Easier and cheaper way of getting washing soda!

[Bettacreek]

Ok, so I think most of us know that you can bake baking soda at 500F for an hour to turn it into washing soda, right? Well, you can also put small amounts in the microwave for ten seconds! How freaking easy is that? And, the washing soda apparantly can be used like epsom salts... Relaxation for tight muscles (and people swear it's like a miracle), cheap laundry cleaner, what the heck else can you do with the stuff?

 

[rawlo5660]

This is an old post but I feel I should add my experience to help out other people. First off, the microwave method works absolutely great. My clothes came out ultra clean. I tried the, on the stove method first but that took two long. After trying the stove method I did what was suggested in this post and added some water to the baking soda (a small amount of baking soda that you would use for a large load); I am guessing around three tablespoons and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. You want to add just enough water to make the baking soda just over pasty but not overly water. At the end of the 2 minutes you want the baking soda to come out dry and slightly hardened. All the water will have evaporated, and you can break up the now washing soda for your wash.

Now I have terrible eczema so what works great for me with this type of washing recipe is some baking soda, some of the microwave washing soda made from the baking soda mentioned above, and a tablespoon of salt. This laundry soap recipe works well. Cleans better than some name brands and is better on my skin. If you are allergic to Tide like I am, use this instead.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks for sharing your experience @rawlo5660

 

[Finnie]

This is an old post but I feel I should add my experience to help out other people. First off, the microwave method works absolutely great. My clothes came out ultra clean. I tried the, on the stove method first but that took two long. After trying the stove method I did what was suggested in this post and added some water to the baking soda (a small amount of baking soda that you would use for a large load); I am guessing around three tablespoons and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. You want to add just enough water to make the baking soda just over pasty but not overly water. At the end of the 2 minutes you want the baking soda to come out dry and slightly hardened. All the water will have evaporated, and you can break up the now washing soda for your wash.

Now I have terrible eczema so what works great for me with this type of washing recipe is some baking soda, some of the microwave washing soda made from the baking soda mentioned above, and a tablespoon of salt. This laundry soap recipe works well. Cleans better than some name brands and is better on my skin. If you are allergic to Tide like I am, use this instead.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you stick around!

 

[~gd]

I keep hearing different temps to bake the baking soda at. 250 and 500 and so on. Just how accurate is this process? (I wouldn't get near the microwave with the stuff. I'm still leery of using it for food.)

Well it isn't magic, Like most chemical reactions they go faster at higher temperatures. According to Wikipedia it is slow at 160F but fairly rapid at 400F. Frankly I don't think the microwave will do much at first since it only heats certain molecule types (like water and fats) since one of the things driven off during the reaction Sodium Bicarbonate>>Heat>>>Sodium Carbonate is water the microwave could be used to dry the material after the reaction had started (but a oven at 400-500F would do the same thing) frankly if you look at all your costs it would be cheaper to buy the washing soda in the first place since baking soda is much more expensive and that amount of heat is not free either. Now would be a good time to check swimming pool supply houses since most won't want to carry a supply over the winter (it is used to adjust the pH of the pool water to make the chlorine work better.~gd

 

[Wannabefree]

It's pretty much a safe all purpose cleaner. I use it for lots of things, floors, bathroom, countertops etc.

 

[SSDreamin]

Great tip Bettacreek! I think I'll try it today; just used the last of my washing soda!

 

[big brown horse]

Another thing I can add to my shop! Thanks so much!

 

[Marianne]

Oh no kidding! I have to admit that I love that microwave of mine! I use it all the time. I think I'll give it a go the next time I make laundry soap. You wouldn't think that 10 seconds would do anything.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Bettacreek]

Oh no kidding! I have to admit that I love that microwave of mine! I use it all the time. I think I'll give it a go the next time I make laundry soap. You wouldn't think that 10 seconds would do anything.

Thanks for posting.

I know, right? Ten seconds doesn't sound like much. I might try it for longer periods just to be sure, lol.