How to Make Washing Soda from Baking Soda

[Granny Smith]

'Borrowed' this from Backwoods Home

How to Make Washing Soda From Baking Soda

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), while washing soda is sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). With a little chemical know-how, you can easily transform baking soda into washing soda - I knew those three years of a chemistry degree would come in handy some day!

Here is the reaction that tells what goes on when you heat baking soda:



Basically, it just means that if you heat baking soda, it gives off carbon dioxide and water and leaves behind washing soda. Ain't that awesome?

Some folks bake theirs in the oven, but I do mine on the stove - gives better control and seems faster to me.

Dump your chosen amount of baking soda into a pot over high heat (yep, just the dry baking soda) and start stirring. Stir it occasionally and keep an eye on it's temperature with a thermometer. When the baking soda reaches 212 degrees F, you will see condensation on the inside of the pot and steam will come off - this is the water and carbon dioxide being released from the soda to leave behind washing soda. When the soda reaches 392 degrees F, the reaction will be complete and you now have a pot/pan full of washing soda! Wasn't that easy - and cheap?!

[BigM]

Wow! Thanks!!!

BigM

[Valerie]

Oh that's awesome, because you almost can't find washing soda in the stores anymore! Our bobo walmart actually puts big boxes of baking soda with the laundry soap, but it ain't the same!

[Granny Smith]

I can hardly ever find it here. I was so happy when I found this that I just had to share.

I want to try making it, then using it to make soap. I hope it works. Baking soda didn't and I can't find lye locally. I'm kind of afraid to order it online because of the government tracking. I don't want to be suspected of being a terrorist or drug manufacturer, ya know? I just want to make soap.

[BigM]

Do you have a recipe for soap from washing soda? I want to attempt soap but keeping lye here with DD1 is a very bad idea indeed!

BigM

[Granny Smith]

No, I don't have a recipe. I figured, since lye, baking soda, and washing soda are all alkalies, it would stand to reason that you could use any of them to make soap. I tried making it with baking soda, but it never set up. It got very thick, but wouldn't harden. So, I thought I'd try the next strongest one, which is washing soda. If I can get it to set up into a bar, I'll post the recipe, since I'll be keeping notes as I go. The whole reason behind all this is to use the grease I got from making hamburger rocks. I washed it, so it's nice and white. I figure there must be some use for it, other than greasing tools. I could cook with it, but I have enough lard and oil for that, so soap was my next choice (besides, even if I could get lye, I'm afraid to use it)

[Valerie]

Oh, Gayle! I hope you get it to work. It stands to reason that if you could get it strong enough it should work. I've wanted to make soap for so long, but like you, I'm afraid to order lye through the mail (for the same reason; I don't want anyone poking around thinking I'm cookin' meth!) And I'm such a klutz that I'm really scared to mess with it. Chemicals and chemical burns scare me a lot.

[goatlady]

My local TruValue hardware can and will order lye for making soap for any customer. That way there is no tracking cause the store orders by the case and you buy off the shelf what you want.

[Valerie]

That's good to know! I wonder if our hardware store would do that? They keep busting so many meth labs around here, the tweakers have to be getting their lye somewhere! Somebody is selling it!

[Cyngbaeld]

I ordered a case from a soap supply a while back. Came with an ORD sticker, but nobody said anything about it.

[Cyngbaeld]

I ordered the washing soda from Alice.com .