Eco-friendly SOAP.....BORAX

The Many Uses of Borax as an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Product

It seems like everyone has heard of borax, but many people have yet to discover just how useful this naturally occurring substance is. For years I thought borax was a toxic chemical (maybe I was thinking of boric acid), but as it turns out borax is one of the gentlest (yet effective) cleansers and occurs naturally. As long as you don’t eat it, don’t leave it around for kids or pets to eat, and use it sparingly (extremely large amounts can be toxic to water vegetation), borax is the best scrubbing cleanser around.

Along with vinegar, borax is probably the most affordable and multi-purpose green (eco-friendly) cleaner you can buy. Commercial-strength borax can also be used for (external) personal hygiene, and is a common ingredient in many homemade soaps and facial cleansers. 

Of course many cleaning tasks just take water and a bit of elbow grease, but if that won’t cut it, borax is a tough cleanser with a gentle effect on the environment. If you take into consideration the not-so-eco-friendly mining aspect of borax production, it’s not exactly a 100% green product, but compared to the highly noxious and toxic chemical cleaners borax is a much greener choice.

Just how many things can borax be used for?

• drain cleaner

  Pour a 1/2 cup or so into the drain and let it for 15 minutes, then add hot water (the hotter the better). Repeat for tough clogs.

• Cleaning mirrors and windows

  Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of borax in 2-3 cups water. Use a sponge or cloth to apply.

• Toilet bowl cleaner

  Pour 1/2 – 1 cup borax into the toilet bowl. You can let it sit for a while to minimize scrubbing (or not). Use a stiff brush to scrub. Voila! sparkling clean toilet boil with minimum effort and without nasty chemicals. Add 1/2 cup vinegar to strengthen the mixture and keep the bowl cleaner longer.

• Deter pavement weeds

  This is not recommended for use directly in the garden or flowerbed, but for sidewalks or other paved areas where weeds like to creep in, sprinkle borax along the cracks and the weeds won’t be able to grow.

• Deter ants from entering your house

  Sprinkling borax along the foundation of your house will keep ants and other insects from entering your house. Though a little borax near the foundation will not harm the grass, be careful not to apply too much near plants. This also works great with snails and slugs, around deck areas, etc.

• Eliminate urine odor in fabric

  Wet the affected area and rub in some borax. For particularly old or large stains you probably want to scrub it around some with a sponge or cloth. Then just let it dry and vacuum up the powder.

• Cleaning and sanitizing your garbage disposal

  Cut disposal bacteria and mold out of the picture with a little borax every couple of weeks. Pour 1/4 cup borax down the disposal with just a bit of water. Let it sit for about an hour then wash it away with hot tap water.

• Cleaning tiles and grout

  Borax is absolutely fantastic for cleaning tiles and grout in the bathroom -especially aided by the use of an old toothbrush or other small stiff brush. Just sprinkle a little as you go along, adding just enough water to easily move the powder around. Rinse with warm water. Borax is even safe for surfaces that scratch easily -where you wouldn’t use Comet/Ajax (toxic abrasive cleansers), borax works just as well and will never scratch surfaces.

• General kitchen and bathroom cleanser

  In addition to tiles and grout, borax works wonders on sinks and tubs. Just sprinkle a bit into a wet sink basin or tub and lightly scrub with a sponge or cloth.

• Cleaning grease

  Whether it’s greasy hands or a greasy barbecue grill, borax is great at cutting through tough grease. It seems to absorb it as it scrubs it away with it’s fine grit. As always, rinse with lots of warm water.

• Clean cutting boards

  Borax is perfect for scrubbing cutting boards clean because the little bits get right into the pores and cuts left from chopping veggies and whatnot. Since borax is slightly toxic (you would have to ingest about 5.8 grams per pound of body weight to get a lethal dose -that’s over 6 ounces for a 150-pound person!) it’s a good idea to rinse with plenty of warm/hot water.

• Oven cleaner

  Make a thick paste with borax and vinegar. Apply to the inside of your oven with a scrub brush. Let it sit for a few hours, then wipe away the grime with a damp cloth. If you find some tough spots, use your brush to scrub away the yuck.

• Freshening smelly bedding and linens

  Adding 1/2 cup of borax to your wash will get rid of unpleasant smells and stains (spot treat small, tough stains).

• Laundry detergent booster

  Borax is safe to use on colored fabrics. Simply adding 1/2 cup to each wash will brighten colors and make your detergent more effective.

• Deodorizer

  Dissolve 1 tablespoon per gallon of water for deodorizing your refrigerator, camping coolers, etc. Sprinkle in garbage cans and add hot water to wash. When dry, sprinkle additional borax to absorb future odors.

• Cleaning mold and mildew on outdoor furniture

  Combine 1 teaspoon each borax and liquid soap (castille soap is eco-friendly and a little goes a long way) with one quart water in a spray bottle. Spray down affected areas and allow to soak for at least an hour. Rinse with water.

• Cleaning pots and pans

  If you’re looking for a way to clean your best pots and pans without scratching them, borax can’t be beat. Just sprinkle some borax onto a wet pot/pan and rub with a cloth or sponge. Borax will not scratch no matter how hard you scrub.

• Very dirty floors

  Most floor washing really only needs water and perhaps a bit of vinegar, but for really grimy floors try dissolving a 1/3 cup borax and 1 teaspoon of eco-friendly dishwasher detergent in a half bucket of water.

• Carpet powder

  Sprinkle borax onto your carpet just as you might commercial carpet powders (you can even add a couple drops of essential oil to add your own scent –just a couple now!). Let it sit overnight then vacuum it up. This makes carpets smell wonderfully fresh!

• Flea killer

  Just like with carpet powder, sprinkle borax onto carpets, furniture and mattresses. Leave overnight and then vacuum up the next day. As far as I know, this is the most effective, eco-friendly solution for killing fleas in the home. (do not use on pets except in a (wet) solution that is washed off afterward!)

• Treatment of fungal infections

  Among microbiologists, borax is a well known for its anti-fungal properties. Very few people have sensitivity to contact with their skin (in fact borax is often used as a skin cleanser by those with very sensitive skin), though sensitivity has been reported. That said, people suffering from any kind of external fungal infection, such as athlete’s foot, ringworm and yeast infections, can use borax mixed with water (I usually use a paste consistency). Borax is highly effective against nearly every kind of fungal infection. Add some iodine to boost anti-fungal properties.

• Gentle face and hand cleanser

  Later on I’ll post some of my favorite recipes for homemade shampoos and facial cleansers, but for now: straight borax with a little bit of water is great for cleaning hands and face. It’s very gentle and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.Have you found other uses for borax?

toxicity notes:
I’ve seen some articles talking about the toxicity of borax. While it’s necessary to keep borax out of the reach of small children and pets, borax is only about as toxic as table salt or baking soda. The lethal dose of borax is 2.66 g/kg. As mentioned above, this means that a 150 pounds person would have to eat over 6 ounces of the stuff.

Washing Soda is also known as SODA ASH here in the Philippines.

You can substitute Fels Naptha with Ivory Or plain PERLA bar soap.

BORAX and SODA ASH are AVAILABLE AT

# 327 BARANGAY KATIPUNAN, ROOSEVELT AVENUE, MUNOZ, QUEZON CITY

                               TEL NO.  4078912