I use Arm & Hammer washing soda in my pool to up the ph. It's sodium carbonate which is the same thing they sell in the pool stores, only cheaper. I use borax more for fresher towels because washing soda is harsher.

Hey Elbits, thank you for answering. You were the first person to answer my question about this particular topic.

Borax is great for removing odors and IMO, is much easier to rinse out. I have found that using anything with washing soda leaves things scratchy feeling and not as soft even with FS.

beaglenc, thanks for the input. So it sounds like Borax would be the better choice for laundry and Washing Soda would be a good option for more general cleaning?

Borax can be used to kill fleas in carpets,in a non-toxic manner, while washing soda can't do that.

Borax is great for removing odors, as beagle mentioned. In many cases, it'll remove stuff that detergents couldn't touch, even after 3 cycles.

Washing Soda... honestly, should probably stay out of the laundry if possible. There's so many other better options than adding it in to your clothes. It doesn't and never has rinsed well.

We don't use washing soda, so can't offer a comment on it. We use Borax in most laundry loads. It really helps around here. We can tell a difference if we run out. I try to not let that happen, but could use a dump truck to make a delivery to our house as I'm always ordering more. If I add a sprinkle of stpp into a towels load with Borax, it's just so nice.

Cavimum, Laundry Mich, and SEA SEA, I appreciate your input! You guys are always a wealth of knowledge. I appreciate you all so so much.

Laundry Mitch, "Washing Soda... honestly, should probably stay out of the laundry if
possible. There's so many other better options than adding it in to your
clothes. It doesn't and never has rinsed well." Could this be why powders just don't rinse well for me? Looking on Tide's website, all the powders list sodium carbonate as the first ingredient and further down the list is zeolite.

Transfer the product into a better container. :-)

armjim, I use an old, out of kitchen commission knife to open the Borax box then I bring that box and a plastic bin I got at the Dollar Store outside, then dump the Borax into the bin. You are right, the Borax boxes leak and trying to pour/measure from the box is an exercise in messy. I use a 1/2 cup measure cup that I keep in the bin to administer Borax to the washing machine. The knife and the scoop are used only for this job. Makes things easier and less clean up for me. I don't like to do more chores than I have to :)

Well I am relived to know it is not just me-I thought maybe I was a bit inept with using these boxes. dadoes, I actually have thought about those nice glass apothecary jars to store both the regular detergent and the borax. Anytime I am at a Home Goods I always check, and I never like what they have. I have even looked on Amazon. I wanted jars that have a wide opening so I can easily dip into them to get out the amount I need. The few I have found that I thought might work seemed too expensive for jars that are going to sit in the laundry room. Perhaps I need to renew my search.

I was recently looking on line to find which was the better water softener, borax or washing soda. No definitive answer, but I read that borax required a hotter temperature to fully dissolve. I use warm water for wash and don't find undissolved borax in the laundry. Perhaps it works more optimally in hot.

Powder products should ideally be stored in an air-tight container.

Armjim,

I've had good luck finding large glass jars with large openings at Big Lots. Currently using them for my flour and sugar.

@TBL from MA, When using a Powdered Water Softener, it's not all about softening. In cases of Hard Water, what you want to focus on is "precipitating". What is that?

You know how when you take a shower with Bar Soap, and it forms that scum? Well, in the wash, precepating softeners like Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda), Sodium Perborate (Borax) combine with the hard water minerals and leave a hard water film on porous surfaces like textiles. And... this is why fabrics like Towels, and Shirts begin to take on a rough feel, and begin to take on a dull grey look.

If you were serious about using one of these two products and had to pick one, I would use the Washing Soda, as that would be more effective. But, I personally wouldn't use it, knowing what I do.

The best solution for many of those looking to soften Hard Water is to add Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) or Sodium HexametaPhosphate (SHMP) as these are compounds that do not form a precipitate, and rinse easily from fabrics. If you ever purchased Calgon Water Softener, before they changed the formula, this is what it was. A non-precipitating water softener, that greatly enhanced cleaning in hard water.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767047/what-is-stpp

If you do go this route, I would recommend purchasing a 2lb container or bag on Amazon, or eBay and dosing One to One & 1/2 Tablespoons in a Traditional Front Loader, or up to 1/4 a cup in a Conventional Deep Fill Top Loader.

Another Solution would be to consider, purchasing a Whole House Water Softener.

@tideman_59, some of my best storage containers actually came from the Dollar Tree for $1. Officially Called "Cereal Containers".. I use these to store Powder Detergent's, STPP, and other Boosters. They seal out moisture well, and the price is perfectly right. They will look just fine on a shelf or inside a cabinet.

Mich

Everyone can find good cheap containers that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for at all the "budget" stores.

Laundry Mich, thanks so much for the detailed information. I will shop for STPP immediately. We've moved to house with hard but not very hard water. I called a service for water treatment and learned we need to have a drywell dug for the backwash. Can't do it for many months due to other work scheduled in the yard. Until I have a whole house softener, I'll be looking for ways to deal with laundry but more so, the hard water that makes sinks and toilets, glass shower doors such a drag to keep clean. If anyone can point me to a helpful site, many thanks.

As always I truly appreciate the wealth of knowledge that is on this thread.

We have a very hard well water but we have a whole house water softener. Still, I find my clothes in the front loading washer don't get clean. Would there be any additional value to adding STPP to the wash? We have a septic system - could it cause problems there?

Is there a significant adantage to STPP over borax?

Thank you!

Pamela, that's a really good question. I'd like to know this as well for future reference.

Hopefully dadoes or Laundry Mich will see your comment soon and give you some very detailed and helpful information.