Thread: Washing Soda /Soda Ash where to buy?

"Lectric Soda"

Bexters is available at chemists, priceline and some supermarkets.
Coles supermarkets usually stock it.

Bexters - Lectric Soda Crystals

Cheers, Mick.

I use molasses. See Getting Rid of Rust

Soda Ash is available in small containers up tp 10kg tubs from most pool shops, poll supply shops and often larger feed / farm supply shops. Soda Ash, Pot Ash, Bi Carb Soda are all very similar products.
Caustic Soda is a lot more dangerous to use in circumstances like this and will require additional PPE.

Did not think of pool shops.
Molasses is something I would like to try aswell.
Ron - once you bring the part out of the molasses and clean it - how quickly does surface rust begin to form afterwards?
I have also read that molasses will eventually eat away the whole metal if left in for too long.

Molasses is good, my old has an old oil heater tank that he uses for his vintage car parts but yes if you forget about them, there wont be much left.

Been doing some research on the Lectric Crystals - they have sodium chloride in them which during the electrolysis process will produce chlorine gas - which I would like to avoid.

If you don't already know don't use caustic soda near aluminium.

Regards
Andrew.

Originally Posted by Andrew D

If you don't already know don't use caustic soda near aluminium.

Regards
Andrew.

Reminds me of years ago my boss bought an aluminium dinghy for us to row out to the centre of the tailings dam at a gold mine in the NT to install lift colums in the decants. Tailings solution in gold mines contains cyanide which is in solution with raised pH to stop the generation of hydrogen cyanide gas. The pH can be raised either by addition of lime or, as in our case, caustic soda.

The dinghy only lasted a few days.

He left me to find a replacement - I bought a plastic one from a place in Darwin.