Request: Substitute for Washing Soda
Archived on 09/03/2009
I was trying to make my own laundry soap but I cannot find "washing soda" in any stores around me. Can I substitute it?
Jennifer from Illinois
Feedback:
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
Washing Soda is available at Wal Mart in the laundry aisle. (08/29/2006)
By imaqt1962
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I live by Wal-Mart's home office, and none of the Wal-Mart stores around here have washing soda in the laundry aisle. They do have baking soda, which can be used in laundry too, in that aisle. (08/29/2006)
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
Baking soda is the only thing I've seen as a substitute for washing soda. They are different though and will work differently. Washing soda is a cleaning booster. If your local stores (U.S.A.) don't sell it, ask them to order it. It should be available from their distributors.
Susan from ThriftyFun (08/29/2006)
By ThriftyFun
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
Arm and Hammer's website has a locator feature for finding this product in your area. (08/29/2006)
By Linda.
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
Washing soda is sodium carbonate, which can also be found at pool supply stores. There aren't any stores around me that carry the washing soda and I could not justify the shipping cost for ordering it. After some research I found this little tidbit. It cost about the same in pool supply.
(09/07/2006)
By robin
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
Oxygen cleaner like OxiClean works wonders. It has the sodium carbonate (washing soda) and one other ingredient. This is what I use as a substitution. (09/14/2006)
By Angee
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I could not find washing soda in any Wal-Mart near me in TX, but I found it at Brookshire's. (01/09/2007)
By onetam
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
You can look in the pool supply section of Wal-Mart or wherever and find pure sodium carbonate (a popular brand is pH Up), which is what washing soda is. (01/10/2007)
By jdrinkwater
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
The only store that I found to carry washing soda is Kroger's. (04/20/2007)
By Paul
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I found a thing somewhere called soap nut shells (look on ebay) which are basically enviro friendly but just release saponin. Can also be made into shampoo etc. Very cheap and economical if you use them 3-4 times per 'lot' (depending on water type). Just put into a sock and tie and then shove in the machine. It's as simple as that. Use about 6 half shells per load for soft water, about 8 for hard. Experiment. (06/05/2007)
By Johanino
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I am a SAHM who has returned to college. In a recent chemistry class, I learned that at high temperature like 450 deg for about 4 hours would reduce sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to sodium carbonate (washing soda). It has something to do with the chemical composition and the breakdown rates of chemicals.
Take it with a grain of salt but I would think that if you would take a small box of baking soda and sprinkle it evenly over say a cookie sheet and bake in oven at 450 for around 4 hours that could possibly work. Although you would have an oven going for 4 hours which may not be that cost efficient. Take it all with a grain of salt. Have a good day. (06/12/2007)
By Kansas Gal
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I used 3/4 of a cup of Amaze detergent booster, and 3/4 a cup of baking soda in place of washing soda. It seems to work really well. (08/13/2007)
By Cassie
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
You can use salt and soap flakes grated from a bar, or you can use soap flakes plus a little sodium bicarbonate, about a dessert spoonful in the powder drawer. Even cheaper and very eco-friendly, use a wash ball.
See my site: http://www.greenfootsteps.com/washball.html for more info on these ingenious devices. (07/10/2008)
By Rona from Greenfootsteps
RE: Substitute for Washing Soda
I have looked everywhere for washing soda and I have yet to find it (actually I am on the phone with Kroger's to see if they have it). Thanks for suggesting sodium carbonate instead of washing soda, I think that it will make this easier finding one of the two products. I would like to use the Oxi-Clean but I am afraid that something might go wrong, knowing me. (01/16/2009)
By Kelly From TN
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Request: Substitute for Washing Soda
Archived on 10/22/2005
| I want to make the fels naptha laundry soap recipe. I don't want to use the washing power and I don't have the money to purchase right now anyway. Does anyone know of something other than washing soda that I can use in a laundry soap recipe?
Delanie122000 from Oak Park IL |
| Answers: |
| RE: Substitute for Washing Soda |
10/22/2005 |
| I have used baking soda instead, because sometimes washing soda is hard to find in my area. It seems to work really well. |
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By wendiesioux
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| RE: Substitute for Washing Soda |
10/23/2005 |
| Washing soda is pretty cheap but hard to find. Arm and Hammer has a toll-free hotline that is just dedicated to this issue. You enter your zip, and they give you names of stores in your area where its available. I make the powdered detergent using w. soda, borax and grated soap. I use any kind of soap that is free or cheap. The little bars from hotels or any other dollar store soap works-you don't need Fels. Use your food processor to grate the soap. |
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By Linda (Guest Post)
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| RE: Substitute for Washing Soda |
10/28/2005 |
| You can't really substitute baking soda (sodium bicarbinate) for washing soda (sodium carbonate). They are two different products and perform two different ways. A box of washing soda retails for less than $3. While I make big batches of the detergent (3 boxes of each borax, washing soda, a box of baking soda), you can get by easily for now with one box of each borax , baking soda, and a bar of Fels Naptha, which costs only 1.50. So to make this stuff, you only need to spend about 5-6 bucks. That shoudl last you at least a month or more!
Call the A and H line to find out where to purchase the washing soda. |
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By Missy
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| RE: Substitute for Washing Soda |
11/01/2005 |
| I remember when I was a child, my grandfather would make homemade soap, grate it up and use it for laundry. In my books on making homemade soap, laundry soap is soap rebatched with borax added, so you could use those two together without the washing soda. While baking soda and washing soda are chemically different, either can be added to a load of laundry. Some people use the bar soap with salt for a homemade detergent. Amy D. said plain water cleans without any soap at all. Use what you can, even if it's just soap in the water. |
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By susan (Guest Post)
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