Washing soda is a simple and natural cleaner that you can use on its own or in various DIY cleaning recipes. It’s available in many grocery stores, or you can make it at home using a tutorial. Also known as Sodium Carbonate or Soda Ash, washing soda is highly alkaline, making it great for household tasks like degreasing, brightening, and tackling tough messes.
Due to its excellent safety rating by the Environmental Working Group, washing soda is considered safe for household use, with precautions similar to other alkaline substances; that means don’t apply it undiluted on your skin or ingest large amounts.
It often partners with Borax in cleaning recipes but has a better safety profile, making it a versatile choice for natural cleaning around the home. Washing soda can be likened to a powerful version of baking soda for many household chores, though it shouldn’t be used in baking unless you’re sure of the chemistry!
For laundry, adding about 1/2 cup of washing soda to a load, especially whites, brightens, deodorizes, and cleans them well. It’s a key ingredient in homemade laundry soaps, which are not only more budget-friendly but also more natural than many commercial brands.
The high alkalinity of washing soda makes it effective at removing grease and tough stains when used promptly. I like to sprinkle it directly on greasy spots on clothes just before washing. However, it’s best not to let it sit too long on fabrics, as the strong alkalinity can damage them.
Washing soda is also an essential part of my homemade all-purpose cleaner, which works wonders on almost anything! We recently removed an old carpet from our living room, but when it was really stained (like with melted butter!), I’d sprinkle washing soda, let it absorb, and vacuum it up.
For particularly stubborn clothes or stains, washing soda can be used as a pre-soak. Just add 1 cup to the laundry load, let soak for about 20 minutes, then wash as usual. Its alkaline properties are also helpful for counteracting hard water when doing laundry or other cleaning tasks.
Cleaning outdoor grills becomes effortless with washing soda too. We let our grill parts soak in a strong washing soda solution to get rid of grease and burned-on food.
To clean blinds, fill a bathtub with warm water, add 1 cup of washing soda, soak the blinds for 30 minutes, and then wipe them down before re-hanging. Alternatively, dissolve 1/4 cup in 2 quarts of warm water to wipe the blinds while they’re still hanging.
For pots and pans with stuck-on grease or burned stains, sprinkle some washing soda, spray with water to form a paste, let sit for over 20 minutes, and scrub off. Just avoid using it on aluminum pans!
The same paste method can be used to clean the bottom of ovens from burned-on food. Just avoid the heating element and rinse thoroughly before using the oven again.
In homemade dishwasher soap, you can use washing soda; you might even try it without borax if you prefer.
For cleaning tubs or floors, mixing washing soda with other natural ingredients makes for a great scouring powder. We used this method to clean 1960s tile and grout when we moved into our first house.
As a natural water softener, washing soda removes hard water stains from sinks, appliances, faucets, or anywhere else. Simply make a paste and scrub away the stains.
About once a week, I pour 1/2 cup of washing soda down the kitchen sink to keep it unclogged and smelling clean. Adding a chopped lemon rind to the disposal is a great touch.
For cleaning range hoods, a sprinkle of washing soda on a cloth or sponge effectively tackles grease. I keep trash cans fresh by sprinkling washing soda in them every couple of weeks.
Have you tried washing soda? I’d love to hear any other great uses you’ve discovered!
