reading that this could be done but needed the instructions.
A cheap way to buy baking soda for non-food purposes is to buy a back of feed soda from a farm feed store. I got a 50 pound bag for $12. Great for cleaning the house and doing laundry!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I will be saving my myself some expense on my next trip to get washing soda. Thanks to you Jillee. I will only buy baking soda . Instead of having to buy both products as I usually do. I would run out of both at the same time
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love the detergent idea and will make it soon, I am almost out of laundry det. I thought I might suggest the crockpot on high setting for the baking soda. I don’t know how hot it would get in everyones crockpots but I think I will give it a try.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Even an electric skillet would do a good bake on the soda and save energy by not using your oven just for that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m so happy you linked this from your post of removing labels from bottles. I can’t get washing soda here, well maybe I can but i can’t read Mandarin. :) I can get baking soda very cheap, even though they don’t bake. LOL So now I can make my own!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you!
I love the smell of coast soap… Has anybody on here used it in place of felsnapa and what were your results?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee! Love your fabulous blog from faraway Greece! Just wondering…. Do you think that in the process of transforming baking soda to washing soda noxious fumes are released? Is it absolutely safe to bake afterwards in that oven?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can anyone tell me if you have used Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap in the liquid laundry detergent recipe? I’m wondering if the oils in the soap will leave stains on my laundry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m so confused if you can make washing soda out of baking soda by heating it and removing the moister and carbon dioxide and it can turn back into baking soda if not kept in a air tight container wouldn’t washing soda become baking soda and wouldn’t the made washing soda become baking soda in the liquid or powder form if stored long term in a water/moistened filed container with air being introduce over time so on it feels pointless? You are baking the soda to remove moister and carbon dioxide but yet adding it to water and reopening it many many times exposing it to air w carbon? Please prove me wrong on this other wise I will feel i should just use baking soda and i wasted my time bakin it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.is washing soda supposed to get hot when you add water to it? I made some and Im wondering if I turned baking soda into something else. I know washing soda is caustic but I didn’t know it would get hot like lye does *not as hot(
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Might be a dumb question, but how did you get it from the pan into your box/container?? I picture myself dumping the “washing soda” all over my kitchen.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Totally not a dumb question! I just scooped it up with a big spoon or measuring cup to dumb it into the jar.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And here, I’ve been waiting to buy washing powder to make my own laundry detergent! I’m going to use some Castille soap I got from Trader Joe’s. Anybody have a suggestion for which essential oil would smell nice with that combination?
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