Baking soda is the go-to for pool alkalinity.

Yes. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is exactly what you use to raise total alkalinity in a pool. It’s cheap, safe, and won’t spike your pH like soda ash would.

The difference matters: if you just need higher alkalinity without sending your pH through the roof, baking soda is your friend. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) raises both alkalinity and pH significantly — good if you need both, bad if you only need alkalinity.

Typical dose: about 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises alkalinity by 10 ppm. Add it slowly, let it circulate, then retest. Going over can lock your pH in place and make adjustment harder later.

Just don’t confuse it with soda ash. Grab the box that says “baking soda” and you’re good.