Washing soda (a more abrasive cleaning agent) should not be confused with baking soda (a less abrasive cleaning agent), although the two compounds are closely related since they both contain the mineral trona.
1 Washing soda and baking soda can be used together in DIY detergent recipes to remove stains, but washing soda has more of a stripping action to remove residues of oils, minerals, and fabric softeners.
2 The sodium carbonate in washing soda “softens” water to help other cleaning ingredients lift soil from the fabrics and suspend the soil in the wash water. The washing soda binds to the minerals which make water hard and allows the detergent to be absorbed into fibers to properly clean the clothes.
