Can You Use Soda Crystals for Washing Clothes?

Soda crystals are incredibly useful for a variety of household cleaning tasks, but can they be used for washing clothes?

The answer is yes, soda crystals can be very helpful when it comes to washing your clothes. They are effective in stain removal, killing bacteria, eradicating smells, and even softening your water.

Soda crystals have been used for washing clothes for up to 200 years and are one of the oldest known cleaning materials. Here’s a rundown on a few of the best ways to make use of soda crystals in your weekly washing routine.

Uses for Soda Crystals when Washing Clothes

1. Effective stain removal

Soda crystals can play a big part in removing stubborn stains from the clothes in your washing cycle. This is best done before you put your clothes into your machine for their normal wash.

Soak your clothes in a sink or bucket filled with hot water and a cup of soda crystals for at least an hour before you run them through a cycle in the washing machine.

2. Adding a little extra oomph to your detergent

If you add a tablespoon of soda crystals to your normal amount of washing detergent, the crystals will boost the effectiveness of the cleaning product. Your clothes should come out of the machine stain-free, as well as softer and brighter.

3. Eradicating bacteria and smells

One of the most beneficial aspects of soda crystals is how effective they can be with combating smells! They will remove any lingering smells on your dirty clothes and will even eliminate smells that may be emanating from your actual washing machine.

4. Softening the water, as well as your clothes

Soda crystals are also known for their handy ability to soften water. If you live in an area known for hard water, then adding soda crystals to your wash in addition to your laundry detergent will help the detergent to work more efficiently.

This happens because the detergent will no longer have to soften the water itself and so the full impact of the product can go towards actually cleaning your clothes.

5. Giving the inside of your washing machine a proper clean

Doing a monthly soda crystal wash with your washing machine could also be beneficial. Many people in the UK don’t clean the inside of their washing machines, even though various types of bacteria can spread in such a dark, damp place.

To get a good cleaning cycle going, try placing 500 g of soda crystals into your machine’s main drum and let the cycle run without any clothes in the machine.

This method should help remove any build-up of dirt, bacteria, and mould. After the cycle has finished, try cleaning the detergent drawer and any other harder-to-reach areas with white vinegar, which is another useful household cleaning tool.

Adding soda crystals to your washing machine during your washing cycle can also help with a build-up of limescale in your machine (it is also useful on any other household surface). This is a simple solution to one of the most common and irritating household cleaning problems.

 

Conclusion

There are a great variety of uses for soda crystals in any household and they are affordable and easy to access. They are gentle on sensitive skin and have been tried and tested time and again.

Try adding some soda crystals to your clothes washing routine and you’ll soon notice the difference in your clothes!

If you want to use soda crystals for even more household tasks, check out this list of 13 amazing uses for soda crystals around the home.