1. Make an all-purpose cleaning spray. To create an all-purpose spray, dissolve 2 teaspoons of borax into 4 cups of hot water, then mix with 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 4 tablespoons of vinegar. Use this to clean countertops, appliances, windows, and more.
Start by using a cheese grater—whatever you have, be it a box grater or a cheese plane—to shave down the bar soap into flecks. While many recipes call for castile soap, any unscented variety does the trick. Next, combine about 1 tablespoon of grated soap with 1 tablespoon of borax in a bowl.
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.
Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix a 1/2 cup of Borax into 1 gallon of hot water or undiluted vinegar and clean with this solution. For a fragrant smell, add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or lavender to the above recipe.
It is an insecticide and kills them on contact. It also makes treated material unappealing for termites to eat. Borax is also a digestive poison and repellent that keeps termites away.
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.
However, it's worth noting that borax can be lethal when ingested. Toxic levels for children are 5-6 grams—or roughly a half teaspoon; for adults, the toxic dose is 10-25 grams.
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.
Borax is a compound used to make glass, and is found in many cleaning products. If ingested, borax can cause stomach upset and irritation in pets. In high doses, it can even cause injury to the kidneys.
Borax is a natural salt, an essential trace element needed in human physiology. We use it in our castile soap towards the end of the process as a buffer solution, neutralising any remaining lye that has not saponified.
Borax – Borax is actually more of a buffer and not really a “neutralizer”. It brings down the PH of liquid soap because it has a lower PH itself. Borax is also great because it helps thicken your soap, it softens hard water and helps prevent congealing (that layer of soap on top).
Borax is also a great natural cockroach killer. Compared to most chemical pest control treatments, it's a relatively low-risk product.
A: We do not recommend mixing any Pine-Sol® product with other cleaning products or chemicals. Mixing cleaners can result in the release of hazardous gases.
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.
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.
Ants that eat a borax bait will typically die within 24-48 hours.
As she zooms in on the ants gathering around the solution, she says, "Did you know that if you mix borax and honey and put it out where you have an ant infestation, all of the ants will come to drink the delicious honey. And then it will kill them, solving your problem."
Its longevity is a testament not only to the cleansing power of borax, but to the power of marketing, as well. But first, some history: In the 19th century, borax was an ingredient used in ceramics and gold mining, but it was also touted as a cure-all for everything from dandruff to epilepsy.
And then there's the fact that you can safely consume baking soda, while borax should not be eaten, inhaled, or even exposed to your skin. That doesn't mean it's not “safe.” Rather, it is to say that baking soda is, on the whole, a milder cleaning agent than borax.
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, a chemical compound of the element boron, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate. It is a soft, white, many-sided crystal powder that dissolves readily in water and aids in stain removal, sanitation, and even repels insects.
6. Keep pests away from your house. Keep pesky bugs away by sprinkling Borax around your home. Borax can be an effective way to keep pests away from your house because it acts as a natural insecticide.
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.