Washing Soda: Every Use Around the House (and Where Never to Use It)

Every use here is checked against the maker’s directions and the sources listed at the bottom.

By Denise. Checked on November 6, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.

Quick facts

What it is: Sodium carbonate. The box lists two ingredients, sodium carbonate and water. It is a strong alkaline cleaner, much stronger than baking soda, and it is sold in the laundry aisle, not the baking aisle.
What it is good at: Cutting grease and greasy grime, boosting your laundry detergent, helping detergent work in hard water, and scrubbing ovens, stainless pots, grills and tile.
What it cannot do: It is not a disinfectant. The box makes no germ-killing claim, so it cleans but does not sanitize. It is not for aluminum, fiberglass, finished wood, no-wax floors, wool, silk or leather. And the maker gives no directions for unclogging drains.
What it costs: A 55 oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda was $5.49 at Target.com on November 6, 2026. A laundry dose is half a cup.
Handle with care: It is an eye irritant and harmful if swallowed. Wear rubber gloves, and keep the box closed and away from children.

Never mix it with

Vinegar, lemon juice or any other acid. Washing soda and acids cancel each other out, so you lose the cleaning power of both, and they fizz. The safety data sheet lists acids as something to keep it away from. In a closed bottle, that fizz is gas with nowhere to go.
Bleach or any other cleaner, in the same bottle or bucket. Use one cleaner at a time and rinse in between. CDC says never to mix bleach with other cleaners, and bleach labels say the same.
OxiClean or other oxygen bleach powders, mixed ahead in a bottle. OxiClean’s label says not to mix it with other household chemicals and never to store a mixed solution in a closed container.

Surfaces to skip: aluminum pans, sheet pans, pots, grill parts, patio furniture and tools; fiberglass tubs and showers; finished or treated wood, including wooden decks; no-wax floors; wool, silk, leather and anything dry clean only. Keep it off nonstick pans and cast iron, too (see the kitchen notes below).

See the full chart: Cleaning products you should never mix

Uses by room

All amounts below are Arm & Hammer’s own directions unless the line says otherwise. Wear gloves for every one of them.

Kitchen

Baked-on grease on stovetops, stainless pans and oven doors. Use a spray of washing soda and dish soap for everyday grease, and a 2-to-1 paste for the brown baked-on layer. Full tip: How to clean baked-on grease with washing soda
Ovens, range tops and broiler pans. Dissolve 1/2 cup in a gallon of warm water, wipe it on with a sponge, then rinse. For stubborn spots, sprinkle dry washing soda on a damp sponge and scrub. Soak removable range burner parts in the same mix for at least 30 minutes.
Stainless or enamel pots and pans. Make a paste of 2 parts washing soda to 1 part water, leave it on for 30 minutes, then scrub and rinse. Never use it on aluminum.
Outside of small appliances (toasters, mixers, food processors). Wipe with the 1/2 cup per gallon mix, then wipe again with clean water. Use it only on parts that are not aluminum, and unplug the appliance first.
Sheet pans. Use it only if they are not aluminum, and many are. Full tip: How to clean burnt sheet pans (and when to skip it on aluminum)
Gas stove grates. Full tip: How to clean gas stove grates
Not for nonstick or cast iron. We could not find a maker who says washing soda is safe on nonstick, so keep it off. Cast iron is its own story: the seasoning is oil baked onto the iron, which is the same kind of greasy layer washing soda is made to break down.

Laundry

Booster for every load. Add 1/2 cup with your usual detergent. For heavily soiled clothes, or if you have hard water, use 1 cup. It works in HE machines; put it in the drum or the powder dispenser as your machine’s manual says.
Presoak. Dissolve 2 tablespoons per gallon of warm water (or 1/2 cup in a filled washer tub), and soak at least 30 minutes or overnight before washing.
Pretreat a greasy spot. Mix 4 tablespoons with 1/4 cup of warm water into a paste and work it into the stain before you wash. Full tip, including how to save a stain that already went through the dryer: How to get a grease stain out of a shirt
Sour-smelling towels. Full tip: How to get the sour smell out of towels
Dingy whites. Full tip: How to whiten yellowed white clothes without bleach
Water temperature: wash in the hottest water the care label allows.
Not for: wool, silk, leather or dry clean only. Test colored fabric for colorfastness on a hidden seam first, and presoak colored things in cool water.

Bathroom

Toilet bowls, sinks, tubs, tile and plastic shower curtains. Dissolve 1/2 cup in a gallon of warm water, clean, then rinse well.
Not for fiberglass. A lot of bathtubs and shower stalls are fiberglass or acrylic. If you are not sure what yours is made of, check with the maker or your landlord before you use it there.

Around the house

Fabric couch spots. Dissolve 1/2 cup in 16 oz of warm water, dab it onto a clean white towel, blot the spot, then blot with plain water to rinse. Check the couch’s cleaning tag and test a hidden spot first.
Washable rugs. Dissolve 1/8 cup in 16 oz of warm water, sponge it on, wait 1 to 5 minutes, then rinse. Do not let it dry on the fabric.
Floors. Keep it off no-wax floors and finished or treated wood.

Outside

Grill grates. Sprinkle washing soda on a stiff wet brush and scrub, or soak removable parts in 1/2 cup per gallon of warm water, then rinse well. Never use it on aluminum grill parts. Full tip: How to clean grill grates without a wire brush
Wrought iron patio furniture. Wash with 1/2 cup per gallon of warm water, then rinse. Keep it off aluminum furniture, and off wooden decks too, because it can remove the finish.
Oil spots on a concrete driveway. Spread a thick paste of washing soda and water on the spot, leave it at least 30 minutes (overnight for an old stain), then scrub and hose it off.
Garden tools. Scrub with washing soda on a wet brush, then rinse and dry. Skip this on aluminum tools.

Drains: what the maker does not say

People search for washing soda to clean drains all the time. Arm & Hammer’s directions and the box label do not include drain cleaning, so you will not find a recipe for it here. I would rather not hand you something the maker does not stand behind.

Two things hold no matter what. Never pour it in after a store-bought drain cleaner, because health departments warn that drain cleaners can react with other products. And never chase it with vinegar in a closed-up pipe.

A plunger or a drain snake is the place to start. There is a full tip on that: Does baking soda and vinegar unclog a drain?

Washing soda, baking soda, borax and OxiClean: what is the difference?

These names get mixed up a lot, so here is how they differ.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the mild cousin. Heat it in the oven and it turns into washing soda, which is why you can make your own. How to do it: How to clean baked-on grease with washing soda, “Making washing soda from baking soda”
OxiClean and other oxygen bleach powders are built on sodium percarbonate, which is washing soda joined with hydrogen peroxide. They add a stain-lifting, whitening step that plain washing soda does not have.
Borax is a different mineral altogether.

Be safe

Wear rubber gloves. The label says to avoid contact with eyes and long contact with skin.
In the eyes: rinse with plenty of water for 15 minutes, and get medical help if irritation does not go away.
If swallowed: rinse the mouth, drink a glass of water, do not make yourself throw up, and call a doctor or the Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222. It is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Keep the box closed and out of reach of children. Store it dry, in its original box, away from vinegar and other acids.
One cleaner at a time. Rinse the surface with water before you switch to a different product.
Not a disinfectant. If you need to kill germs, use a product whose label says it disinfects, and follow that label.

See the never-mix chart

Which box to buy

We may earn a small fee from these links. It never changes the picks or your price.

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 55 oz box
This is the one most stores carry, in the laundry aisle next to the detergent boosters. Do not grab the baking soda by mistake; the boxes look alike. $5.49 at Target.com on 11/6/2026.
See it at Target See it at Walmart
Rubber cleaning gloves
Every use on this page calls for them. up&up latex gloves were $3.39 and latex-free $3.89 at Target.com on 11/6/2026.
See it at Target See it at Walmart
Cannot find it?
You can make washing soda from baking soda in your oven. A 5 lb bag of Arm & Hammer baking soda was $4.99 at Target.com on 11/6/2026, but it bakes down to about 3 lb of washing soda, so it costs about the same as the box. Steps: How to clean baked-on grease with washing soda (homemade “super soap”)

This box may be the hardest working thing under your sink, and it costs about the same as a fancy coffee. But strong means strong. That strength is the reason it cuts through grease like nothing else. It is also the reason it will dull an aluminum pan, eat the finish off a wood deck and ruin a wool sweater.

A word from Denise

So keep it simple. Put your gloves on, check the surface first and use one cleaner at a time. And never pour it in with vinegar to make it stronger, because all you are doing is canceling it out. Use it the right way, and that one box will save you buying four or five different cleaners.

Questions people ask

What is washing soda?

Washing soda is sodium carbonate, a strong alkaline powder sold as a laundry booster and household cleaner. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is the most common brand in U.S. stores.

Is washing soda the same as baking soda?

No. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is much milder. Heating baking soda in the oven turns it into washing soda, but you cannot swap them one for one in a recipe or a cleaning mix.

How much washing soda do I put in a load of laundry?

Arm & Hammer says 1/2 cup with your detergent for a regular load, and 1 cup for heavily soiled clothes or hard water.

Can you use washing soda to unclog a drain?

The maker does not give drain directions, so this page does not either. Start with a plunger or a drain snake, and never mix it with a drain cleaner that is already in the pipe.

Does washing soda disinfect?

No. It cleans grease and grime, but the box makes no germ-killing claim. For disinfecting, use a product whose label says it disinfects.

More about your cabinet

Tips that use it

About Denise

I’m Denise, and I explain home fixes the way a friend would at your kitchen table. Every tip I share is written from the sources listed on its page and checked against them before it goes up.

How my tips are checked

Sources

Sources opened and checked on November 6, 2026.

Fact log: how each claim on this page was checked (40 claims)

Every claim on this page, the source behind it and what the check found. Kept open for anyone who wants to look under the hood.

Claim	Source	What the check found
Ingredients: sodium carbonate, water	Source 3	Matches the source (label).
Strong alkaline cleaner; pH about 11.5	Source 5 (“fairly strong alkaline salt”); Source 4 (pH 11.5)	Matches the source. Copy says “strong” without the pH number
Much stronger than baking soda	Source 5 (sodium carbonate as an alkali); Source 6 (bicarbonate is the precursor)	Matches the source. As general chemistry; no pH comparison printed
Cuts grease (alkali reacts with fats, saponification)	Source 5	Matches the source.
Laundry booster 1/2 cup; 1 cup heavy soil or hard water; HE use	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
Presoak 2 Tbsp per gallon warm water (or 1/2 cup in filled washer), at least 30 min or overnight	Sources 1 and 3	Matches the source (maker and label).
Pretreat paste 4 Tbsp + 1/4 cup warm water	Source 1	Matches the source (maker). Grease tip page uses its own smaller paste with peroxide
Hottest water the garment allows	Source 3	Matches the source (label).
Not for wool, silk, leather, dry clean only; test colorfastness; cool water presoak for colors	Sources 1 and 3	Matches the source.
Bathroom: 1/2 cup per gallon for toilet bowls, tubs, sinks, tile, plastic shower curtains; rinse	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
Not on fiberglass bathroom fixtures	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
“Fiberglass or acrylic” tubs: check with maker	Safety caution; acrylic not named by the maker	Unsourced caution
Ovens, range tops, broiler pans 1/2 cup per gallon; dry on damp sponge for stubborn spots; burners soak at least 30 min	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
Small appliances (toasters, mixers, food processors), non-aluminum parts, wipe	Source 1	Matches the source (maker). “Unplug first” is an added safety step
Pots and pans 2:1 paste, 30 min	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
Not on aluminum (cookware, grill surfaces, furniture, tools)	Sources 1, 2, 3	Matches the source (maker and label).
“Many sheet pans are aluminum”	General product knowledge; the sheet pan page cites an aluminum sheet pan (Nordic Ware Naturals); no maker gives a share	Softened to “many”
Not for nonstick	No maker statement either way found in our search	Caution, stated as “I could not find a maker who says it is safe”
Cast iron seasoning is baked-on oil	Source 11	Matches the source.
Upholstery 1/2 cup per 16 oz, apply to white towel, blot, rinse-blot	Source 1	Matches the source (maker). “Check the tag, test a hidden spot” is an added caution
Washable carpets 1/8 cup per 16 oz, 1 to 5 min, do not let dry on fabric	Source 2	Matches the source (maker).
Not on no-wax floors or treated wood	Source 3	Matches the source (label).
Grills: on stiff brush, or 1/2 cup per gallon soak; not aluminum	Sources 1 and 2	Matches the source (maker).
Wrought iron furniture 1/2 cup per gallon; not aluminum furniture; not wooden decks (removes finish)	Source 2	Matches the source (maker).
Concrete oil: paste, 30 min (around the home page) or overnight (laundry and home page)	Sources 1 and 2	Matches the source. The two maker pages give different times, so the copy says “at least 30 minutes, overnight for an old stain”
Garden tools on a brush; not aluminum tools	Source 2	Matches the source (maker).
No drain directions from the maker	Sources 1, 2, 3 read in full	Matches the source (absence).
Drain cleaners can react with other products	Source 10 (different brands of drain cleaners react; bleach plus drain cleaner)	Matches the source.
Not a disinfectant; no germ-kill claim on box	Source 3 (no such claim)	Matches the source. By absence. Not EPA-registered as a disinfectant per label (no EPA reg. number seen)
Incompatible with acids; acid plus carbonate fizzes (CO2) and cancels	Source 4 (incompatible with acids); Source 12 (acid plus carbonate makes CO2 and a salt; shown for baking soda)	Matches the source. By close analogy
Never mix bleach with other cleaners	Source 9	Matches the source (official).
OxiClean: do not mix with other household chemicals, do not store solutions sealed	Source 8	Matches the source (label).
OxiClean-type powders are sodium percarbonate = sodium carbonate plus hydrogen peroxide	Sources 5 and 7	Matches the source (chemistry). OxiClean’s full ingredient list was not printed on the listing we opened; “built on” wording
Heating baking soda makes washing soda; 5 lb bakes to about 3 lb; cost about the same	Source 6; the Super Soap page’s Fact log (16 oz to about 10 oz, 63%)	Matches the source. By math (5 lb x 0.63 = 3.15 lb)
Eye irritant, harmful if swallowed, keep out of reach of children, gloves, eyes rinse 15 min	Source 3	Matches the source (label).
Swallowed: rinse mouth, drink water, do not induce vomiting, call physician	Source 1	Matches the source (maker).
Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222; free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week	Source 13	Matches the source (HRSA Calling Poison Help page; one wording site-wide, November 7).
Keep tightly closed, dry	Source 4	Matches the source.
Price $5.49 for 55 oz; gloves $3.39 and $3.89; baking soda 5 lb $4.99	Source 14, opened November 6, 2026	Dated, Target.com online. Walmart links kept with no price
Borax is a different mineral	General chemistry (sodium borate vs sodium carbonate)	Not opened; kept to one line, no claims about borax use or safety