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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.

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.

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 & HAMMER™ 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 & HAMMER™ 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.

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 🙂

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