How to use soda ash at home?

Soda ash has the chemical name sodium carbonate. Both soda ash and baking soda are alkali, only one is weak and the other is strong. Food grade can deal with minor stains, and besides, it costs much more, while calcined can deal with varying degrees of stains, and its price is much lower.

In fact, soda ash is a unique product for household use; it softens water, has cleaning abilities, can remove grease, and is even used for hygiene purposes. In general, you can’t do without this universal remedy in everyday life. Moreover, its cost allows every housewife to have it at hand, especially if finances are not enough for expensive cleaning products, washing powders, dishwashing detergents, and the like. This universal product can be found in any store; as a rule, it is located next to washing powders.

At home, you can use soda ash to:

• use for hygienic purposes;
• wash the dishes;
• clean plumbing fixtures (bathtub, sink, toilet);
• clean kitchen surfaces;
• wash;
• boil and soak;
• wash the floors;
• clean the washing machine from lime deposits;
• soften water.

Laundry assistant

In the modern world, you can wash in two ways: manually and using a machine. In both cases, sodium carbonate enhances the effect of the powder.

In an automatic washing machine, just add 3 tablespoons of soda directly to the laundry.If you have hard water or very dirty clothes, add more. It is important to be careful when washing this way, the temperature should be in the range of 50 to 100 degrees. But, of course, with some types of clothing you should be extremely careful.

The use of soda is also possible when washing by hand. You need to dilute 3 spoons in a bucket of water to enhance the effect of the detergent. If the fabric requires a delicate wash, it is better not to use sodium carbonate because it can damage delicate wool or delicate fabric. If you need to soak things, then the same amount of soda should be diluted in 10 liters of warm, but not hot water. To soften water at home, you need two spoons.

There is also an interesting recipe for washing gel, which contains soda ash. It can be prepared at home and used for both hand and machine washing. This product copes with stains and various types of dirt, and after washing there is no need for conditioner, because the gel has a pleasant aroma. The advantage of this gel is that its cost is tens of times cheaper than laundry detergents on the shelves of hardware stores, and it is also considered environmentally friendly, so it can even be used to wash a newborn baby’s clothes. To prepare it, you need to boil two liters of water, and pour laundry soap, pre-rubbed with fine shavings, into a container of boiling water. After it is completely dissolved, add 150 grams of soda ash and boil for another three minutes over low heat. If desired, you can add 200 grams of green tea without additives - this is done in order to keep your hands soft.And for a pleasant smell, after complete cooling, add a few drops of aromatic oil to the gel. The use of such a gel will make life much easier for allergy sufferers, parents with small children and people with little financial income.

Cleaning and washing with soda ash

If you use sodium carbonate at home to clean plumbing fixtures, you need to dilute 2-3 tablespoons of soda per liter of water, soak a washcloth in this solution and wipe the contaminated surface with it. After this, you should thoroughly wash the surface with clean water and wipe with a dry cloth to avoid streaks.

This universal product can also be used for cleaning floors. You need to dilute three tablespoons of soda in 5 liters of hot water. Then wash the floor well, wipe again with clean water and try to wipe dry.

But there are a number of surfaces for which soda ash is strictly prohibited:

• aluminum;
• made of brick;
• wooden;
• laminate;
• varnished parquet;
• painted surfaces;
• lacquered furniture;
• fiberglass tiles.

When using baking soda to wash dishes, dilute 3 tablespoons of sodium carbonate in 1 liter of water. This solution can fight not only dirt, but also grease. You need to wash the dishes in it, then rinse well with clean water.

Baking soda can fight scale not only in washing machines. Very often, scale appears in kettles - both regular and electric. Therefore, in order for your device for boiling water to last a long time, you need to wash it with soda ash from time to time or throw a few spoons into boiling water (after which you should never use it).

Hygiene

If, for example, a person’s hair gets fat very quickly, you can add a small amount of soda to your regular shampoo. The result will be obvious: your hair will become softer, and you will need to wash it less often. An unforgettable volume will also appear.

Be careful!

When using soda ash, you need to take precautions, because it is a chemical. For children, sodium carbonate should be completely inaccessible and stored as far as possible from food. If your skin is too sensitive, then you need to avoid direct contact with soda on areas of the body. It's better to use gloves. If soda gets on the mucous membrane, you need to rinse the affected area well with plenty of water.