Definition of washing soda

In the 1800s, laundry was a tedious and time-consuming task, and most households preferred to wash clothes by hand. Worldwide, washing technologies had not evolved much, and many washing methods involved adding soap or other cleansing agents to the water. However, soap would often leave residue on the cloth, leading to a sticky and slimy feeling on the skin during subsequent washes. In 1846, a German chemist named Nicolas LeBlanc devised an innovative process for making soda ash, which involved fusing common salt (sodium chloride) and limestone (calcium carbonate) at high temperatures. The resulting product, pure sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), was more alkaline than the washing soda available before it, which made it a superior cleansing agent. People started to use it for laundry since it was more potent, and it worked wonders as an alternative to soap. The term "washing soda" was derived by comparing it with common table salt, which was then called "common soda." Since sodium carbonate had a higher concentration of sodium ions than table salt, it was called "washing soda" owing to its use in laundry. Over time, the enhanced characteristics of sodium carbonate led to the development of many forms of it, but washing soda remains a vital component in many households due to its high-efficiency, low-cost, and ease of use compared to washing machines with modern laundry detergents.