Why You Should Be Using Washing Soda to Clean

Washing soda — do you use it? We recently discovered that it's the secret ingredient cleaning experts swear by. Also known as sodium carbonate, washing soda is a caustic ingredient that has powerful cleansing qualities. It's similar to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and borax, but stronger. And while it's safe, you should be cautious and wear gloves when handling since it can cause skin irritation.

Below, we have four powerful ways you can deepen the cleaning of your laundry and home with the aid of our favorite little secret: washing soda.

Add ½ cup of washing soda to your washing machine before you add your towels. According to cleaning expert Stephanie Gerber, washing soda "is more alkaline than baking soda, and it's the alkalinity that helps your regular laundry detergent work more effectively to loosen up the towel fibers and clean dirt and grime."

The Essential 3 Blog recommends mixing ¼ cup of washing soda with 10 drips of Thyme Sweet essential oil, and two cups of hot water in a spray bottle to make a natural disinfectant. Use to clean your kitchen, bathroom, and any areas that you want to disinfect. Just spray and wipe.

You'll be surprised how much dirt can remain on your laundry after it's been washed and dried. By mixing borax, laundry detergent, and washing soda together in a tub of very hot water, and then letting your items sit in it for a few hours, you'll be able to witness how the detergent mix pulls out dirt and grime. You gotta see it to believe it.

Lift stains and whiten your pillows by adding ½ cup of washing soda to your wash. First start by running your washing machine on the hottest setting. Then add your regular laundry detergent to the washer, the washing soda, and one to two pillows. Ideally you should wash your pillows at least every three months.