Borax powder

Borax (also known as sodium tetraborate) has become a staple for the do-it-your selfer interested in finding their own all-natural solutions to everyday obstacles.

From homemade detergents to ant killer, Borax (also known as sodium tetraborate) has become a staple for the do-it-yourselfer interested in finding their own all-natural solutions to everyday obstacles.  

Dissolve Borax and sugar into some boiling water to make an effective ant killer that takes advantage of Borax’s ability to completely dissolve in water. The web is full of recipes for making your own dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent/laundry detergent booster as well as other niche applications for Borax that you would never think of.

Borax was first widely available when hauled out of the dry lake beds of Nevada and California by a large team of Mule’s, thus making it cheap and plentiful enough to be widely available for use. Try mixing 1 tablespoon of Borax with 1 tablespoon of baking soda and placing in your dishwasher’s detergent compartment. The mild abrasiveness of both ingredients will blast away tough deposits on your dishes and save you money. Borax is one of the most commonly used ingredients in detergents used in the detergent manufacturing industry today. Experiment and find an online recipe for making your own laundry detergent that will soften and clean clothes as well as the expensive store bought brands. Mix with lemon juice to create a safe, inexpensive rust remover.

Want an extremely effective window cleaner? Try mixing Borax with ammonia and water and take advantage of Borax’s mild abrasiveness to clean windows to a sparkling shine. Drop 3 tablespoons into your garbage disposal and let it set for 15 minutes to deodorize and clean. Simply mix with warm water and use to rinse out the inside of your refrigerator to remove musty/moldy smells. Soak candle wicks in a mixture of Borax, salt and water to reduce smoke and ash in your homemade candle creations.

Add 1 ½ cups of Borax to every 5 pounds of kitty litter to help deodorize and freshen your cat’s litter box. Borax can be used to neutralize urine odors. Indeed the potential uses for Borax around the home are limitless. Its industrial use is equally as astonishing. According to Wikipedia it can also be used for:

• Ingredient in enamel glazes
• Fire retardant
• Anti-fungal in fiberglass insulation
• Anti-fungal foot soak
• Treatment for Thrush in horses
• Curing agent
• Buffering agent to control PH in swimming pools
• Coloring fires with a green flame
• Forge welding