Homemade Washing Soda

Ingredients
Baking Soda

Instructions
1. Fill a wide baking dish with baking soda.  
2. Use a fork or other utensil to break any clumps if needed.
2. Heat in the oven at 400 degrees until all the baking soda becomes washing soda. Occasionally mix it so that this process happens faster and more uniformly.
3. Use as needed!

 1 ingredient. 1 step SUPER EASY!

This process for the picture above took a little over 2 hours to complete because I had it layered thick on the pan.  Most detergent recipes only call for a cup or two of washing soda, (wish I had remembered that before this batch).  Do yourself a favor and make in "thinner" batches.

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.

Most recipes only call for small amounts of washing soda, so rather than buying a large box you can take the baking soda you already have and make it as needed. 

Washing soda is great for Home made laundry soap.  

So how do you know if your baking soda became washing soda? Baking soda and washing soda look different, feel different, and taste different. If you make your own washing soda, you'll be able to tell in an instant which baking soda has become washing soda and which has not yet.

But if you don't believe me that you'll know immediately, the differences between the two are this: Washing soda is grainy, baking soda is powdery.
Washing soda is dull and opaque, baking soda is crystalized like salt and reflects light, i.e. it is semi shiny.
Washing soda is separate grains, baking soda clumps together.