Chicken Mummy -- Washing or Baking Soda?

[yucabird]

I’m planning for the fall, and a friend has kindly offered to bring some school supplies down (She is driving, not flying.). Are the directions for the chicken mummy in the SOTW Activity Book okay as-written? I recall reading something on this forum about using washing soda instead of baking soda. The latter is available in our area, the former is not, but I don’t want to ask someone to purchase unnecessary items.

[Five More Minutes]

I used the directions in SOTW as written (with baking soda) and had no issues. Definitely wash the chicken / cornish hen with alcohol first.

 

I would recommend that you change the mixture as often as the Guide suggests (something like every day for a couple of days, then every couple of days, then every week). I did this in a heat wave and still didn't have any problems with smell.

 

(PS I also used an airtight container instead of a ziplock bag, which made it much easier to handle.)

[Matryoshka]

Washing soda (Natron/sodium carbonate) was the main ingredient in what the Egyptians used. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium chloride (salt) were just trace elements. They are nowhere near as efficient in drying. I only had to change the mixture once, after a few weeks. This also makes it much less expensive, as well as less stinky.

 

Use:

 

2 parts washing soda

2 parts baking soda

1 part salt

 

And I highly recommend a Cornish hen over a chicken, and a tupperware container over a ziploc bag.

[pineapplehorse]

We used a cornish hen and followed the instructions in SOTW exactly. 2.5 years later our cornish mummy is still perfectly mummified and 100% smell free. One of our favorite projects EVER!

[yucabird]

Thanks everyone!!! :001_smile:

[unfrumpable.]

I am impressed that you ladies tackled this project! I thought it looked interesting, but am scared to give it a try. Maybe I will now when we get to that section.

[boscopup]

We used baking soda, but we had to use a lot of it. I'd definitely try the washing soda if I had to do it again (instead, I'll just continue to look at the chicken still sitting in salt/baking soda on top of my fridge a year and a half later :lol:).

[mrshomework]

I have not tried this but washing soda is much stronger it can damage certain surfaces and it is very drying on the skin I would stick with baking soda.

[Matryoshka]

I have not tried this but washing soda is much stronger it can damage certain surfaces and it is very drying on the skin I would stick with baking soda.

 

Well, exactly. It doesn't touch your skin (nor any surfaces), just the chicken's. You want the chicken's skin to dry better. I never had to touch the stuff, and because it's so much stronger, you don't have to keep changing it.

 

It's also not actually caustic enough to harm you if you touch it, only if you eat it, and it would only dry your skin if you were using a solution to wash something with bare hands, which does not come up with mummifying. I also used it for years to pre-wash my cloth diapers.

Edited June 12, 2012 by matroyshka