Arts &Crafts, How-To's, Upcycling & Repurposing

Hello everyone! My apologies, it has been awhile since long hot minute since I’ve last posted. Within the past couple months I officially opened up my online store! Melodie’s Creations

I do not have much on there at the moment, it’s a work in progress. It definitely takes a lot of hard work. Time consuming. You don’t realize how much is involved until you go to do something . I will be sharing my store link with in the week. A grand opening sale !!

Today’s post- How to make washing soda.

Washing soda is one of the most common ingredients in a DIY recipe. Washing soda is a chemical compound known as sodium carbonate or soda ash, frequently used in DIY and commercial laundry detergents. As well as if your tye dying shirts or other materials, you wash the items with washing soda before you tye dye so the color will be more vibrant and hold longer. It can be used in washing clothes, cleaning toilets, floors, etc; it can also be used in cleaning carpets as well as grease stains.

Washing Soda is an abrasive cleaning agent. Sodium carbonate in washing soda “softens” water to help other cleaning ingredients lift soil from the fabrics and suspend the soil in the wash water. The washing soda binds to the minerals which make water hard and allows the detergent to be absorbed into fibers to properly clean the clothes.

Washing soda costs between $11 – $30 in the store and online, so of course, I chose the alternative route…. Let’s make some!

* Heating baking soda releases carbon dioxide and water molecules, leaving dry sodium carbonate.

Supplies needed:

Baking soda

Parchment paper

Cookie sheet

Spoon or rubber spatula ( something to stir with)

Jar

Labels

Paper towel in case of mess

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Lay your parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Then gently pour your baking soda on the cookie sheet.

Once your oven is ready, place the pan of baking soda in the oven for 1 hour.

** About every 45 minutes or so, check on the baking soda. Stir it up so all the baking soda gets heated.

In total, I put mine in for 2 hours all together.

Baking soda itself feels soft to the touch. When the Baking Soda turns to Washing Soda, it will feel course. Almost like sand.

Once your washing soda is complete, turn off the oven and let the washing soda cool.

Step 2:

Once cool, pour into a jar with lid. Make sure you label it so you don’t get confused on what it is.

That’s it. You now have washing soda.