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What Is The Difference Between Baking Soda and Washing Soda?

4.13.20

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This post may contain affiliate links. These help support this website.washing soda vs baking soda

We have talked about this off and on the last few years, but today we are going into detail on the difference between baking soda and washing soda.

This is going to be a science based guide to help you determine which substance to use plus why you need to use them.

Everyone trusts Chemistry Cachet to share the best information in the simplest terms.

Procter and Gamble calls Chemistry Cachet a “chemistry-forward cleaning authority” which we are honored to be known as.

So, let’s get started on this simple guide.

P.S – I have been working on this post for 6 months! It took so much research, but I also had a set back with surgery. It is ready to go finally, and I hope you enjoy it 🙂

What Is The Difference Between Baking Soda and Washing Soda?

After we published this post on a DIY oxygenated bleach for laundry, I received a large amount of questions about what washing soda was? We also received so many questions about using baking soda in place of washing soda.

We have discussed the difference occasionally on Chemistry Cachet, and also mention it in the eBook, but we have not done a full post for you.

So, this post is a much needed discussion and also a great one to reference. You can save this post on pinterest, facebook, or bookmark it 🙂

Let’s start with the more popular compound baking soda.

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda is a salt chemically known as sodium bicarbonate with the chemical equation NaHC03. When baking soda reacts with an acid, carbon dioxide is released. This is why it was originally used as a leavening agent in 1846 according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

Check out the chemical equation above of baking soda mixed with vinegar (an acid) from this post a few years ago. In this post, we talked about how mixing vinegar and baking soda for cleaning isn’t what people think it is. Anyways, you can visit this post for more details on this.

The point is, baking soda is most widely known as a leavening agent. I love this article from ACS publications mentioning that an article from 1927 talked about baking soda preventing the common cold.

Over the years, we have discovered more information on baking soda. It has many chemical qualities!

Chemical Qualities of Baking Soda

Here are some important things to note about baking soda. Most of these tips below have been talked about on Chemistry Cachet over the years. You can search baking soda and many articles pop up! We use it for EVERYTHING on this website especially cleaning and gardening.

  • Slightly alkaline with pH around 8
  • Antimicrobial
  • pH buffer
  • Pest deterrent
  • Deodorizing
  • Sooth burning bug bites

Chemistry Cachet original tip → baking soda will enhance the whitening power of hydrogen peroxide when mixed together. We call it chemist paste in the eBook 🙂

According to Arm and Hammer, baking soda has a shelf life of 3 years.

The topics above are going to be the most important things to know about baking soda in home use. It is a versatile, safe, and cheap product to keep in your house.

Baking Soda VS Washing Soda From Chemistry Cachet

What is Washing Soda?

Washing soda, also known as soda ash, is chemically known as sodium carbonate with the chemical equation Na2CO3. Originally, washing soda was extracted from the ashes of sodium rich plants which is how it got the name soda ash. 

While baking soda is widely known as a leavening agent, washing soda is mainly a laundry booster.

Chemical Qualities of Washing Soda

You can view the chart above to see more of a side by side difference between baking soda and washing soda, but here are some key components to know:

  • More alkaline with pH around 11.6
  • Water Softener
  • Laundry Booster
  • Deodorizing
  • pH regulator

Although washing soda and baking soda have similar chemical equations, you can see there are some key differences for home use.

Physical Differences of Washing Soda vs Baking Soda

You can check out the photos we took below. Baking soda is a more fine powder, while washing soda is more course and textured.

washing soda vs baking soda

We have gone over some of the quick, but main differences and purposes for washing soda and baking soda. Now, we want to share with readers the main uses for each of them in the home.

The next part of our post is going to be about proper usage for these two items. We will start with washing soda.

How To Use Washing Soda In The Home?

The main way to use washing soda is for laundry. With the properties of water softening and boosting, it is really an awesome tool to have at home. It is also found in many store-bought laundry detergents and cleaners.

From our eBook, a popular tip in the laundry section is how to boost dirty laundry. This helps your laundry detergent work better and break stains down too:

EASIEST WAY TO BOOST DIRTY LAUNDRY

This is copied right from the eBook on page 25…

If you have some dirty clothes that need a little extra washing boost, or that have a bad sweat smell, this is the easiest thing to do:

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup sodium carbonate (washing soda)
  • Your regular laundry detergent

Directions: For a large load, use the amount of laundry soap you would normally have. Then add ½ cup sodium carbonate (washing soda).

It is amazing how well this works!

Whiten Whites With Washing Soda

Another way to utilize washing soda, is making a homemade oxi-clean type of solution. Check out this post for details on making a homemade oxygenated bleach for white clothes, sheets, and towels.

Can You Use Washing Soda in HE Washing Machines?

This is a very common question from readers, so I thought I would quickly add this in here. Yes, you can. According to Arm & Hammer’s website, “ARM & HAMMERâ„¢ Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate, so there should be no issues with adding it to an HE machine. However, it is suggested to start with 1/4 to 1/3 of the recommended dose because the HE machines use much less water. For instructions on how to use ARM & HAMMERâ„¢ Super Washing Soda please visit Usage Tips .”

Where Can You Purchase Washing Soda?

You can purchase it from the store, it will be found in the laundry section. My store doesn’t always have it, so I also buy it frequently from Amazon.

Can You Make Washing Soda at Home?

Since baking soda and washing soda have similar chemical equations, there is a way to make washing soda at home. Keep in mind, it might not have the freshness and results the highly pure store-bought version from Arm & Hammer.

I have used this method from Science Notes:

  1. Layer baking soda on a large baking sheet or cookie sheet.
  2. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour (they mention 30 minutes to one hour, but 30 minutes was not long enough for me).
  3. Remove pan from the oven, and allow it to cool completely.
  4. Store in an air-tight container.

The biggest problem with making washing soda at home is it can soak up moisture again. Keeping it in an air-tight container is important, but each time you open it, the air will get in. So, don’t make a really large batch. Just enough to do a few things with at a time.

Important Information About Washing Soda VS Baking Soda

Now, let’s go over baking soda uses.

Baking soda is so versatile. For almost anything you want to do, cleaning, cooking, or outside, baking soda is great!

First, you can head over to this search for baking soda on the blog. There are so many articles about baking soda on our website!

I am going to share some of the most popular things to do with it below.

Deodorize Carpets Baking Soda

Baking soda is really good for carpets. You can use it as a carpet cleaner with this recipe or you can use it as a carpet freshener in this recipe.

Deodorize The Kitchen Sink

Since one of the main uses of baking soda is odor elimination, one of the best uses for it is cleaning the kitchen sink. Check out this recipe for more details.

Make a Homemade Soft Scrub With Baking Soda

Another great use for baking soda is using it in a scrub. I love making a batch of homemade soft scrub to clean the kitchen or bathroom. It works so well!

Also, try this recipe for removing labels from jars. Baking soda is one of the key ingredients!

Can You Swap Baking Soda for Washing Soda and Vice Versa?

This is a common question from readers. If the homemade solution calls for baking soda, then stick with using baking soda. It would not be good to substitute washing soda.

On the flip side, if a recipe calls for washing soda, you can substitute baking soda. Just remember it won’t hold up as well in laundry solutions.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it answered some questions. Most of this information I have done with trial and error over the years. Thank you for your patience while we completed this article 🙂

washing soda vs baking soda for cleaning


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Alexis

Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.

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Filed Under: Cleaner, Laundry Tagged With: baking soda, homemade laundry, soda ash uses, washing soda, washing soda vs baking soda

Previous article:
« Cleaning Products You Should Not Mix Together
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Comments

  1. Aussie Jo says

    April 13, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    Thank you heaps for this because I have wondered about the difference between them

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:35 am

      I’m glad it was helpful!

      Reply
  2. Rachel says

    August 20, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    I have soaked my clothes in water with baking soda in the past to get armpit odor out. Is Washing Soda better for this? I’ve never used it.

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      August 21, 2020 at 6:09 am

      Washing soda is stronger in terms of alkalinity and will work on odor and stains like baking soda…but it is stronger. I have found that it works better for the whitening aspect of clothes. Baking soda is still one of my go tos for adding into a stain remover on all types of clothes, but washing soda has better results on whites.

      Reply
  3. Jessica Rowe says

    September 7, 2020 at 11:24 pm

    Hi! Thank you so much for breaking down the differences. I wonder about sodium percarbonate. I’ve seen some eco-friendly bloggers in the UK use it for laundry and I’m wondering what it is called here in the US? and if you’ve used it in your home?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      September 8, 2020 at 6:19 am

      We talk about it in this post! It is basically a powdered hydrogen peroxide. I think it makes a good option, but it isn’t my favorite because it is really strong. I also talk about it in this post when it comes to cleaning. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Amira says

        October 10, 2020 at 9:28 am

        Hi Alexis! I just discovered your blog and I’m loving it! Why didn’t I discover it sooner?! I have one question regarding this particular post, between baking soda, washing soda and sodium percarbonate, which one is the strongest? Which one do you use in your usual laundry? Thank you in advance!

        Reply
        • Alexis says

          October 12, 2020 at 6:30 am

          So glad you found us! Sodium percarbonate alone will be the strongest in terms of whitening power. Washing soda will be the strongest in terms of cleaning power (this is why they work so well together in our DIY oxi-clean). Baking soda works like washing soda, but won’t be as strong fro laundry. If you want to choose one to boost laundry cleaning power, washing soda will be the best option!

          Reply
  4. TomDW says

    November 2, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    That you for this comparison. I am making a nasal flush and was wondering if washing soda would be better than baking soda. Based on your comments I will stay with baking soda to help sooth the impact of the sea salt.

    I use washing soda for laundry and really enjoy how fresh the cloths are now. I even pulled out some items I had packed away for the season. When I pulled them out eight months later, they still have a fresh, clean smell – no musty odor at all.

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      November 3, 2020 at 6:28 am

      Washing soda really is the best for laundry! I like using it like that too 🙂

      Reply
  5. LoriR says

    April 30, 2021 at 9:41 am

    I have read that mixing baking soda with washing soda 1:1 will make Sodium Sesquicarbonate (C2H4Na3O8), and that it is great for cleaning grease, laundry stain remover and to spray on furniture, etc as a pet dander and allergen reducer when mixed with water. Can you confirm this? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      May 2, 2021 at 5:08 am

      Mixing the two can produce similar chemical properties, but it is not the same structure. You can buy powdered sodium sesquicarbonate and mix with water to clean and remove stains though 🙂

      Reply
  6. Gino says

    February 5, 2022 at 10:56 am

    Hi,
    The DIY washing soda states to place it in a air tight container otherwise moisture will make it less potent of a powder.
    Does this mean that if you buy store Super washing soda and you open it, will it also get less powerful as time goes on or does it have a ingredient to prevent it? If so, Can we add this ingredient to the DIY?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      February 7, 2022 at 4:15 am

      Store bought washing soda does get less potent as time goes on simply because it will absorb moisture in the air each time jar is opened. It doesn’t have any added ingredient to prevent this. But, it does take a long time for it to impact potency. I keep my washing soda in a jar with a lid, and I have had it for over a year. It still works good even with constant use. Eventually, it will loose potency as it absorbs moisture from the air though

      Reply
  7. gino says

    February 15, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Sorry,
    Just clarifying the last post, Store bought washing soda comes in a big box and if you open it how do you keep it from absorbing water as you will need to store it to reuse it?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  8. gino says

    February 15, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    Sorry Alexis, I didn’t see your response before I posted my question.
    Thanks for answering.

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      February 16, 2022 at 4:08 am

      No problem! 🙂

      Reply
  9. dawn says

    February 25, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    thougts on which is better liquid laundry soap or powder? powder always leaves residue on my black work pants after the wash. can i dilute it before i put it in the dispenser?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      February 26, 2022 at 5:00 am

      I have better luck with liquid laundry. If I add in washing soda to my laundry, I do it under the water as it is still filling up to help dissolve it.

      Reply
  10. Saira says

    May 24, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    Hi, I bought clothes off of a cheap website since I am on a budget and just recently found out cheap clothes may contain lead. I read online that washing them in warm water with baking soda helps detoxify the lead in the clothes, and thus, stumbled on this page…

    I don’t have access to washing soda at the moment, would baking soda be able to work too? I know they have whitening power, my clothes are black, will it stain or bleach my clothes to wash them with this?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      May 25, 2023 at 5:04 am

      Warm water and baking soda probably wouldn’t be enough for lead. Here are some important steps to take for leaded clothes.The product D-lead in that article would be something to think about. Washing clothing with lead in the dye won’t come out with regular washing

      Reply

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