Fortunately, the active ingredient in Borax (Sodium Borate) has properties that help soften water and eliminate odor, so here we'll explain how you can turn that into an all-purpose cleaner around your home.
Borax is a great cleaner because of its 9.5pH level, making it slightly alkaline. When combined with water it forms a basic solution, which can break down acidic, fatty, and oily substances. These are just some of the ways to use Borax around the home.
Dissolve 1 cup of borax in 1 gallon of warm water. To clean mildew stains, pour the mixture into a spray bottle, spray onto bathroom tile, then let sit for ½ hour. Wipe away with a damp rag. To prevent mildew buildup, spray the formula on tile and let dry.
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.
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.
Amongst many other advantages, Borax assists in the saponification of any organic oils and fats that may be soiling the linen weave. Oxiclean on the other hand is a fully built Hydrogen Peroxide producing, colour-safe bleach additive which can be used as a soaker or as a detergent additive.
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 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.
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.
Before you reach for a caustic drain cleaner to unclog that kitchen or bathroom drain, try this much gentler approach: Use a funnel to insert 1/2 cup borax into the drain, then slowly pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let the mixture set for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. Repeat for stubborn clogs.
Shower cleaner – Borax can be used like Comet. Sprinkle it on a damp sponge and scrub down your bathtub and shower. Soft Scrub – Mix 2 parts borax to 1 part dish soap, and you've got homemade soft scrub!
Clean your floors
Borax removes dirt and stain from tile, linoleum, and wood floors, says Syren. Adding it to your floor cleaning solution will soften water and improve cleaning power. How to do it: Fill a mop bucket with warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of borax, 1 tablespoon of Castile soap and 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
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.
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.
Clean Outdoor Furniture
Combine one teaspoon of dish soap, one teaspoon of Borax, and one quart of warm water in a spray bottle, then spray it all over the outdoor furniture. Rinse the solution off with your garden hose.
Dilute a ½ cup of Borax into 12 ounces of warm water until no clumps remain. Then pour the mixture to a squirt bottle for application. Be sure to label your squirt bottle and always turn it to the off position after use. It should be stored out of reach of children and pets, as with all household cleaning products.
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.
Borax is a common household cleaner with a pH between 9 and 10. Its alkalinity makes it a great cleaning product for mold and mildew removal without the risks of bleach.
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.
Instead of borax, use a paste of baking soda and water to clean the fridge, and then use a rag or sponge to rinse it off well with water. A multipurpose lemon and lime spray is another recommendation; this mixture uses fresh citrus juices and vinegar.
Back in 2010, the EU decided that the 'Borate' group of chemicals – the group that Borax belongs to – may be potentially hazardous to health. Borax was therefore banned from sale in the EU.
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.
Mix the warm water with the borax until dissolved. In a spray bottle, add in this borax water, vinegar, and soap. Give it a little shake. This works exceptionally well on ceramic showers, outside of toilets, sinks, bathroom counters, bathroom floors, and anything around the bathroom.
20 Mule Team recommends making a laundry boosting borax solution by adding one tablespoon of borax and two cups of hot water into a sealable container. Mix the solution and add to laundry as a laundry booster—or, in this case, in place of detergent if you're completely out.