1) Glass manufacture – soda ash is the chief source of the alkali constituent of glass and soda ash is increasingly used in the glass manufacturing industry. Sodium carbonate introduces sodium oxide or soda (na₂o) into the glass formulation. The soda acts as a fluxing agent, breaking the si-o bonds of silica, thus reducing the viscosity of the melt and lowering the temperature required to form the glass.

2) Manufacture of sodium silicate and other sodium compounds – one of the common uses of soda ash is in the production of sodium silicate. Soda ash and silica sand are fused in a furnace at high temperatures, with the ratio of na₂o to sio₂ depending on the relative amounts of each used.

3) Soda ash is also used to produce sodium chromate, which is usually further processed to yield sodium dichromate or chromic acid. Chromium compounds are used in a number of applications, including pigments, preservatives (for example wood and leather) catalysts, and chrome plating.

4) Formulation of detergents, soap, and rayon – the largest single use of soda ash within the cleaning products category is in the formulation of household laundry detergent powders where it is added to build, buffer, and dilute the detergent mixture. Soda ash is incorporated in powdered soaps, detergents, and various specialty cleaning products for household, industrial, and commercial applications. It is added to emulsify oil stains, reduce the re-deposition of dirt in wash cycles, provide alkalinity for cleaning and soften laundry water.

5)  Water softening – water never occurs in a pure state in nature but always contains impurities in suspension or solution. Thus by adding the appropriate amounts of lime and soda ash, the calcium and magnesium in hard water is almost entirely removed. For cheap and efficient water softening, the use of lime and soda ash, together with a small quantity of sodium aluminate, is recommended.