//Chemistry for Cleanliness: Washing Soda and Toilet Cleaner

Chemistry for Cleanliness: Washing Soda and Toilet Cleaner

A sound mind in a sound body is called sound health. Our mind remains sound if our body is neat and clean. We use cosmetic soap to keep our body neat and clean, glass cleaner to clean the window glass or other glass materials in our houses, washing soda, bleaching powder etc to keep our attire or clothes clean and toilet cleaner to keep our toilet clean.

In this part, we will discuss on

  1. Washing Soda
  2. Toilet Cleaner

Washing Soda

The chemical name of washing soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate i.e (Na2CO3.10H2O). Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) is called soda ash. When 10 molecules of water are chemically added to 1 molecule of soda ash then it is called washing soda.

Preparation of Washing Soda

When we pass a large amount of CO into NaOH solution It produces sodium carbonate. Sodium carbonate dissolves in water.

There are Na2CO3 and water in the reaction pot/ medium. Sodium carbonate then joins with 10 molecules of water to produce washing soda (Na2CO3.10H2O).

Uses of Washing Soda
  1. to wash clothes

Visit to know Edible Salt, Baking Powder, Vinegar and Soft Drinks

Toilet Cleaner

sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is the Main ingredient of Toilet Cleaner. In toilet cleaner, Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) remains mixed up with Sodium Hydroxide.

Uses of Toilet Cleaner

Toilet cleaner is used to clean the toilet, basin, commode etc. There are oily materials, protein materials, organic and inorganic materials of different colors, germs and bacteria in toilets, basins, commode etc. When we apply toilet cleaner to toilets, basins, commode etc then two things happen.

  1. Sodium hydroxide reacts with oily and protein materials
  2. Sodium hypochlorite reacts with substances and genus of different colors

Finally, they damage the efﬁciency of these germs and other substances.

Mechanism of Cleaning The Toilet with Toilet Cleaner

When we pour toilet cleaner on the toilet then different ingredients of toilet cleaner react in different ways. Toilets become clean because of the alkaline property of NaOH which is the main element of toilet cleaner.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) of toilet cleaner reacts with water and turns into Hypochlorous acid (HOCl). It then breaks up and produces nascent oxygen. Nascent oxygen transforms colorful substances into colorless ones and kills germs.

This is how toilet cleaner cleans and kills germs. (Oxygen atom in third brackets refers to nascent oxygen i.e Nascent Oxygen = [O]).

References: NCTB Books and Wikipedia