Borax is extremely alkaline (pH of around 9.1), which creates a basic solution that can help fight acidic stains (like tomato, coffee, or mustard) when dissolved in water and used as a pre-treating solution. When added to a load of laundry, borax can help get white clothes whiter.
Borax is an effective stain remover for both food and grease stains. It also inhibits the growth of fungi, mold, and bacteria,5 which can cause strong odors in clothes.
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. If you have them, adding a few other ingredients to borax will make it much more effective in the wash.
Regular bar soap can be grated and combined with Borax to create a very effective laundry detergent alternative. Here's how to do it: Using a butter knife, a spoon or even a cheese grater, grate about a cup of bar soap. Add the grated bar soap to ½ cup of borax and ½ cup of washing soda.
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.
In your washing machine, borax helps absorb dirt. In your kitchen and bathroom, it's great for cleaning rust, grout, and even mold and mildew. Borax helps laundry smell better and is also extremely effective at fighting pet urine odor because it combats the ammonia.
Unlike bleach, borax is safe to use on colored fabrics without fear of dye removal or other damage. This general rule applies whether borax is used as a laundry booster in the washing machine, as part of a pre-soak solution, as a spot treatment for stains or as an ingredient in homemade laundry detergent.
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.
Use only half the recommended amount of borax powder for your washing load. Place borax in the empty washer tub and add items to be washed. You must use HE detergents.as the regular kinds cause suds which is a no no.. When using powdered Borax, i would use powder HE detergent.
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.
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!
If you're DIYing a laundry detergent and you want it to be really potent, then washing soda might be the way to go. If you're looking for a gentler detergent, baking soda is a great option. Oxiclean becomes just peroxide and washing soda once it hits liquid.
Pour ½ cup of borax powder to every gallon you used. Stir to agitate the borax and dissolve it. Soak your clothes for 30 minutes. Transfer clothes to your washing machine and wash them like normal.
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.
Borax helps remove stains, is a color-safe bleach alternative, and deodorizer. To whiten whites, add a 1/2 cup Borax to your laundry directly in with the clothes – not in the detergent dispenser on a front loader.
Instead of sprinkling borax in the bottom of your trash can, try baking soda or used (or fresh) coffee grinds, which all work wonders. You can also use baking soda and water to clean your trash can. Throw in some vinegar for extra odor-fighting action.
Borax also can be used for other laundry stains, such as tomato sauce, chocolate, and dirt stains. You can presoak the stained clothing in a solution of 1 tablespoon of borax to every gallon of water for at least half an hour first, or if you presoak directly in the washer add 1/2 cup of borax to the water.
Borax isn't going to damage the colours of your clothes either, as bleach is known to do.
Remove Old Stains
Add borax to a bucket of water and soak the stained item for at least 30 minutes before turning on the washing machine. Borax has a pH level of 9.5, so it naturally breaks down stains and buildup without damaging fabric.
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.
20 Mule Team Borax™ is an all-natural powder used to help with cleaning, laundry, odor control, DIY crafting, and more!
Heat and stir until soap is completely dissolved. Add borax and washing soda. It will thicken very quickly.
Both baking soda and Borax are effective because they are alkaline and abrasive. But Borax has a higher PH than baking soda, making it a slightly harsher but arguably more effective cleaning agent. It inhibits fungi, mold, and bacteria.