What is borax used for?

Household Uses of Borax

The best-known use for borax is as a cleaner, but you can find the ingredient in many other household products, including: Specialty toothpastes and mouthwashes. Cosmetics such as lotions, skin creams, moisturizers, sunscreen, and acne care products. Paint and ceramic glaze.

Is borax harmful to humans?

Borax is not safe to ingest. According to the NLM's Toxicology Data Network, borax is easy for the body to break down when either inhaled or swallowed. However, if inhalation or ingestion occurs, both serious poisoning and organ damage can result.

What does borax do in the laundry?

Neutralize laundry odors: Borax inhibits fungi and mold4, which often grow in the moist environment of your washing machine and are notorious for giving it a musty odor. It also helps to get rid of ammonia odor in baby clothes, diapers, bed pads, and incontinence pads.

Is borax same as baking soda?

Borax (sodium tetraborate) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) aren't the same thing. They're both salts, and they're both popular as “green” household cleaning agents, but borax has a pH of 9.5, compared to baking soda's pH of 8. This makes borax considerably more alkaline than baking soda.

Can I sprinkle borax around my house?

To use borax powder as an all-purpose household cleaner, simply sprinkle some on a clean, damp cloth and wipe down surfaces with it. After wiping, rinse surfaces clean with another fresh, wet cloth and let them air dry. Borax powder is suitable for use on household fixtures like: Sinks.

27 Brilliant Uses

Will borax keep mice away?

Borax or boric acid can help you deal with ants, silverfish, cockroaches, fleas, and rodents.

What bugs does borax repel?

Borax is very effective in killing and controlling various types of insects, including fleas, silverfish and beetles. It is one of the most effective methods of controlling cockroaches in and around the home as long as it is applied properly, according to the University of Kentucky.

Can I mix borax and vinegar?

Borax and vinegar are two safe ingredients that can be combined to create a good general cleaning solution. Undiluted vinegar and borax can also be used for mildew removal. When mixing Borax with other ingredients, it is essential to use warm water to help it dissolve.

Is borax the same as OxiClean?

Ingredients: Borax is a naturally occurring compound made up of boron, sodium, and oxygen. OxiClean's active ingredient is sodium percarbonate, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide when mixed with water. Uses: Borax is most commonly used as a laundry aid, although it can be an all-purpose cleaner as well.

Which is better washing soda or borax?

Borax is most effective in hotter water, while washing soda is perfect for any temperature. When thinking about doing your own laundry detergent, consider that Borax is perfectly fine, but if you're having trouble getting things really clean then replacing borax with washing soda might be the way to go.

Is borax the same as washing soda?

Borax. Washing soda (sodium carbonate) has a very high pH level, making it an extreme alkaline compound that is very effective as a cleaning agent. Borax (sodium tetraborate) pH levels aren't as high as washing soda, and it doesn't have the same cleaning power as washing soda.

Can I use borax instead of laundry detergent?

Use Laundry Borax or Baking Soda

If you have no detergent at all, use one cup of borax or baking soda for a normal load. The clothing will be cleaner than you imagine thanks to the action of the cleaning agents, water, and the agitation from the washer.

What can I clean with borax?

Can you mix borax and baking soda?

You simply fill your bathtub with hot water and let your laundry soak in a mixture of baking soda, Borax, and laundry detergent. It works great for towels, bedsheets, and other linens, but you can also use the method for clothes if you do so with care.

What happens if you drink borax water?

Borax can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if you ingest it by itself, and large amounts can lead to shock and kidney failure. It's banned in U.S. food products. It also can irritate your skin and eyes, and it can hurt your nose, throat, and lungs if you breathe it in.

Can you put borax in bath water?

A bath with borax can be harmful. According to the National Library of Medicine (here) contact with Borax comes with a variety of risks including skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, shock, digestive problems, infertility, kidney failure and death.

How do you add borax to laundry?

Treat powdered borax the same way as dry baking soda. Sprinkle 1/2 cup borax into the empty washer tub before adding the dirty laundry. Be sure there are no lumps in the borax powder if you are using cold water because they may not dissolve properly. Borax works as a water softener and deodorizer.

How do you strip towels with borax?

For a bathtub, add 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup laundry detergent. Stir until it dissolves completely. Submerge your clean towels or sheets in the mixture and soak until the water has cooled, which usually takes at least four hours.

Does borax remove stains?

Borax will whiten your whites, soften hard water, help remove stains, and deodorize your wash.

Can I use borax to clean my shower?

Mix borax with just enough water to form a paste. Place the mixture on a sponge or cloth and use some scrubbing action to clean tubs, shower tiles and sinks. Borax will remove soap scum, deposits and grime.

Will borax unclog a drain?

Clear a clogged drain

Before you reach for a caustic drain cleaner to unclog that kitchen or bathroom drain, try this much gentler approach: Use a funnel to insert 1/2 cup borax into the drain, then slowly pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let the mixture set for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water.

Can I use borax to clean washing machine?

Directions: Pour one pound of borax directly into the drum of your top-loading washing machine. Next, pour one gallon of white vinegar directly into the drum along with the borax. Run your washer on the hottest and longest cycle available.

How do you use borax for pest control?

Spoon or spray borax powder in cracks along a brick or stone retaining wall or driveways and under rocks to kill boxelder bugs, elm leaf beetle and other insects. Place borax in a glass jar and place it anywhere in your garden to attract and kill insects.

Is borax safe for dogs?

Unfortunately, borax is, in fact, toxic to both dogs and cats. And although it's considered natural, borax can cause harmful side effects in pets—and humans.

Is borax toxic to cats?

Unfortunately, no. Borax can lead to a number of health complications, including allergies, breathlessness and poisoning. It's just as toxic to your cat's skin as it is to the internal organs. In other words, you should NEVER put borax directly on the kitty's skin to treat fleas.