Washing Soda vs. Baking Soda | What is the Difference? | Sodium Carbonate & Sodium Bicarbonate

I am not a chemist, but I am a hazmat technician, so work made me take some chemistry courses.

I have decided that I want to try my hand at making soap, its easy DIY chemistry, and its about the only chemistry left for the layman to "relearn" from our forefathers. That being said, I keep finding recipes using washing soda, with a stern warning about not mixing it up with baking soda. Since I believe that most warning labels are posted in response to an act, I figure that people may get confused. So here is the difference:

Washing soda is sodium carbonate - two sodium atoms, a carbon atom, and three hydrogen atoms.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate - the same ingredients, but with a hydrogen atom replacing one of the sodium.

This playlist contains videos that are linked to and mentioned in the book The Basics of Homemade Cleaning Supplies: How to Make Lye Soap, Dish-washing Liquid, Dish-washing Powder, and a Whole Lot More. Book 6 of the Homestead Basics Series

[edithattreed]

When you cook bicarbonate soda it turns into sodium carbonate, that’s the ingredient in enos. In the book of Dr Sircus Sodium Bicarbonate that if you mix equal parts of bicarbonate soda and sodium carbonate to alkalise your system, the interesting part was that the sodium carbonate will push it to the extreme parts like the head and foot

[jewellm]

David Nash has made a video of how to make washing soda on top of the stove so you can see how moisture bubbles from dry baking soda. He advises using the oven because it's quicker and more effective.

[TNGun]

Yes, I have a video of it somewhere. It does not have to be that hot, or that long, but heat turns it into washing soda and co2

[KeikoBushnell]

Armen Hammer also makes a baking soda that is supposed to be for your pool and it comes in a bigger bag and it’s really cheap

they say it’s not for use in baking but it’s the exact same thing I’m pretty sure it’s just in a different bag.

I’m not saying that I recommend using it for baking because that’s not what I bought it for but the one ingredient in both are exactly the same...just different packaging ...in my opinion they are just selling it for a different use and since you need a lot more to clean your pool than to bake a cake they sell it for a more reasonable price

[FknNefFy]

I’m just wondering why it’s OK to bake baking soda for food but when you bake it to turn into washing soda it’s toxic like what is the difference

[Nigel]

can I use washing soda with vinegar to clean basins and taps?

[bessburkhardt]

Can you just use Soda Ash like you put in a pool/ hot tub to raise pH? It's called sodium carbonate, is it the same?

[onemanshow]

For a cheep and widely available source of sodium carbonate check your local pool supply store. Most pool shock is 100% sodium carbonate.

[Fredengle]

whats the difference? one is edible the other is not also chemically I think washing soda can be explosive in some circumstances where baking soda maybe safe does this not sound right? I think there is mention of it In some NFPA document that the ingridient in washing soda sodium carbonate can be dangerous under certain conditions.

[dirtybastardsoapco]

nice job! I was about to use baking soda, just because I was being too lazy to heat it. lol. Did you know that if you apply heat to baking soda, you remove the water and CO2, which then becomes washing soda?? Pretty cool, cheap & easy! I have struggled in the past to find washing soda in the store as well.

[TNGun]

You know I have a video coming up on decomposing the baking soda, but did not know about the caustic soda... Thanks

[miklob]

So it wouldn't be a good idea to use baking soda instead of washing soda when making snuff?

[jeffsmith]

Thank you for your video because I've been wondering about that for a long time now.
Thank you

Take care

[TNGun]

But not for soap making, which was what this was about, but I apologize for not being clear. But we use washing soda to make soap

[texas]

Both boxes have folded laundry on the front of them...

[imhumanfornowlivingonmycou]

Hello Sheperd! Can you please tell me if sodium carbonate is the same as Na2CO3? Thanks in advance.

[CatboyChemicalSociety]

so if you decompose baking soda you get washing soda then if you dissolve washing soda in water and boil it you get caustic soda now u can make all 3 hope it helps

[jewellm]

Peter is correct. After making washing soda, sure to store it in an airtight container or it will turn back into baking soda!

[CatboyChemicalSociety]

yea it when mixed with water and boiled till u see again crystals those are no longer sodium carbonate but sodium hydroxide

[moebius]

/me learns of the existence of *washing soda*