Borax is one of those many uses, cheap, non-toxic cleaners that is often overlooked. You can find it in the laundry aisle and it is typically marketed as a laundry booster, but you can use it for so much more!
Here is an abbreviated list: non-scratching abrasive for soap scum and grease, deodorizer, all-purpose spray cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, stain remover, carpet cleaner, grout cleaner….and so on. You can learn more here.
There are also a lot of fun crafts to do- like crystals, candle wicks, and flower preservation. Check Pinterest for gazillions of ideas.
My dishwasher is a bit lazy, and we are a household of coffee and tea drinkers. The result is a bunch of mugs that look dirty and gross when they are clean.
This does not translate well for thirsty guests. So I made a paste of borax and water and rubbed it inside all the mugs. The stains immediately came off, and the whole ordeal took less than ten minutes. Since borax is non-toxic I just rinsed the mugs and let them air dry before returning them to their shelf.
That was awesome.
So I headed up to our shower and used the same paste to quickly scrub the hard to clean corners that start looking gross and they were instantly clean. Unlike most bathroom cleaners, there isn’t a five paragraph warning about using borax in a well ventilated area (read: this product is so toxic you shouldn’t be around it at all). Never mind that a big box of borax costs a couple dollars and can be used all over the house.
We want to hear from you! Do you use borax to clean? Comment below:
It makes great glow in the dark slime!!
Hi Jill,
I like the “Green Cleaning Series” idea. I’m obsessed with green cleaning so let me know if you any questions or thoughts you wanna run by me.
So you know, Borax has low toxicity, not entirely non-toxic. Here’s a little wikipedia info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#Toxicity Regardless, waaaaaay less nasty than the stuff we generally use to clean our homes.
Hi Jen!
Thanks for your input. Borax is considered “not acutely toxic” as mentioned in the article you provided. This is the same classification as non-toxic. Much like toothpaste is non-toxic, yet you would get sick if you ingested it. Hope that helps to clarify!