Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using Borax In The Laundry

First sold in the US in 1891 by 20 Mule Team, borax has been used in homes as a laundry detergent booster and multipurpose cleaner for over a century. It's important to not confuse borax with boric acid. Boric acid is a toxic substance commonly used in pesticides. Borax, on the other hand, is a salt of boric acid and it's generally safe to use when instructions are followed and precautions are taken. 

Borax works as a laundry booster by neutralizing odors and brightening whites. The powder's pH helps soften water and neutralize minerals. This can be especially helpful because hard water can lead to mineral buildup on your clothes. Not always visible to the naked eye, this build-up on your clothes can affect the way they feel, look, and smell. Whether you've been using borax for years or if you're just getting started with it, here are the best practices and mistakes to avoid when using this powerful cleaning agent. 

If you're running your clothes through a normal wash cycle with a bit of borax, it may not get all of the stains out. If you have stubborn ones, you can pre-soak the clothing in a borax mixture before washing it. This allows for a more concentrated solution that can work to release stains from fabric fibers.

To do this, grab a bucket (or your sink) and fill it with warm water and borax. You will need ½ cup borax for every gallon of water. Submerge the clothes in the mixture and leave them to soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Then, remove the clothes and wash them according to the garment care instructions. If you run them through the washing machine and find that the stains are still there, do another pre-soak. Do not put stained clothes in the dryer because the heat will cause the stains to set in further, making them harder to get out later. 

Although borax has incredible laundry-boosting powers, whether it should be used in every load of laundry is hotly debated. Borax is a basic ingredient with a pH of 9.5. As we all know, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. If you use borax every time you wash a garment, it might affect the pH of your clothes causing the fibers to degrade. This is especially true for clothing that is delicate or requires a gentle cycle.

So, it might be a good idea to save borax for times when you really need it. You could reserve it for loads of laundry where you have stained or odorous clothing, such as cleaning up after a bedwetting accident or washing sports attire. And, if you want to use a borax laundry booster on more delicate items, try cutting the ratio of borax to water in half to create a gentler solution. 

Borax is generally safe to use with proper protection. However, it can irritate the skin, sensitive eye membranes, and respiratory systems. To avoid any issues, it's important to take safety measures when mixing it to make your booster or adding it to laundry stripping solutions. It's also dangerous if ingested, so as with all household cleaners, keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

To avoid irritating your skin, borax should be carefully handled with gloves. Keep the powder a reasonable distance from your face and wear a mask to prevent any incidental inhalation. And, after you're done using borax, wash your hands with soap and water to remove any residue that can be later transferred when touching your eyes. It's a good idea to dedicate a pair of gloves to substances like borax and keep these separate from the ones you use for things like washing the dishes.

Not diluting borax is a common mistake when using it in the laundry. If you don't dilute the concentrated powder, you likely won't get an even clean. Instead, you might find the fine white granules randomly clumped all over your clothes. You also might be left with a filmy residue. 

To avoid these unwanted side effects, dilute a tablespoon of Borax with 2 cups of hot water, and mix it to create a booster. To keep the booster fresh and enhance its effectiveness, it's best to make this booster right before you need to use it. Avoid making a big batch and using it over time. For an easy way to do this, keep an empty mason jar in your laundry room. When you want to make the booster, fill the jar with hot water, add the borax, screw on the lid, and give it a good shake. Add this booster to your regular wash cycle to remove smells and enhance cleaning power. 

Laundry stripping is a process to remove build-up from textiles. Invisible to the naked eye, even seemingly clean clothes can have a lot of build-up on them. This can be caused by the minerals in hard water or residue in detergents and fabric softeners. Not regularly stripping your laundry or doing it incorrectly can lead to skin irritation and rashes. Even for household dishcloths, if you're not thoroughly stripping them, you may actually be cleaning with dirty ones.

First, choose a tub and fill it with enough hot water to submerge your load. For every gallon of water, use 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup laundry soda like Nellie's. Then, add 1 cup of laundry detergent. Stir the mixture and let your textiles soak for several hours, stirring it periodically. Once the time has elapsed, launder your clothes in the appropriate wash cycle and you're done!

Borax is not a laundry detergent and shouldn't be used on its own to wash clothes. Borax helps to balance the pH of your water so your detergent works better. However, it's not meant to actually replace the detergent. Users who have tried using it alone say it's like rinsing dirty clothes and calling it a day. The fabric may have a lingering smell and feel stiff in certain places because it's not properly laundered. 

So, stick to using borax as a booster with either powder or liquid laundry detergent. If you want, you can use borax as an ingredient to make your own laundry detergent as well. Start with 1 cup each of borax, washing soda, and bar soap that you've shredded with a box grater. You can also add 1/2 cup Purex Crystals in your favorite fragrance. Or, mix in a few drops of your favorite essential oils to create a natural scent blend. Thoroughly combine all of the ingredients in a well-ventilated area. Then, store the mixture in an airtight container and use about 2 tablespoons of it per laundry load. 

Not using borax to whiten whites is a mistake because you're missing out on its powerful properties. Plus, when you combine it with bleach, borax can help boost and whiten even more. This is an especially great trick for pillowcases, armpit stains on a t-shirt, or other dinginess on white clothes that you can't seem to remove.

For a simple "miracle" laundry whitening solution, try this formula. If the material is safe to watch in hot temperatures, submerge it in a pot of boiling water just so it's covered. You don't want too much water because you want the solution to be concentrated. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 cup each of laundry detergent, powdered dishwasher detergent, and bleach, along with ½ cup of borax. Let it soak for a few hours or overnight then wash as normal, revealing whiter and brighter fabric.