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Compounds and Cleaning · Compound · Sodium carbonate, heavy-duty cleaner

Washing Soda

A strong alkaline cleaner that cuts grease and softens hard water. You can make it from baking soda in the oven (Recipe 9.21).

INDEFINITEHazardousWorks without power

Quick facts

pH in water
~11, strong base
Form
White powder
Hazard class
Caustic; irritant
Shelf life
Indefinite
Storage
Airtight, with desiccant
What to avoid
Moisture, aluminum

See everything washing soda must never touch

What it's good for

Degreasing

Cuts baked-on grease

Laundry

Booster and stripper

Drains

Maintenance and clogs

Hard water

Softens wash water

Strongly alkaline, near pH 11, which is what cuts grease and binds the hardness minerals in water.

Good to know

Softening by ambush. Washing soda reacts with the dissolved calcium and magnesium that make water hard and drops them out as insoluble grit that rinses away, so soap can finally work instead of forming scum. It is simply baking soda with the water and carbon dioxide baked out, which is why roasting baking soda (Recipe 9.21) yields the very same compound.

Handling and safety

Harsher than baking soda

Wear gloves; its high pH irritates skin and eyes.

Softens hard water

It binds calcium and magnesium, which is why it boosts laundry.

Make it from baking soda

Bake baking soda at 400°F to make your own (Recipe 9.21).

Not for aluminum

The high pH attacks and discolors bare aluminum; use glass or steel.

Recipes for washing soda

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

What is washing soda used for?

Washing soda is a strong alkaline cleaner, near pH 11. It cuts baked-on grease, boosts and strips laundry, maintains drains and clears clogs, and softens hard water by binding calcium and magnesium so soap can work instead of forming scum.

How long does washing soda last in storage?

Washing soda lasts indefinitely when stored airtight with a desiccant. Moisture is the thing to keep away from it, along with aluminum, which its high pH attacks.

How do I store washing soda?

Keep washing soda in an airtight container with a desiccant, away from moisture. Do not use bare aluminum, because the high pH attacks and discolors it. Glass or steel is fine for working with it.

Keep going

Read nextShelf-stable laundry powder (baking soda, borax, washing soda)The dry alkalis and soap in this formula keep for years on the shelf, giving you a laundry powder that does not lean on supply chains.Hygiene and Sanitation · Formula

Related to this

Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Make Washing Soda from Baking Soda A plain box of baking soda becomes a stronger cleaner with heat alone. Baking breaks each bicarbonate molecule apart into sodium carbonate, the compound sold as washing soda, and gives off carbon dioxide and water vapor as it goes. Handle with care Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Alkaline cleaning paste (borax, baking soda, washing soda) Baking soda is one of the gentlest abrasives available: hard enough to scour stuck-on food and grease, but soft enough that it will not scratch most kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Hazardous Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Hot degrease soak with washing soda Washing soda is far more alkaline than baking soda, around pH 11 versus 8.3, which gives it the strength to dissolve baked-on grease, carbonized food residue, and oil films that milder cleaners cannot touch. Hazardous Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Drain Maintenance and Grease Clog Treatment Most household drain clogs are organic: grease, soap scum, hair, and food residue layered over time. Hazardous
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Compounds and Cleaning · CompoundSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Chapter 14, p. 87 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

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