baking soda?

[islandbeauty]

hi everyone i want to make my own laundry soap and just can't find washing soda anywhere. i went to a site that sells it. it costs $4.95 but the shipping just costs tooo much $11.97, so won't be ordereing there. so i was wondering if regular baking soda can be used in place of washing soda, some say that it can but want to see what you all have to say thanks...

 

[Vic1963]

Did you look like where the Borax was ? or with the Dreft ? It was in a little bit different place than right with the laundry detergent where I found it.

 

[donniej]

Baking soda and washing soda are totally different. Keep looking, you'll find it. I found mine at a small, local grocery store. The big chain stores and Wal-Mart did not have it.

 

[jennikate]

Tip if like where I live you you can't find it in laundry area you can cook baking powder at 400 degrees for about 3 hours or easier IMO Pool supply soduim carbonate.

 

[rubyslippers]

Islandbeauty - washing soda and baking soda are not the same. I made that mistake the first time I attempted to make my homemade laundry detergent. I finally found the washing soda at my local grocery store in the detergent aisle. Sometimes it helps to have a picture so you know what you are looking for so here it is:

By the way, if you are making the detergent with Fels Naptha soap, borax and washing soda it is fantastic!!! Been using it for about a year and I will never go back to store bought again.

 

[islandbeauty]

Did you look like where the Borax was ? or with the Dreft ? It was in a little bit different place than right with the laundry detergent where I found it.

yes i did but could not find any, they just had regular baking soda.

 

[islandbeauty]

Islandbeauty - washing soda and baking soda are not the same. I made that mistake the first time I attempted to make my homemade laundry detergent. I finally found the washing soda at my local grocery store in the detergent aisle. Sometimes it helps to have a picture so you know what you are looking for so here it is:

By the way, if you are making the detergent with Fels Naptha soap, borax and washing soda it is fantastic!!! Been using it for about a year and I will never go back to store bought again.

hi rubyslippers, yes i know that they are not the same. It's just that i read that someone had used baking soda instead of washing soda. I do know what it looks like, i know of a site that sells it, but shipping costs $11.97, which i think is ridiculous when the washing soda costs $4.95. i have fels naptha soap and want so much to make my own laundry soap, but no washing soda to be found here where i live...

 

[xyxoxy]

I just tried a batch of PDXMike's no shred laundry soap which calls for washing soda and borax (among other ingredients). His recipe says to sub more borax if you can't find washing soda.

Knowing they are different... I decided to sub baking soda for the washing soda anyway. I will know in a couple of days if it worked. Only lost about $2 if it didn't.

 

[gekko62]

I found some in the toiletries aisle,in with the radox etc.

 

[islandbeauty]

I just tried a batch of PDXMike's no shred laundry soap which calls for washing soda and borax (among other ingredients). His recipe says to sub more borax if you can't find washing soda.

Knowing they are different... I decided to sub baking soda for the washing soda anyway. I will know in a couple of days if it worked. Only lost about $2 if it didn't.

let me know how that worked out for you, ok?

 

[ycartf]

Washing soda can be found in the pool supplies section of Wal-mart. It is called Ph Increaser (sodium carbonate) and I paid $6.97 for like 6.5 cup container. Costs a bit more than if they stocked it (Arm & Hammer) in the laundry section, but it is the same.

EDIT - I checked mine - "Aqua Chem" brand, says it is "100% sodium carbonate" - sorry if I misled anyone (YWMMV = Your Wal-Mart May Vary)

 

[islandbeauty]

Wasing soda can be found in the pool supplies section of Wal-mart. It is called Ph Increaser (sodium carbonate) and I paid $6.97 for like 6.5 cup container. Costs a bit morethan if they stocked it (Arm & Hammer) in the laundry section, but it is the same.

hi, went to walmart to get ph increaser but saw that it was only 92% sodium carbonate with 3% inert ingredients, so did not buy it, they say that sodium carbonate must be 100%, so went to lowes and went to their pool supplies and found Spa Time which was 100% sodium carbonate and it was something like $5.97.

 

[xyxoxy]

I just wanted to update and say that I gave up after 4 days but I think I got impatient. Mike who wrote the recipe says it can take up to a couple of weeks to fully incorporate all the water. So baking soda may have been ok.

I just started my 2nd attempt and this time used sodium carbonate that I got at a pool supply store. It was a 10 pound bottle for about $12 and should last a VERY long time.

I will update the thread in the Recipes and Tutorials forum in a few days or when I know how this batch turns out.

 

[GoddessMama]

When I tried baking soda it erupted and made a huge mess, so I would vote no. Unless your doing a dry powder then,maybe in addition to the other stuff.

 

[islandbeauty]

I just wanted to update and say that I gave up after 4 days but I think I got impatient. Mike who wrote the recipe says it can take up to a couple of weeks to fully incorporate all the water. So baking soda may have been ok.

I just started my 2nd attempt and this time used sodium carbonate that I got at a pool supply store. It was a 10 pound bottle for about $12 and should last a VERY long time.

I will update the thread in the Recipes and Tutorials forum in a few days or when I know how this batch turns out.

i just made my laundry soap within the last few days and i really like how it cleans, it really does a good job....i made the powdered type tho, which was my preference...i also had to go to lowes and get 100% sodium carbonate in the pool supply section, there was just no washing soda to be found anywhere....but i did add a cup of baking soda to my recipe just so that it could help deoderize the odors that come with dirty laundry.....i made a pretty big batch that would probably last me anywhere from 6 months to a year, depending on how much i do laundry per week.... also some say that 1 tbls per load would be enough, but i went ahead and used 2 tbls per full load and it did great, no more store bought detergent for me and my family. also added EO for scent...

 

[gekko62]

I just wanted to update and say that I gave up after 4 days but I think I got impatient. Mike who wrote the recipe says it can take up to a couple of weeks to fully incorporate all the water. So baking soda may have been ok.

Iquote]

[hijack] what oil did you use xyxoxy?I did CO & it set up in 2 days[unhijack]

I think baking soda would probably work against the soap,some use it as a fabric softener/soap residue remover. Whereas the washing soda is a water softener so helps the soap do it's job better.I wonder if you'd even need it if yr water was soft? Thoughts anyone? :?

 

[islandbeauty]

Washing soda can be found in the pool supplies section of Wal-mart. It is called Ph Increaser (sodium carbonate) and I paid $6.97 for like 6.5 cup container. Costs a bit more than if they stocked it (Arm & Hammer) in the laundry section, but it is the same.

EDIT - I checked mine - "Aqua Chem" brand, says it is "100% sodium carbonate" - sorry if I misled anyone (YWMMV = Your Wal-Mart May Vary)

nope u didn't mislead anyone, i guess here at where i'm at they don't sell the 100% sodium carbonate type of ph increaser, and don't think it was aqua chem though, i guess when others are looking to buy they need to look at the ingredients to make sure it's 100% sodium carbonate, at lowes i looked at several of them before coming across one that had 100% sodium carbonate.

 

[Vintageliving]

Sometimes washing soda is in the paint department.