Soda ash light vs. Soda ash heavy | Article

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The difference between Soda ash light and Soda ash heavy

Back 13. 01. 2020

So what is the difference between these two raw materials?

Both raw materials represent

- sodium carbonate (soda ash), a fine powder,

- with the same molecular weight (105.99),

- with the same degree of solubility (max. 33.2% at 35.4 °C)

- they create the same pH (a 1% solution in pure distilled water creates a pH of 11.4)

It might seem that these are identical raw materials, but there is still a certain difference. It lies in the density and particle size. Light soda represents 0.77 grams per cubic centimetre and heavy soda has a weight of 1.06 grams per cubic centimetre, which in practice means that a kilo of light soda is larger in volume than a kilo of heavy soda. In addition, light soda is a monohydrate (Na2CO3-H2O) and heavy soda is a decahydrate (Na2CO3-10H2O).

Both variants are an excellent raw material used for cleaning purposes. In combination with citric acid, it helps with clogged drains. Soda alone helps to soften water, it is the basis for homemade dishwasher tablets, removes odours, impurities and disinfects. In the kitchen it also helps with degreasing.

Heavy soda has become a popular variant precisely because of its use in laundry detergents and for stain removal (it dissolves easily in water and releases heat). In addition to removing stains and cleaning laundry, it also takes care of the washing machine itself and, up to a certain degree of water hardness, helps against limescale build-up.

LIGHT SODA – HOW TO MAKE LAUNDRY POWDER?

Try a more ecological washing alternative yourself and make your own laundry powder at home. Its preparation is not only simple and ecological, but it will not burden your wallet either.

To make the powder you will need:

Powdered heavy soda	400 g
Laundry soap	100 g

If you want real power for your white laundry, we also have a recipe for that:

Heavy soda	2000 g
Grated laundry soap	200 g
Sodium percarbonate	1000 g
TAED	50 g
Essential oil	10-15 drops

We mix the raw materials, in the case that the recipe includes soap we grate it finely and mix it with the soda. You can also add a few drops of essential oil according to your own preference. We store the powder in a glass container so that it does not dry out.

For one load of 5-6 kg of laundry, use 2-3 tablespoons of laundry powder. If you want to increase the bleaching effect (we recommend this only when washing white laundry), add one tablespoon of sodium percarbonate.

TIP: the use in the recipe is indicative and you can modify it depending on the hardness of the water. If you have harder water, you can increase the proportion of soda, but it is necessary to monitor its effect, because at a high dosage it can cause greying of clothes.