Home made dish-washing & laundry powder😍

Did you know you can turn normal bicarb soda into washing soda super easily in your home? This washing soda can then be used as your dish-washing powder or your laundry powder! How cool is that!

The process is super easy ✌️

* heat your oven to 200 degrees c
* I used 1kg of bicarb soda, pour onto an oven tray at a thickness of about 1cm or so.
* bake in the oven for about 1 hour, stirring carefully a few times during the process, you can not overcook this process, it is easy to spot the change once it has occurred, simply remove & cool. Does not matter if it takes 1 - 2 hours, just keep checking every 20mins or so for the change.
Bicarb soda has a silky smooth feel and washing soda is more grainy to the eye and to touch. The change is quite easy to spot once it starts happening.
The baking soda will need to reach the full 200 degrees for this reaction to take place, so give it time.

Once the change has happened, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Transfer carefully into your jar of choice 😍

Replace as your normal dish-washing & laundry powder using the same quantity as you normally would, I spoon about 1 desert spoon full into the compartment of my dish washing machine, and one normal scoop for my laundry.
You may want to experiment with the laundry powder depending on the size of your loads.
I also use 1/2 cup of vinegar in my clothes washing loads, I just put the vinegar in the fabric softener compartment, vinegar is a natural fabric softener - bliss!

hints & info

Washing soda is a natural cleaner and a powerful water softener. It’s very basic with a pH of 11. The Environmental Working Group gives it an “A” on their scale, making it a safe and non-toxic cleaner.
When you heat bicarb or baking soda to 200 degrees, water and carbon dioxide are driven off, leaving you with washing soda - YAY
Its important to know bicarb soda is not washing soda.
🤗
Do wear gloves when handling the washing soda if you intend to touch it a bit when transferring into your jars, and try not to inhale the particles as you transfer or stir, it can be an irritant to some people.
Washing soda is not edible.
Washing soda also has many other powerful cleaning means:
scouring pots & pans, tile & grout cleaner, drain cleaning, oven cleaner……….


No need to buy single use plastic containers from the supermarket anymore, even better - buy your bicarb from your bulk food store & its like a zillion times cheaper than anything you will find in the supermarkets & low plastic use.
Saving the earth & your pocket in one swoop! I think that's pretty sexy!

* Bicarb soda & Baking soda are the same thing
* washing soda can be found in some supermarkets but is not everywhere, hence my sharing this recipe. Plus, making potions makes me feel good. xx Anna

See all my potions & recipes - HERE

See my op shop guide HERE

All photos by me Pixie Rouge Photography