Cleaning: washing ash (sodium carbonate)

Self-tutoring about cleaning: the tutor mentions washing ash.

My reading suggests that washing soda, washing ash, and sodium carbonate are all the same thing. It can be used as a degreaser. While sodium carbonate is chemically active and should only be used while wearing gloves and eye protection, my understanding is that it doesn’t give off harmful fumes.

It seems the mechanism behind sodium carbonate’s cleaning power is that, once it dissolves in water, the carbonate (charge of -2) grabs a hydrogen from a water molecule, leaving hydroxide. I’ve seen at least one dishwasher detergent that used sodium carbonate.

I haven’t used sodium carbonate on a large scale, but I’ve seen it suggested as a degreaser for auto parts. It seems a safer alternative to some of the degreasers commonly used.

Source:

autorepairindy.com

onegoodthingbyjillee.com