Washing Soda is Environmentally Friendly
Washing soda is the simple, safe, answer to lots of household cleaning jobs.
Washing soda is an old and valuable solution to many household cleaning tasks. It has been used for many generations, from Napoleonic times even!
It is simple to use and as safe as a chemical can be. So it's a great product to consider as part of your green living kit.
It can be used to clean floors, walls, sinks, drains in fact almost any surface where you would use a multi-purpose cleaner.
So, what is it?
Also known as sal soda, soda, soda ash and sodium carbonate, it was first created in the laboratory by Nicholas Leblanc a prominent French chemist in the late 18th century. It is made from common salt and limestone.
It does occur naturally. The Egyptians used a naturally occurring compound rich in washing soda to mummify the dead. There are also large natural deposits of it in Wyoming, near the Green River. How safe is it?Washing soda is quite strongly alkaline so you should not let it be in contact with your skin. Use rubber gloves when dealing with it. It is classed as an irritant and is particularly irritating to the eyes. You should also avoid breathing the dust. As it is usually supplied as a crystal, this isn't hard to do. Once it is dissolved in water it doesn't give off toxic fumes. As with any cleaning product, keep it away from where small children might find it. It is very safe for the environment, breaking down easily and causing no problems. Used with care, soda is a very safe product. What's it good for? - It is very good for dissolving grease and waxy deposits.
- It can be used for getting rid of greasy stains on clothes. It is useful for shifting ink and blood stains and for tea and coffee stains.
- Use it for flushing sinks and drains to get rid of soap scum and grease.
- It will give glass ware up a shiny, lustrous appearance. Tiles and bathroom ceramics come up beautifully clean, too.
It will help dissolve burnt on grease from kitchen ware. - If you still use detergent in your washing machine (rather than a laundryball or washball), you can make it go further by adding washing soda. It softens the water, making detergents more effective.
Soda is also useful for removing moss and slime from garden paths. Use it to clean your greenhouse windows, too. Anywhere you can't use it?Don't use it on aluminium surfaces, waxed or varnished surfaces or fibreglass items. As it is a strong alkaline substance (pH 11) it will cause damage.I find that it is not so useful for cleaning rags, dishcloths and other materials because it gives them a slimy feel (vinegar is better) though of course you can use it to remove stains and grease before putting them in the washing machine. How do you use it? A normal solution is about 1 cupful per litre of water. You can use less than this for washing floors. For the washing machine,...
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