Yes, borax will raise the pH of your pool. It is a highly effective, alkaline product that increases both pH and total alkalinity, but is particularly favored because it raises pH with less impact on total alkalinity compared to soda ash.
You will need to raise the pH level if it is lower than the ideal range of 7.2-7.6. Use 20 ounces of Borax for every 5,000 gallons of water in your pool (this is just an estimate as different chemical factors may require a different amount for your pool).
Adding too much borax sends your pool's pH and borate levels dangerously high, which deactivates chlorine and causes cloudy water, scaling, and eye irritation.
Use borax in your swimming pool to gently raise the pH level, buffer your water against pH swings, prevent algae growth, and make the water feel softer. It should be added when your pool's pH is too low or to establish a long-term borate level (30–50 ppm).
If your pool has good circulation, then 30 minutes would be more than adequate to be safe. You can use The Pool Calculator to estimate. 4 boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax with your numbers should raise the pH to around 7.1 to 7.2.
Never mix borax with chlorine bleach, as the combination can produce toxic, dangerous fumes. Additionally, avoid mixing it with vinegar for general cleaning; while it won't create dangerous fumes, mixing a base (borax) with an acid (vinegar) neutralizes both, canceling out their cleaning power.
The best way to raise your pool's pH is by adding Soda Ash (sodium carbonate), or a pre-packaged pH Up chemical. If your total alkalinity is already high and you only want to raise the pH, use an aerator. Aim to keep your pool's pH balanced between 7.2 and 7.8.
The amount of borax you need depends on your goal. To raise your pH, add 40 ounces of Borax per 10,000 gallons of water. To reach a target borate level of 50 ppm (to prevent algae and soften water), you will need approx. 11 boxes (about 52 lbs) combined with muriatic acid.
It is safe to mix with chlorine bleach and detergent, which has been proven to improve the cleaning power of both. Think of borax as a maintenance product that will keep white things white. Paired with chlorine bleach, it turbocharges bleach's whitening power.
Borax raises pH much more than it raises total alkalinity.
So borax is usually used when pH is low, but total alkalinity is not the main problem. If the goal is to raise total alkalinity specifically, baking soda is usually the better choice.
To lower your pool's pH quickly and safely, add either muriatic acid (liquid) or sodium bisulfate (pH decreaser granules). The ideal pH range for a pool is between 7.4 and 7.6.
Yes, you can use borax in a swimming pool. It acts as an excellent pH buffer, prevents algae growth, softens the water, and reduces chlorine consumption. Always test your water first and dissolve the borax in a bucket of water before slowly pouring it in front of the pool return jet.
It is important to recognize that borax products will raise the pH of the water when added. Therefore, it is necessary to check for and remove excess metals in the water (copper or iron) to reduce the possibility of staining.
Yes, 20 Mule Team Borax is exactly the same as borax. It is simply the most popular, widely available brand name for pure borax (scientifically called sodium tetraborate).
Both borax and baking soda are used to balance pool water, but they play different roles. Baking soda mainly boosts alkalinity, which helps your pH stay steady. Borax, on the other hand, raises pH without jacking up the alkalinity too much. It also makes the water sparkle like it's trying to land a movie deal.
Mixing borax with popular cleaning products — like vinegar and bleach — to create those popular DIY cleaning recipes is not recommended.
As a general rule of thumb, adding about 20 ounces (by weight) of Borax per 10,000 gallons of pool water will raise your pH by approximately 0.2. However, this varies depending on your pool's current Total Alkalinity (TA) levels.
In the old days, borax was a multi-purpose "miracle" mineral. Its primary use was as a heavy-duty laundry booster, water softener, and household cleaner. Beyond chores, it was used as a metalworking flux, a food and meat preservative, and an ingredient in ancient medicines, pottery glazes, and glassblowing.
Adding borax to your swimming pool is a great way to inhibit algae growth, soften the water, and buffer your pH. The required amount depends heavily on your pool's volume and current chemical levels, but as a rule of thumb, you will need roughly 7.5 lbs of borax per 10,000 gallons of water.
A rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs. of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water will raise alkalinity by about 10 ppm. If your pool's pH tested below 7.2, add 3-4 pounds of baking soda.
Growth of algae and bacteria: a low salt concentration can create an environment that fosters the growth of algae and bacteria in the pool, which may cause cloudy water, green patches and an increase in risk to health.
Whether shocking a pool raises the pH depends entirely on the type of shock you use:
Aerating a pool raises pH naturally without increasing your total alkalinity. By agitating the water, you expose more surface area to the air, which causes dissolved carbon dioxide to off-gas and naturally pushes the pH up.
To fix a low pH (acidic) pool, add soda ash (sodium carbonate). Test your water to confirm the levels, run your pool pump, and broadcast the required amount of soda ash evenly around the perimeter. Always verify total alkalinity, as it acts as a buffer for pH.