That plain box of borax in the laundry aisle costs a few dollars and rarely gets a second look. That’s a shame, because this one powder can stand in for a whole shelf of specialty products. It brightens laundry, freshens drains, scrubs tubs, helps with roaches and ants and even turns into a kids’ science project.
Below are 16 practical uses for borax, with the amounts to use, plus the safety basics many borax guides skip. A little know-how goes a long way with this product, so read the safety section before you start.
What is borax?
Borax is a natural mineral salt, also called sodium tetraborate. It’s a white powder that dissolves in water and makes the water alkaline, which helps loosen dirt, grease and stains. You’ll usually find it near the laundry detergent in grocery stores and big-box stores.
Borax is not boric acid
The two are related, but they aren’t the same product. Boric acid is sold mainly as an insecticide powder. Borax is sold as a laundry booster and household cleaner. Don’t swap one for the other in a recipe unless the directions say you can.
Borax safety basics
Natural doesn’t mean harmless. The National Pesticide Information Center says borax can be corrosive to the eyes and irritating to the skin. Poison control experts add that it’s especially risky for children and pets if swallowed.
Safety first
Wear gloves for scrubbing jobs, and keep the powder away from your eyes. Store the box up high, away from kids and pets. Never use borax in food or on your body. If someone swallows it, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Uses for borax in the laundry room
1. Boost your laundry detergent
Borax works alongside your regular detergent, not in place of it. It softens hard water, so your detergent can do a better job on stains and odors.
The directions on the box call for 1/2 cup sprinkled right into the washer drum. For tough stains, soak the clothes first in 1 gallon of water mixed with 1/2 cup of borax. If you have soft water, you can often get by with less.
2. Lift mildew from fabric
A shower curtain, tablecloth or beach towel that picked up mildew doesn’t have to go in the trash. Mix 1 part borax with 4 parts water, scrub the spots with a brush, then launder as usual. Test a hidden corner first if the fabric is dyed.
Uses for borax in the kitchen and bathroom
3. Freshen and clear a slow drain
Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of borax into the drain. Follow it with hot water. For a slow drain, give it about 15 minutes to work, then rinse with more hot water. This also helps a stinky garbage disposal.
Many homes have plastic PVC drain pipes, and plumbers warn that boiling water can soften the pipes and loosen the joints. If your pipes are plastic, use the hottest water from your tap instead of a kettle. For a full clog, a plunger or drain snake is the better tool.
4. Deodorize trash cans
To keep kitchen and garage garbage bins from smelling, shake a little borax in the base of each one. When it’s time to clean, hose the can out, let it dry, then add a fresh sprinkle.
5. Scrub the kitchen sink
Stir 4 parts borax with 1 part lemon juice to make a paste. Rub it over a stainless steel or porcelain sink with a sponge, then rinse well. It cuts through stuck-on grime and water spots without harsh fumes.
6. Freshen the dishwasher
Wipe the inside walls, door and racks with a damp sponge dipped in borax. Then run an empty rinse cycle to wash away any powder. It helps with musty smells and cloudy film.
7. Clean the toilet bowl
Dust borax around the inside of the bowl. Spray it with white vinegar, scrub with your toilet brush, then flush. For hard-water rings, let the borax sit in the bowl overnight before you scrub.
8. Cut soap scum on the tub, shower and tile
The borax box lists this one in its directions. Shake some borax onto a damp sponge or cloth, wipe down the tub, shower walls and tile, then rinse. It loosens soap scum and dirt and helps with musty mildew smells.
9. Wash windows and glass
Stir 2 tablespoons of borax into 3 cups of water. Wipe the glass with a cloth dipped in the mix, then buff it dry with a clean, dry cloth so you don’t leave streaks.
Uses for borax on carpet spills
10. Treat pet messes and milk spills
Pet messes and milk spills leave smells that linger. First, blot up as much liquid as you can with a cloth. Then cover the damp spot with borax, let it soak up the moisture and odor, and vacuum once it’s dry.
Always try it on a hidden spot first, such as inside a closet, to make sure your carpet’s color holds up. Keep pets out of the room until you’ve vacuumed.
Uses for borax in pest control
11. Make a borax roach bait
Borax is a classic do-it-yourself roach bait. Pest control guides most often call for equal parts borax and sugar. The sugar draws the roaches in, and they eat the borax along with it.
You may have heard that borax hardens inside a roach’s stomach. That’s a myth. Borates work as a stomach poison that disrupts the insect’s digestion, and the powder also scuffs the waxy coating that keeps a roach from drying out.
- Put the bait in jar lids or small dishes where you see roaches, such as under the sink and behind the fridge.
- Tuck it where children and pets can’t reach.
- Keep it dry, because wet borax stops working.
- Be patient. Borax works slowly, so expect it to take a few weeks.
Bait works best with cleanup. Wipe up crumbs, fix leaky pipes and seal cracks so the roaches have nothing else to eat or drink.
12. Set out a liquid ant bait
Ants go for sugar water, so a liquid bait works well for them. Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons borax in 1 cup warm water. Soak a few cotton balls in the mix and set them in jar lids along the ant trail, out of reach of kids and pets.
At first you may see more ants, not fewer. That’s a good sign. The workers carry the sweet borax back to the nest, so leave the bait alone and refresh it as it dries out.
Uses for borax outdoors
13. Clean patio furniture and cushions
Before you store patio furniture for the winter, give it a good cleaning. Add 1 teaspoon dish soap and 1 teaspoon borax to 1 quart warm water in a spray bottle. Spray plastic chairs, tables and cushions, scrub with a soft brush, rinse with a hose and let everything dry in the sun before storing.
Uses for borax in crafts
14. Dry fresh flowers
Borax pulls moisture out of petals while helping them hold their shape. Iowa State University Extension recommends 2 parts borax to 1 part fine, clean, dry sand. A lighter mix of equal parts borax and white cornmeal is easier on delicate blooms. Adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt without iodine per quart helps the flowers keep their color.
Pour an inch of the mix into a shoebox or plastic tub. Set the flowers face up, then gently sift more mix over them until they’re covered. Leave the box uncovered in a warm, dry spot. Most flowers dry in one to two weeks. Check them often, because flowers left too long turn brittle and drop petals. When they feel crisp and dry, lift them out and brush off the powder with a soft paintbrush.
15. Make slime (flubber) with kids
Slime, also called flubber, is a cheap rainy-day craft, but it needs an adult in charge. A burn center coordinator at Regions Hospital warns that borax can cause chemical burns when it isn’t diluted properly, and a few children have been burned after handling slime for long stretches.
You’ll need:
- 1/2 cup white school glue
- 2/3 cup warm water, divided
- 3 or 4 drops food coloring
- 1 teaspoon borax
- 2 glass bowls
How to make it:
- In the first bowl, mix the glue, 1/3 cup of the warm water and the food coloring.
- In the second bowl, have an adult dissolve the borax in the remaining 1/3 cup of warm water.
- Pour the glue mixture into the borax water and stir gently.
- Let it sit for a few minutes until it firms up, then knead it with your hands.
Keep play sessions short, have everyone wash their hands afterward, and make sure no one puts slime in their mouth. If your child has sensitive skin or any redness shows up, skip borax slime altogether.
16. Grow crystal ornaments
Crystal ornaments are a fun way to show kids how crystals form. An adult should handle the boiling water.
You’ll need:
- Pipe cleaners
- String and a pencil
- A wide-mouth glass jar
- Boiling water
- Borax, 3 tablespoons per cup of water
- Food coloring (optional)
How to make it:
- Bend a pipe cleaner into a star, heart, circle or snowflake. Make sure it fits inside the jar.
- Tie about 6 inches of string to the shape, and tie the other end to a pencil.
- Lay the pencil across the jar mouth so the shape hangs freely without touching the sides or bottom. Adjust the string, then set the shape aside.
- Pour boiling water into the jar until it’s about three-quarters full.
- Stir in the borax 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each spoonful dissolve before adding the next. A little powder settling on the bottom is fine.
- For color, tint the water with food coloring or start with colored pipe cleaners.
- Lower the shape into the hot solution, resting the pencil across the top.
- Leave the jar alone overnight. As the water cools, it can’t hold as much borax, so crystals form on the pipe cleaner.
Where not to use borax
Some borax roundups suggest sprinkling it on weeds, around trees or on carpets to kill fleas. We skipped those on purpose. The National Pesticide Information Center notes that borates can kill plants by drying them out, so too much near the plants you want to keep can do real damage.
Also skip borax for anything you eat, cook with or put on your skin, and keep it off pet bedding, carpets where pets lie or anywhere animals lick.
Frequently asked questions
Is borax the same as baking soda? No. Both are white powders, but baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is safe to cook with. Borax is sodium tetraborate and should never go in food.
Is borax safe to use at home? It’s safe when used as the box directs. It can irritate the skin and eyes, and it’s harmful if swallowed, so wear gloves for big jobs and store it where kids and pets can’t reach.
Is borax banned in the U.S.? No. Borax is still sold in the U.S. in the laundry aisle. The European Union classifies it more strictly, so shoppers there often find “borax substitute” instead.
Does borax really kill roaches and ants? Yes, when they eat it. Mixing it with sugar gets them to take it in, and ants carry it back to the nest. It works slowly, so give it a few weeks, and pair it with good cleanup.
Can you mix borax and vinegar? Yes. Borax and white vinegar are a common pairing for cleaning toilets and other hard surfaces. Use them as a scrub, then rinse.
How long does a box of borax last? Quite a while. Most jobs use 1/2 cup or less, so one box covers many loads of laundry and cleaning tasks. Keep it sealed and dry, because it clumps in a damp room.
