What Are Soda Crystals Made Of?

Soda crystals are natural cleaning agents traditionally retrieved from plants growing in areas with soil reach in sodium.

The product finds wide application in domestic and industrial cleaning and is highly effective. Users also refer to the product as either soda ash or washing soda.

What Are Soda Crystals Made Of?

The chemical name of soda crystals is hydrated sodium carbonate. They have a white appearance and are odourless. When mixed with water, soda crystals completely dissolve, forming an alkaline solution.

Soda crystals are manufactured and distributed by Dri-Pak. Due to technological advancement and increased demand for soda crystals, the company currently obtains its product in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone.

Dri-Pak obtains sodium carbonate from three hydrates and an anhydrous salt:

Sodium carbonate decahydrate
Sodium carbonate heptahydrate
Anhydrous sodium carbonate

The sodium carbonate dehydrates are obtained by dissolving sodium carbonate in water and crystallising the solution to get soda crystals.

Soda crystals are biodegradable and don’t contain any bleaches, phosphates, or petroleum products. Therefore, they are a good choice for environmentally conscious users.

Uses for Soda Crystals

Some ways you can use soda crystals include the following.

1. Unblocking sinks

Domestic sinks are prone to blocking due to food particles preventing water from draining. This can cause a foul smell to build up. Pouring down some soda crystals and flushing them with boiling water can unblock the sink.

2. Cleaning the washing machine

Washing machines develop unpleasant smells due to the growth of bacteria and mould in drain pipes. You can use soda crystals to remove bacteria and maintain a fresh scent.