For this reason, borax makes for a decent laundry detergent substitute. While borax is a great sidekick to detergent in small amounts, it can be used to loosen stains and brighten up clothing on its own.
So, forget the “popular” homemade “detergent” recipe and just use the Ecothrifty laundry cleaner — a 50/50 mix of washing soda and borax. If your clothes look a little extra dirty, let them soak before washing. If they're a little extra stinky, add a bit more washing soda.
Dump your laundry load into a tub or container. Put ¼ cup of borax, ¼ cup of washing soda, and ½ cup of laundry detergent together. Let it fully dissolve. Pour hot water onto the laundry to cover them.
Use Borax as Laundry Detergent
While it's great to use in a pinch, you wouldn't want to use it all the time because the harsher compound can make you itchy. To use borax in your laundry: Add a half of a cup of borax to a large load. Wash and dry your laundry as usual.
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.
While the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies borax as being noncarcinogenic, it does pose some risks, including: skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. digestive problems. infertility.
Combine two cups of borax, two cups of washing soda, and one cup of soap flakes. Stir well with a wooden spoon to mix and promptly seal the container. Be sure to add a label and directions on how to use the detergent.
Baking soda won't strip your laundry as well as borax or washing soda (more on that shortly), but it's also gentler on fabrics, and you're more likely to have it on hand!
Using a spoon, mix together 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda. Add 1 tablespoon to a load of laundry. (Recipe makes 32 tbsp/32 loads.)
Allow laundry to soak for 5 - 6 hours, stirring every hour. Remove laundry from the tub and add to a washing machine. Wash as usual.
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.
Some delicate fabrics, whether white or colored, are labeled as cold-wash only. However, borax readily dissolves only in warm or hot water.
Kill Boxelder Beetles and Other Pests
Ants aren't the only thing borax will kill. In fact, many companies make borax insecticides designed to get rid of household pests. Sprinkle borax powder along the edges of your sidewalk, foundation, and driveway to get rid of boxelder beetles and cockroaches.
Borax, also known as sodium tetraborate, is a naturally occurring salt mineral with amazing cleaning properties. Because borax is used in its natural state, it doesn't have any added chemicals. This makes it safer for use in clothing than your typical store-bought cleaning agents.
Borax: Helps to clean and deodorize. Use on wallpaper, painted walls and floors. Use it with your detergent to remove stains and boost cleaning power. Vinegar: Helps remove stains, wax build-up and mildew.
DIY cleaners offer control over ingredients and cost savings, but when it comes to homemade laundry detergent, experts say to skip it.
By paying only 1 cent per load (not including equipment costs), homemade laundry detergent is at least 10 times cheaper than buying cheap store-bought laundry detergent (11 cents a load).
Though dish soap is great as a stain pretreatment option, it's not meant for direct use in a laundry washing machine. That's because dish soaps are uniquely formulated to break up grease and stuck-on food particles with foamy suds—something you don't want to happen in your washing machine.
Yes, you can use shampoo as a laundry detergent. However, you shouldn't make a habit of washing clothes like this, and you should never, ever, put shampoo into a washing machine. If you plan on using shampoo to clean your laundry, you should only hand wash the items with shampoo.