Washing soda is a universal cleaning agent. In those days when there were not so many such funds as now, she came to the aid of housewives.
What is Soda Ash?
Soda ash is a powder that consists of small and large crystals of white color. It is called linen or washing soda. It has other names: sodium carbonate and sodium carbonate. It is a fairly strong alkali, suitable exclusively for industrial and domestic needs, and is widely used for the manufacture of detergents.
The benefits of soda ash
Washing soda is an excellent disinfectant and cleaner. It brings significant benefits in everyday life. This product is capable of:
- eliminate unpleasant odors;
- reduce water hardness;
- remove dirty, stubborn and greasy stains from clothes;
- whiten laundry when washing;
- sanitize things.
Sodium carbonate is an excellent way to clean tiles, a toilet bowl, a bathtub, a sink from dirt, and they can also clean dishes.
What fabrics can I use
Before using washing soda ash, you should find out in relation to which fabrics it can be applied. The permitted materials include linen and cotton, which well withstand the alkaline environment, so any pollution can be easily removed from such fabrics. As for synthetics, you need to be careful here, since a very large amount of this powder can damage the fibers. Soda can be cleaned and washed fabrics, except for delicate, such as natural silk or delicate lace.
Silk and wool should not be washed with soda ash. They will lose their original appearance, become harsh and rude. It is also not recommended to wash things with a special water-repellent coating and sewn from the membrane with this product.
Precautionary measures
Since this alternative to washing powder (soda ash) is a caustic alkali, precautions must be taken when working with it. It must be borne in mind that if it gets on the skin or mucous tissues, a burn may appear in this place. When soda ash is mixed with water, the reaction becomes even more aggressive, therefore when using this product you must use rubber gloves. No contact allowed:
- with mucous membranes;
- airways
- derma.
Store in tightly closed containers and in a hard to reach, dry and cool place. From cardboard boxes you need to pour into cans so that the soda does not crumble and get wet. After finishing work with it, it is advisable to ventilate the room.
Instructions for use
Manufacturers place information on the basic rules of use and warnings on the packaging. There are instructions for using soda ash in certain cases.
Soaking laundry with soda
This method is very effective for things that for a long time lay in an unventilated place not washed. In such conditions, they begin to smell damp, sometimes moldy. Also, this method is perfect for whitening white linen at home. To do this, warm water is poured into a basin and washing soda in the ratio of 3 tablespoons per bucket is added there. The laundry prepared for soaking is rubbed with laundry soap, or you can put it together with chopped soap shavings. A basin with soaked linen should be left overnight. Although in the morning the appearance of the laundry is imperceptible, however, after it is rinsed and washed in the washing machine, it will become snow-white.
After soaking, greasy stains on towels are perfectly washed. To do this, take 3 tablespoons:
- soda;
- vegetable oil;
- powder;
- bleach.
Pour all these components into a bucket of boiled water and put towels in it until the water cools down, you can leave it all night. Then rinse in clean water and wash in a typewriter.
Soaking colored linen is also possible, only washing soda should be taken no more than 3-4 tablespoons per 10 liters of water with a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.
When soaking things in soda ash before washing in a washing machine, you must follow the instructions on the packaging. If its concentration is exceeded or things lie in the solution longer than necessary, they simply spill during washing.
Soda boiling
Boiling it along with soda ash will help get rid of yellow spots on white linen and make it snow-white. To make the result even stronger, before starting to boil, it is recommended to lather things with household soap. Then pour 500 grams of soda ash and the same whiteness into the water, leave to boil for 1 hour, not forgetting to turn over with wooden tongs. After time, leave to cool, and then rinse. For boiling it is necessary to use a galvanized tank or an enameled pan. Basins with chips, aluminum or copper pots are not suitable for this procedure, because the linen is covered with rusty stains in them. At the bottom should be put a white cloth.
This method of making snow-white underwear stands out as effective, but it is often impossible to use it. The fact is that in this case the fabric will begin to corrode and things will become worthless.
You can boil in another composition:
- 10 l of water;
- 200 grams of linen soda;
- a glass of laundry soap shavings.
In this case, the time for boiling is 2 hours, and if you add 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and liquid ammonia, boil only 40 minutes. This procedure with the addition of sodium carbonate is not recommended for colored laundry.
Hand wash with soda
Soda ash is a great helper when washing work clothes that have stains:
- fuel oil;
- engine oil;
- gasoline;
- paraffin wax.
Inexpensive linen soda will perfectly cope with greasy stains and other food contaminants that most often appear on lab coats of catering workers.
The use of this product in relation to colored linen is also acceptable, but it does not need to be brewed. For washing, it is necessary to pour 10 liters of water of 30-40 degrees into a basin, put 3-5 tablespoons of linen soda in it and wash dirty things in this solution.
Machine wash with soda ash
In the prewash section, put 3 tablespoons of sodium carbonate. If things are very dirty, then this tool is best to take more - about 5 tablespoons. In some cases, you can throw soda into the washing machine, directly into the drum. So it will dissolve better and stretch better, especially when it comes to:
- cotton clothes;
- linen towels;
- bedding.
It should be noted that the speed and effectiveness of washing with soda in the washing machine is greatly affected by the temperature of the water: the higher it is, the better. Washing water can be made softer by adding 3-5 tablespoons of this product to the machine. In addition to its emollient properties, soda:
- destroy microbes;
- removes slippery plaque and mold;
- eliminate odors.
Laundry soap and soda
Many housewives, knowing the positive properties of this substance, want to know how to make washing soda on their own. To do this, take 0.5 liters of water and dissolve half a glass of laundry soap in it. Put this mixture on fire, but make sure that it does not boil. Soap must be thoroughly dissolved. After that, add 2 liters of water there and half a glass of soda and borax. The resulting mixture is boiled, and then allowed to cool. After it becomes thick, the composition can be used for hand washing.
Such laundry detergent from laundry soap and soda is a good way to care for natural tissues. Soap is advisable to take 72%. This self-made product gently cleans things, making even hard fabrics softer.
For hand washing, take 3 tbsp. washing soda and 50 g of pre-grated soap, machine - 1 tsp soda and 25-50 g of soap shavings. An excellent cleanser for colored items is a mixture of soda and green tea, which not only qualitatively and carefully launders, but also does not spoil the color.
There is another way to make your own detergent. Grate a bar of household or children's soap on the grater, pour 200 grams of hot water so that it dissolves. Separate a quarter of a glass of soda separately in half a glass of water. Then mix these two solutions. Cool, and an effective detergent is ready, it remains to pour into a container.
It should be applied as necessary:
- for soaking;
- boiling;
- Hand and machine washable.
Self-made detergents have several advantages, one of which is safety for health. They do not dry the skin, do not cause poisoning, people who use them reduce the risk of allergies. These compounds are universal, you can wash linens and baby clothes. Their availability is also noted, which is expressed in low cost, which allows to save on washing. A large number of housewives appreciate home cleaning products because they do not have a chemical smell. However, it must be borne in mind that many recipes are based on dry soap, and, as you know, it is difficult to wash, remains on things and completely dissolves only at temperatures above 60 degrees.
Wash using linen soda is preferred by those who want to effectively cope with various contaminants, while significantly saving money. Thanks to this natural product, linen will be clean, old stains and unpleasant odors will disappear. Soda added to the washing machine cleans the machine parts from scale, as a result, the equipment will last much longer.