The Power of Borax!

Go look under your kitchen sink. Do you see bottles and bottles of cleaners? Personally, I had so many cleaners under my kitchen sink downstairs that I had to relocate some to the bathroom sink upstairs. Bleach, toilet cleaners, Comet, Pine Sol, VIM, Clorox wipes, scrubbing bubbles and on and on. All of them just going down the drain. But what if one box of natural mineral could replace most of them? What if it didn't burn your lungs or pocket book?

That is the power of Borax, a natural mineral compound discovered over 4000 years ago. It can be used in place of a ton of products in the home including:

• Laundry Booster
• Deodorizer
• Disinfector
• Multipurpose Cleaner
• Fungicide
• Water Softener
• Preservative
• Insecticide
• Herbicide

So here is some science...Borax's cleaning power comes from converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide. Borates bonds with other particles to keep ingredients dispersed evenly in a mixture, which maximizes the surface area of active particles to enhance cleaning power. However, Borax should never be around food, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and make sure you rinse Borax out of clothes and off of surfaces before use.

Here are just some of the many powerful Borax ideas:

• Deodorizer - Use to remove smells from garbage cans. Fill a spray bottle with warm water and add 1/2 cup of Borax. Use to clean and deodorize. I use this spray bottle on all kinds of things. Super easy!
• Floor and Wall Cleaner - Fill a bucket with about 1 gallon of warm water, add about 1/3 cup Borax and 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent.
• Bathroom Cleaner - 1/4 cup Borax, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Stir until mixed. Good for tiles and enamel surfaces as well. 
• Fabric softener - Add 1/2 cup white vinegar, baking soda and Borax to the washing machine.
• Laundry whites - 1/2 cup Borax and warm water to pre-soak stains and make whiter whites.
• Sink Stains - Before Borax and lemons I would dump bleach in my sink to get it sparkling. Bad idea! I ruined several of my t-shirts from bleach splatter not to mention the horrible toll to the environment. To get rid of stubborn stains on a stainless-steel or porcelain sink, make a paste of one cup of  Borax and ¼ cup of lemon juice. Put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse with running warm water.
• Rug Stains - Remove stubborn stains from rugs and carpets by thoroughly dampening the area, then rubbing in some Borax. Let the area dry, then vacuum or blot it with a solution of equal parts of vinegar and soapy water and allow to dry. Repeat if necessary. Don’t forget to first test the procedure on an small corner of the rug or on a carpet scrap before applying it to the stain.
• Clear a Clogged Drain - Before you reach for drain cleaner try this. Use a funnel to insert a ½ cup of borax into the drain, then slowly pour in two cups of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. Repeat for stubborn clogs.
• Herbicide - Borax can be used as an organic herbicide in the lawn, fertilize once the weeds are dead to encourage the grass to grow over the dead patches.

Cost Savings: At least $200 per year.
A box of Borax from the Co-Op cost me less than $6 and will last me a 6-9 months.
I was able to get rid of all my cleaners. I only keep a bottle of Green Works All-Purpose Spray for counter tops. Amazing!

Other Related Blog Posts:

• Vinegar Natural Cleaner - Is there Anything Vinegar Can't Do?
• A Natural Healer & Cleaner - Discover a Natural Healer - Tea Tree Oil
• DIY Laundry Soap with Borax - DIY Laundry Soap