In our last article we determined that OxiClean was redundant if we add Super Wash Soda and Borax together in hot water. But it got me thinking, "What about the Super Wash Soda and the baking soda?".
Super Wash Soda + hot water = carbonic acid + sodium hydroxide (lye)
Na2CO3 + 2 H2O --> H2CO3 + 2 NaOH
carbonic acid is just carbon dioxide enriched water H2CO3 ↔CO2 + H2O
baking soda + hot water = a couple different possibilities
NaHCO3 + H2O --> NA+ + HCO3- + H2O
NaHCO3 + H2O --> NA+ + H2CO3 + OH-
Once baking soda is dissolved, the dissolution products are the Na+ ion and the HCO3- ion . The HCO3- ion reacts with water to produce H2CO3 and a OH- ion. The H2CO3 will decompose into water and carbon dioxide.
Simple experiment: add a little baking soda to a dish and add hot water. Do you hear a fizz? That is carbon dioxide gas escaping!
As we all know, lye has a pH of about 13 to 14. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a light alkaline with a pH of 8 to 9. So, whether we use baking soda or Super Wash Soda we will get an alkaline bath that will help clean our clothes. My conclusion is that baking soda is a poor replacement for Super Wash Soda, and is not necessary to add to the laundry detergent because I don't have hard water.
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