Washing Soda instead of Baking Soda

[marsh]

Since the purpose of baking Baking Soda is to create sodium carbonate

2 NaHCO3 + heat -> Na2CO3 + H2O +CO2

Why not just buy Washing Soda which is sodium carbonate?

"What are the ingredients in Super Washing Soda?

ARM & HAMMER Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate. It does not contain fragrance, surfactants or other additives "
Super Washing Soda

My understanding is that Arm & Hammer Washing Soda is made from their Baking Soda and not the Solvay process.

So when you want to get the pH boost with Recipe #1 Part 2 Alkalinity instead of using 594 grams or about 2 ¼ cups of Baking Soda and baking, use about 392 grams or 1 1/2 cups of Washing Soda to get the same equivalents of alkalinity.

 

[Mr..Tang]

I want RHF to check this out!!! This could be nice!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Washing soda is an acceptable choice if adequately pure, and that sold by folks like twopartsolutions is fine (it is a food grade, as they tell me), but that sold at grocery stores is not necessarily a food grade. It may be adequately pure, or not, but since baking soda is food grade, and is cheap and available everywhere, I have recommended baking soda over washing soda.

 

[Mr..Tang]

There you go!

 

[marsh]

Randy...

Just when I thought I might have one over on you. I was writing my little ditty and then read your recipe to get your wieights and measures and saw the bit about washing soda but decided to go ahead and post anyway.
So to be stubborn, is it possible that the Arm & Hammer brand of Washing Soda would be OK? How might it be proven to be OK or not?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

Sure, it may be fine, although some folks have found it perfumed in Canada. Without some detailed test analyses, trial and error is about the only way to know if it is good enough. In think it is very likely OK. Feel like experimenting?

 

[FunkieReefJunkie]

Our Albertson store was bought out by Lucky who decided to replace Arm & Hammer washing soda with something more vague, more environmentally friendly and Pepe Le Peu. Funny thing is I never knew washing soda was not environmentally friendly (said with bleeding sarcasm).

 

[billsreef]

I've used the non purfumed 100% Arm and Hammer with success.

 

[stangreef]

me too...

 

[billsreef]

Just be very sure it's not the perfumed stuff