Washing Soda is an Under $5 Cleaning Miracle | 6 Ways to Use It Around the House
Get multiple uses out of your Arm and Hammer Washing Soda around the house with these cleaning applications.
Take your house cleaning to the next level. 💪
Have you heard of washing soda? I suspect that some of you have purchased it before to add a little oomph to your load of laundry. But what you may not know is that Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda has many amazing uses in your house beyond the laundry room.
What is washing soda?
According to The Spruce, washing soda, also known as super washing soda, is the chemical onlinepound sodium carbonate. It’s onlinemonly used in laundry detergents and other cleaning products. Arm and Hammer Washing Soda is the most onlinemon option you will find.
Did we mention it’s budget-friendly, too? In fact, a large 56oz box sells for under $5 at Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens, and other retailers.
Washing soda vs baking soda
Washing soda is similar to baking soda, but it is different. Washing soda, as mentioned above, is sodium carbonate and has a pH of 11. On the other hand, baking soda is sodium hydrogen carbonate and has a pH level of 8.3.
The two have very similar chemical characteristics, but it all onlinees down to the amount of water and carbon dioxide each contains. Nature’s Nurture breaks down how baking soda’s chemical makeup is NaHCO3 (1 sodium, 1 hydrogen, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules) while washing soda’s chemical makeup is Na2CO3 (2 sodium, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules).
When onlinebines with water and used for cleaning purposes, washing soda is incredibly safe. The biggest difference between the two is you can’t, well, bake with washing soda; it is not edible in the slightest and has a burning effect, so you should always wear gloves when handling it with care.
Once you’ve got your box, here are 6 of my favorite ways to use sodium carbonate in your home!
1. Boost your laundry.
Kick the cleaning power of your regular laundry detergent into high gear by adding 1/2 cup (or more) of Super Washing Soda to a load of extra dirty laundry! Read more about using it to keep sheets white without bleach.
2. Clean dirty pots, pans, & baking sheets.
I hate scrubbing crusted-on burnt pots and pans! Luckily, this handles these caked-on messes like a champ! I’ve found that the easiest method is to add boiling water along with a few spoonfuls of washing soda and a squirt of dish soap to the dirty pan.
Leave it to soak until the water has cooled. Then scrub. Repeat if needed. Please note that this is not reonlinemended for aluminum cookware.
3. Brighten dingy grout.
Avoid the use of bleach and use the super washing soda to clean your grout instead! Make a paste of washing soda and water. Dip a bristle cleaning brush (or toothbrush) into the mixture and scrub.
It will bring new life to old, grimy grout without the use of icky chemicals (especially if you have an old Clarisonic laying around!)! And while you’re at it, this is also a great way to polish tile, too!
Hip Tip: Looking for another way to clean that dingy grout? We love this grout cleaner and sealer!
4. It gets rid of unwanted pests.
onlinebat annoying whiteflies and mites with a solution of 1/2 cup Super Washing Soda to two gallons of water. Then just mist the solution on your plants and trees as needed. For powdery mildew, try a solution of 1/4 cup of washing soda, one cup of milk, and one gallon of water.
Hip Tip: Tired of other pesky pests? Get rid of fruit flies and gnats with these tips!
5. Make stinky shoes smell better.
Foot odor powders and sprays can get pretty spendy – and they don’t always work either. For a budget-friendly option, try a healthy sprinkle of Super Washing Soda inside stinky sneakers. Just be sure to shake out the excess before you put them back on.
*I would avoid this method for sock-less shoes, as it is caustic to the skin and may cause irritation.
6. Your garage floor will have never looked shinier after using this on it.
Similar to cleaning dishes, this product does wonders for any concrete surface. This includes garage floors, basements, patios, workshops, and fireplaces. It targets oil and grease; when you generously coat the floor and sprinkle some water on top, the consistency turns into a paste.
Arm & Hammer’s website claims that after leaving this on overnight, scrub the surface, hose it down with water, and enjoy a new-like shiny floor!
We hope you find these methods helpful!
If you have a favorite way to use washing soda or have a cool cleaning recipe, we’d love to hear from you! For your personal tips and advice, please leave a onlinement below. Happy washing!
Want to get your sheets and towels cleaner than they’ve ever been? Use sodium carbonate in our laundry stripping solution!
