1. Toilet Cleaning. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of Borax and ½ cup of white vinegar into your toilet bowl, ensuring you reach all areas (including under the rim). Leave for at least 8 hours (or overnight) then scrub thoroughly with a brush before flushing.
You can also unclog your toilet using borax. Scoop out as much water as you can from the bowl, and then add a half a cup of borax powder. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then pour 2 cups of boiling water in, and flush. Repeat as needed.
Create a thick paste of borax and water, apply to the mildewy area, and let it sit overnight. Then, brush away the loose powder and rinse the rest off! This could not be easier, and it really makes a difference when it comes to removing mildew and discoloration from grout.
This naturally occurring mineral is a powerful stain remover, disinfectant and deodorizer, and it's safe for all surfaces as well as septic systems. Borax works well on tougher stains, including mineral residue from hard water. It's also handy for regular cleaning of the toilet bowl and exterior toilet surfaces.
Long used as a laundry additive to clean and destroy odors, Borax is safe and natural. Pour a cup in your tank to get rid of rust stains and add a cup into your bowl before bed. Do this a few times a week for a clean, fresh toilet bowl.
Mix 1 cup of borax with 4 cups of vinegar. Leave a couple of inches of water in the tank. Add the mixture to the tank. Take your toilet brush and scrub the inside of the tank.
Some products that you already use and have around the house are safe for your septic system. Vinegar (white vinegar and apple cider vinegar), Borax, OxiClean, and baking soda are some products that can be used to clean very well and be septic-system safe.
Since borax is very alkaline, it can irritate the skin in its undiluted form. Borax is prohibited in food products. Ingesting as little as five grams can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, and large amounts can send your body into shock or result in kidney failure.
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.
Borax works to clean and unclog nasty drains too (we've all had those stubborn sink clogs). Just mix four tablespoons of borax, four tablespoons of salt, and half a cup of vinegar. Dump this down the drain and then follow it up with lots of boiling water. Let it sit, and then run the faucet for a few minutes to flush.
First, make sure to keep it away from children's reach. Second, avoid using it as a cosmetic product and handle it with care at all times. This usually means wearing a mask and gloves when using it. Finally, do NOT mix Borax with any boric acid products, such as pesticides.
Ants that eat a borax bait will typically die within 24-48 hours.
Borax acts as a buffer and raises the pH of the water to a slightly basic solution, right around a pH of 8. Don't use Borax at the same time as vinegar or you'll just create a nice little acid-base reaction and make salt.
When dealing with a clogged drain, you have several options to unclog it, one of which is borax. Just pour ½ cup of borax down the drain and chase it with 2 cups of boiling water. After about 15 minutes, turn on the faucet and let the water flush out the rest of the clog.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
As long as the products are stored in properly sealed original containers, the storage life (shelf life) is theoretically indefinite since borates will not break down or decompose.
Some of the insects that borax kills include ants, flies, and other insect larvae. Borax is an ant poison, and it controls flies around manure piles. It also prevents larvae from growing. The main insect borax kills are termites.
Boric acid is low in toxicity if eaten or if it contacts skin. However, in the form of borax, it can be corrosive to the eye. Borax can also be irritating to the skin. People who have eaten boric acid have had nausea, vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhea.
A roach that steps in borax won't die instantly. Instead, they'll go back to their hiding place before eating the borax dust their legs picked up. You might not see the dead bugs lying around out in the open but you should notice a drop in their numbers in a week or two.
Some children suffer nothing but sticky fingers, but the rare but severe injuries point to a much bigger danger. Dr. Robin Jacobson, a pediatrician at NYU Langone Medical Center, warns families to stay away from the white powder altogether. "Borax can cause burns, especially when you touch it multiple times," she says.
Keep borax in a sealed container away from children just as you do with ANY cleaning agent, even natural ones. Natural cleaning agents are safe to use around pets and children, but you don't want them getting into the container. Do not use borax for skincare or topical use. It is for cleaning only.
Oxiclean powder is essentially washing soda with sodium percarbonate, which turns into hydrogen peroxide. It's color safe and works great to get rid of stains and keeps whites white and colors bright. It's also much safer / less toxic than Borax. Borax works well too, helps get rid of stains, and whitens clothes.
20 Mule-Team Borax is not harmful to washing machines, plumbing, or septic tanks and does not contain phosphates or chlorine. 100% borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water.
Helps remove stains. Neutralizes odors. Soften hard water. 20 Mule Team Borax: Safe for all washing machines and septic tanks.
Dampen the brush; sprinkle borax liberally onto the wet brush, and then scrub. Your toilet with glisten without a single toxic fume. When applied around the foundation of your house, borax will keep ants and spiders from entering your home.