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Make It Easy:  Homemade Washing Soda!  |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 07 2014 : 11:34:10 AM
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Hi girls!
Many of you probably know about this already, but just in case, I thought I'd share...
The one major setback for me in making homemade laundry soap was that I hadn't been able to find washing soda anywhere locally. Problem solved! I did a little research online and found that I can make it myself using regular baking soda! WOW! AWESOME! Here's how:
Place a layer of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Pour baking soda on top and spread evenly. Two cups worked perfectly for me!
Bake in 400 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. Half-way through the baking time, at the 15 minute mark, stir it up right in the pan and spread it out evenly again. Finish baking for 15 minutes more.
You'll know when it's done because the consistency of the soda will change. Prior to cooking, the baking soda will be powdery and slightly shiny. When it has turned into washing soda, it becomes more grainy and dull.
Just use the amount you need for your recipe and store the rest in a well marked container for future.
I'm so excited to finally try this next week. I've had such great success with Nellie's laundry detergent, but have really wanted to give making my own a try. Now I can! Easy peasy!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Jun 11 2014 7:55:43 PM |
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jan49829
True Blue Farmgirl
2428 Posts
Janet
Winter Haven
Florida
USA
2428 Posts |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2014 : 11:55:38 AM
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Yeah!! And I am pretty sure it's going to be even more economical than buying the washing soda pre-made, Jan... We shall see! Let me know how you make out! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Denise Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
831 Posts
Denise
Shoreview
MN
USA
831 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2014 : 5:06:50 PM
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Glad this works. I have been thinking about trying this, but haven't had a chance and it does not sound time consuming at all. Thanks for sharing!!
Denise Ann |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 05:38:08 AM
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Awesome tip, Nini. You are always so clever. I'm making a batch of laundry detergent today. Now if I run out of washing soda, I don't have to run to the store asap.
Farmgirl hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16267 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16267 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 07:45:29 AM
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Good morning!
Carol found this tip on the Internet and I felt the same excitement you do but I could not for the life of me get it to work. Baking soda "dissolved" in water is cloudy and washing soda dissolved in water is perfectly clear and dissolves easily, baking soda not so much. I couldn't get my oven-baked baking soda to turn/look granulated, even after 3 hours! And when I put it in water it still looked and acted like baking soda to me. Let me know if it works for you and I'll go back to the drawing board. Maybe I did something wrong. I tried a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, then 1 hour, then two hours and then three without any change at all. I did stir it a couple of times thinking that might help. Help!
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2864 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2864 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 08:38:39 AM
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Hey Nini!
If you can't find washing soda, check a pool supply (or Amazon). Washing soda is sodium carbonate, and it is widely used for pool care ( in a bigger container too!)
Good Luck!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16267 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16267 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 09:38:54 AM
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Great tip Lisa!!!! Many thanks.
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 12:17:44 PM
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MaryJane - I just did it, and it worked for me! I had forgotten to post that about 15 minutes into the baking cycle, you need to stir it up. I don't know if that made a difference in your batch or not, though. I will adjust the "recipe" above.
Anyhow - I took pictures:
This is the baking soda, right out of the bag, spread in the pan.
And a couple of close-ups of the pre-baked baking soda:
This is the final product, fresh out of the oven:
I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it's much more grainy, and definitely doesn't feel powdery like it did before I baked it.
Here are the close-ups:
I also did take a spoonful of the baked washing soda and dissolved it in a glass of water. It dissolved perfectly clear.
Further, when I went to wash it off of my hands, it felt a little bit slippery/slimy, unlike when I washed the regular baking soda off of my hands.
Now, I'm not sure what regular washing soda looks like, because I've never been able to find it here in the stores. I will say that this stuff I just made is not at all as grainy as the Nellie's Washing Soda I have been using lately. Having said that, though, I did a little research and found an explanation of how the regular baking soda is turned to washing soda when it is baked:
"The difference between baking soda and washing soda is water and carbon dioxide. Seriously. Baking soda's chemical makeup is NaHCO3 (1 sodium, 1 hydrogen, one carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules). Washing soda's chemical makeup is Na2CO3 (2 sodium, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules). When baking soda is heated up to high temperatures, it breaks down to become washing soda, water steam, and carbon dioxide."
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2011/01/homemade-washing-soda.html
The water/steam and carbon dioxide are released during cooking, and what you have left is the washing soda.
I honestly don't know why yours turned out differently, MaryJane... Maybe it's just that commercial washing soda is a little different in texture than homemade? I haven't made up my laundry detergent yet, but will definitely let you know how it turns out. Hopefully it will work! I'm just so excited to try it! :)
Lisa - THANK YOU! That IS a great tip! If this doesn't work out, I'll definitely try the pool supply store! Awesome! What would I do without you, my friend? :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Jun 11 2014 12:24:56 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 12:33:54 PM
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MaryJane - One last thought... I only used two cups of baking soda for this batch... Did you use more? I wonder if maybe it has to be done is smaller batches???
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16267 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16267 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 3:55:09 PM
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Yes, I used a lot more--one of those big boxes, all of it in a glass Pyrex 4 qt. baking dish. I'm so excited to try this again per your instructions. I was working on the instructions for stain remover found in the last Sister Issue when my washing soda experiment failed horribly and I ran out of time to try it again. Thank you. THANK YOU!
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2014 : 4:27:52 PM
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Oh! Maybe that was it, then! Hopefully the smaller batch will work for you! :) Let us know how it works out! Of COURSE, you're so very welcome! And thank YOU SO much for the stain remover recipe! I was so excited to read about it in the Sister Issue! AWESOME!!! :)
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2014 : 7:17:10 PM
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| Would you be concerned about carbon dioxide poisoning if you breathe in right over the open oven? I know that seems far-fetched, but it is a greenhouse gas, after all. |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2014 : 7:18:34 PM
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| Oops! I forgot to say OOOOH how lovely that tablecloth is! *sigh* |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2014 : 02:45:36 AM
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Hmmm... I never considered that, Virginia! I don't know, but I don't think that there is enough CO2 in the small batch that is made that I'd be worried. It's not like dry ice which would take your breath away. In my case, sad to say, I'd be even more concerned about breathing in the black smoke that comes out whenever I open the oven door while I'm making dinner! LOL! (Just kidding. I used to be REALLY bad with the oven - BIG family joke. Neighbors used to know I was cooking whenever the windows flew open and black smoke would come billowing out!) I think one would have to inhale an awful lot more CO2 in order for one to get sick. I'm sure in a day we each personally put out a lot more CO2 just by breathing, you know? And remember, green plants need CO2 for photosynthesis... With my black thumb, my houseplants can use all the help they can get! LOL! Further, with all the smoke in the air from me burning dinner, WE can use all the oxygen THE PLANTS put out when they use up the CO2 from me making washing soda! In my case, at least, it has to be a win-win, if you think about it! LOL!
Thanks! Back in the 80's I loved the pattern so much that I bought TWO of those tablecloths in two different sizes. I used to have a beautiful square Battenburg lace topper placed on top, points placed in the opposite direction so that the lovely blue checks and flowers from the blue flowered cloth would be peeping out in big sections on the corners - it was just such a charming, layered country look. Over the years, both tablecloths have served us well - even on picnics and as a curtain! Somewhere in storage I have a lovely balloon valance lined with a lace trim that matches, too. I forgot all about it until just now... I think I'm going to have to bring it out again! I still cannot believe how well they have all held up - I think it'll be 30 years that we've had them as of next year, and not a hole or fraying edge to be seen! They're not even thread bare! I love them, especially, because they bring back such wonderful memories; but mostly they remind me of my grandma, who really loved them, too. :) It's just so weird to be able to say I have these lovely vintage tablecloths, though, full-well knowing that I was the one who originally purchased them! LOL!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Jun 13 2014 03:09:11 AM |
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PinkCsmtlgy
Farmgirl in Training
18 Posts
Brandi
Martinsburg
Pennsylvania
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - Jun 17 2014 : 08:52:31 AM
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| Thank you for the tip. |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2014 : 5:21:24 PM
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Nini, of course you're right that plants use CO2 for photosynthesis. I guess I was thinking that anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 is ruining our environment. As you say, I doubt the small amount generated by your handy method would do much, if any, harm.
That tablecloth arrangement must have been so pretty. :)
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Edited by - Rosemary on Jun 18 2014 5:29:32 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2014 : 7:12:51 PM
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You're welcome, Brandi! :)
No worries, Virginia! I was just running it through my mind and typing as I went. What a hoot to think making it might give my plants a fighting chance, though! LOL!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2014 : 07:01:24 AM
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It WORKED! It WORKED! I finally had time to make my laundry soap using my homemade washing soda, and started using it today! I am absolutely amazed! One little tablespoon full, and my laundry is so fresh and clean! And my clothes even seem to be drying softer on the line - BIG difference in my bath towels! I am hooked and never will go back. SO simple. I admit, though, that I cheated a little bit... Instead of hand grating my soap, I ground it up to a powder in my Ninja. I'd add a hunk of soap, a little bit of the other ingredients and then pour it into a big jar. When the entire batch was finished, I gave it one more big shake in the jar to ensure it mixed well. It took me less than five minutes to do a single batch! WOW!!! Thanks to all of our farmgirl sisters for the inspiration!!! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Make It Easy: Homemade Washing Soda! |
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Homemade Washing Soda!
