On what basis are you thinking it is toxic? My mother was against it because she reckoned it rotted the clothes in clothes washing, but she used detergents which we now find have health problems. They were new then, and she would even put them in the bath. Oh well.
However, my grandmother, up in the farm in the mountains, used washing soda to wash the dishes, and the water was then put in the slops bucket that the calf feed was made up with. I can't really think that it is particularly toxic, then. I did try to find out about it some years ago. There is some stuff sold as crystals here in Australia to put in the bath if you have arthritis - it's called 'Lectric Soda. When I looked up what it was - yeah, guess what - good old washing soda. Sodium carbonate. http://www.safersolutions.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147&Itemid=133 Washing soda is a crystalline form of sodium carbonate which contains 68 per cent of water. It is used as a cleaning agent and water softener. It is often recommended to be used as a water softener with pure soap. It is not advisable to clean aluminium with sodium carbonate as it can cause corrosion of the metal. Health effects Sodium carbonate is a mild alkali and can irritate the skin and eyes. It is moderately toxic if swallowed. Environmental effects Washing soda is thought to be a more environmentally sound alternative to many cleaning products. http://www.steamengine.com.au/ic/faq/electrolysis.html Pure sodium carbonate is called soda ash, and is very dangerous because it will boil water when mixed with it, and even make a steam explosion. Washing soda is the hydrated form of sodium carbonate (called sodium carbonate decahydrate, it has TEN water molecules attached to one sodium carbonate molecule!), and is 5/8 water by weight even though it is a dry powder. The product you found at the store labeled as detergent is not washing soda, although it has some in it. Washing soda is a mixture of mostly sodium carbonate decahydrate with some sodium sesquicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate in it. Go to the grocery store or supermarket and read the labels on the washing supplies for walls and floors. Washing soda is sold under the names of stuff like Spic 'N Span, TSP Brand washing compound, and 20 Mule Team washing soda (not borax). Wikipedia: It is a common additive in municipal pools used to neutralize the acidic effects of chlorine and raise pH. In cooking, it is sometimes used in place of sodium hydroxide for lying, especially with German pretzels and lye rolls. These dishes are treated with a solution of an alkaline substance in order to change the pH of the surface of the food and thus improve browning. In domestic use, it is used as a water softener during laundry. It competes with the ions magnesium and calcium in hard water and prevents them from bonding with the detergent being used. Without using washing soda, additional detergent is needed to soak up the magnesium and calcium ions. Called Washing Soda or Sal Soda[2] in the detergent section of stores, it effectively removes oil, grease, and alcohol stains. Sodium carbonate is also used as a descaling agent in boilers such as found in coffee pots, espresso machines, etc Sodium carbonate is a food additive (E500) used as an acidity regulator, anticaking agent, raising agent and stabilizer. It is one of the components of kansui, a solution of alkaline salts used to give ramen noodles their characteristic flavor and texture.[4][5] Sodium carbonate is also used in the production of sherbet lollies. The cooling and fizzing sensation results from the endothermic reaction between sodium carbonate and a weak acid, commonly citric acid, releasing carbon dioxide gas, which occurs when the sherbet is moistened by saliva. Sodium carbonate is used to encapsulate and kill mold. When mixed with water and put in a spray bottle, it is sold for its anti-mold cleaning ability. It is also used to blast off mold from wood or other materials. Sodium carbonate is used in toothpastes, where it acts as a foaming agent, an abrasive, and to temporarily increase mouth pH. http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?act=ST&f=201&t=506835 Washing soda is not toxic like laundry and dishwashing detergents and is much less harmful to the environment. Washing soda (Sodium Carbonate) is sold in Australian supermarkets under the brand names 'Lectric Soda' and 'Prepact'. It comes either in granules or a powder. Washing clothes The manufacturers recommendations are to add 50g of washing soda to 45 litres of water and then use less detergent. Suggestions for washing clothes solely with washing soda in a small washing machine. Dissolve about 1 cup of washing soda granules or powder in hot water in a bucket then add to the washing machine. Half fill the washing machine with hot water, add the clothes, leave to soak for 30 - 60 minutes, fill up the machine and wash as per your usual cycle. For small loads you may like to try soaking the clothes first in a 20 litre bucket using about half a cup of washing soda and hot water before transferring both the clothes and water to the washing machine. Dish washing Dissolve 3/4 to 1 cup of washing soda in a litre of water then store in a plastic dispenser bottle with a flip cap. When you are ready to do the washing first rinse the debris from the dishes with a brush under a running tap. Then with the hot tap trickling squirt a little of the washing soda solution onto a sponge. Wipe the dish and put it to one side. Squeeze out the sponge, squirt a little more washing soda solution onto the sponge, wipe another dish and so on. When you have wiped all of the dishes just rinse them under a hot tap. I have used this method for years and I no longer need to wear rubber gloves to protect my hands from defatting by harsh detergents. .............................. Above FYI - FWIW ............. Actually, since I ran out of borax I have been using washing soda in the dishwasher - Rowena So does washing soda cut grease easily? >I would have thought washing soda was quite toxic. I use it to soften the >water in the washing machine as we have hard water. dee -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Address Off-Topic messages to: [email protected] The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
