How to Dispose of Soda Ash

Soda ash exists in one form or another in many people's homes. You might use plain soda ash in craft projects or have some in your laundry room. Maybe a former resident left some behind in the garage or basement, and you don't even know what to do with it. When you have excess soda ash on hand, disposal isn't a problem. It's generally safe to handle and throw away assuming you follow basic precautions.

Soda ash is the common name for the chemical compound sodium carbonate. It's primarily derived from a mineral called trona, which is pulled from mines and processed. About 90 percent of the world's soda ash comes from mines in Wyoming, where trona is one of the state's top exports. Sodium carbonate treated with carbon dioxide becomes sodium bicarbonate — in other words, baking soda. Soda ash and baking soda have many similar properties but can't be used interchangeably.

Soda ash has a few practical applications. The process of tie-dying with fiber reactive dyes uses a soda ash solution to brighten the finished colors and help the dye permanently bond with the fabric. Soda ash is also used in manufacturing to make other products, most notably glass. Your windows, light bulbs, juice bottles, and drinking glasses may all be made of soda ash.

Soda ash is also sometimes called washing soda because some people use it along with regular laundry detergent to brighten fabrics and remove stubborn stains. However, soda ash and caustic soda are two very different things; caustic soda is used in drain cleaners.

Like its cousin baking soda, soda ash is generally safe for adults to handle. It's always advisable to check with your municipality about its rules and regulations for disposing of various household chemicals. Generally speaking, though, it's safe to dispose of powdered soda ash in the trash. Wear gloves if you handle the soda ash directly since it may irritate the skin. Throw it away in a closed container so no kids or animals can get into the powder.

What if you used soda ash in a liquid solution, like as part of a tie-dying project? Soda ash may be able to be washed down the drain but be aware that it's quite alkaline and could create pH problems if you have a septic system. It probably won't do any harm to wash a small amount of soda ash solution down the drain followed by a lot of water. To be safe, neutralize any soda ash solution by adding some vinegar before pouring it down a drain. Use pH test strips to check whether you've added enough vinegar. Once a test strip shows a result in the neutral range, it's safe to pour the liquid down your sink.

Even though it's not hard to dispose of excess soda ash, it can be a useful product, so make sure you don't need it for some purpose around your home before throwing it away. There are a lot of potential uses for soda ash as a cleaner. In addition to its popularity as a laundry booster, soda ash can be used as a general cleaner to remove waxy buildup from your floors and even to make washing blinds an easier task.