Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a natural mineral that has been used for cleaning and other household purposes for decades. This versatile substance is affordable, easy to find, and amazingly effective for a variety of applications around the home.
Read on to discover 15 great ways you can use borax to clean, deodorize, and protect your home from pests and mold. With just one simple powder, you can tackle multiple cleaning jobs!
Clean and Disinfect Your Laundry
Adding a half cup to a full cup of borax to your laundry can help boost cleaning power and eliminate odors. The abrasiveness of the borax helps lift stains from fabric, while its alkaline pH helps kill germs and bacteria.
Here are some specific ways to use borax for better laundry:
- Add 1/2 cup borax along with your regular detergent to help remove difficult stains and odors from clothes. The borax will help break down compounds in sweat, food, and drinks.
- For extra cleaning power on very dirty or smelly laundry, use 1 cup borax instead of detergent.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup borax to a load of laundry to remove mold and mildew smells. This is great for towels, sports gear, or laundry that got left wet.
- To make homemade laundry detergent, use borax along with washing soda, bar soap, and essential oils. The borax helps kill bacteria.
- Soak badly stained or smelly clothes in a bucket of water with 1/2 cup borax before washing. This helps lift the stains and odors.
As you can see, borax is a laundry MVP for getting your clothes extra clean!
Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Over time, food odors can make their way deep into the interior of your refrigerator. Baking soda is commonly used for removing these smells, but borax can also absorb and erase these unpleasant aromas.
Follow these steps to deodorize a stinky refrigerator:
- Take everything out of the fridge and shelves out of the fridge if possible.
- Make a borax cleaning solution of 1/2 cup borax per quart of warm water.
- Use this borax solution to wipe down the inside of the fridge, including walls, compartments, door, and shelves.
- Place a bowl of dry borax powder in the fridge and refrigerator shelves to help maintain a fresh scent. Replace the borax every 2-3 months.
The great thing about using borax instead of baking soda is that it also has antimicrobial properties to inhibit mold and mildew growth. This prevents future bad smells!
Boost Your Dishwasher Detergent
To help sanitize dishes and glassware, add 2 tablespoons of borax to each dishwasher load along with your regular detergent. The alkaline pH of borax helps remove grease and food particles, while also killing bacteria that can lead to odors.
If you have hard water, you can add up to 1/4 cup borax to the dishwasher instead of detergent. The borax softens hard water by acting as a water softener and prevents spots.
Deodorize Garbage Disposals and Drains
Because borax inhibits microbial growth, it’s great for deodorizing smelly drains throughout your home. Here are a few ideas:
- For a stinky garbage disposal: sprinkle 1/2 cup down the disposal and let sit for an hour before running the water. This helps treat the source of the odors.
- To remove drain odors: pour 1 cup borax down the kitchen sink drain followed by 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes and then rinse.
- For smelly bathroom drains: mix 1/4 cup borax with 2 cups hot water and carefully pour down the drain. Let sit overnight and flush with more hot water.
The scrubbing grains of borax will help remove gunky buildup on pipes that hold odors, while the alkaline pH kills odor-causing germs and bacteria.
Remove Grease and Grime from Range Hoods
With smoke, grease, and dirt buildup, range hoods can become grimy and take on unpleasant odors. Borax can cut through that sticky grease to deeply clean your range hood.
Combine borax and warm water to form a spreadable paste. Liberally apply the borax paste to the hood surface (wall-mounted or ventilation filter). Let it set for 20-30 minutes to penetrate and dissolve the grease. Then scrub with a sponge or brush and rinse clean.
For a quick clean, just sprinkle borax powder onto a damp sponge and scrub the range hood. The borax acts as an abrasive grease-cutting agent.
Clean Out Your Fireplace
Over time, smoke and soot leave an ashy film in any fireplace. Borax is perfect for cleaning brick, stone, marble, and other fireplace materials.
To clean, sprinkle borax directly onto cool fireplace surfaces. Use a scrub brush to work the borax into the cracks and crevices. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before rinsing away with warm water.
For tougher deposits of soot and creosote, make a paste with equal parts borax and lemon juice. Scrub with a brush and then rinse thoroughly. The citric acid in the lemon boosts the cleaning power.
Absorb Odors in the Fridge or Trash Can
Placing bowls of borax in your fridge, trash can, or other enclosed spaces can help absorb food odors. Keep the borax away from foods, but near sources of smells.
Replace the borax powder every 2 months. Borax absorbs odors instead of just masking them like baking soda. Its antibacterial properties also inhibit mold and mildew growth.
Kill Ants
Scattering borax powder in areas where you see ants marching is an effective remedy for ant infestations. Ants ingest the sweet-tasting powder back to the colony which then kills them off.
Look for trails of ants along baseboards, under appliances, and near food sources. Sprinkle a light dusting of borax powder in these areas. The key is to use very fine powder so the ants can’t detect or avoid it.
Borax is safer for pets than other ant killers. But be sure to focus on areas out of reach of kids and pets. Wipe up any visible powder after the ant problem is resolved.
Deter Silverfish and Roaches
These creepy crawlies hate borax! Use borax powder to send roaches, silverfish, and waterbugs packing.
Sprinkle borax in entry areas, crawl spaces, under appliances, or wherever else you see signs of these pests. The sharp grains physically damage their exoskeletons and digestion.
You can also make homemade roach bait with borax and sugar or peanut butter. The pests take the bait back to their nests, killing them off.
Kill Fleas in Your Carpet
Borax can help destroy flea eggs and larvae in your carpets, a common problem if you have pets. It desiccates the fleas and disrupts their reproductive cycle.
To treat carpet, sprinkle borax powder evenly over the surface and let sit overnight. The next day, vacuum thoroughly to remove eggs and larvae killed by the borax. Focus on areas your pet likes to frequent.
Repeat weekly until the flea infestation is gone. Combine with other steps like pet flea medicine and washing bedding. The borax provides a boost in environmental treatment.
Remove Mold from Wood Surfaces
Mold commonly grows in bathrooms, basements, and outside wood furniture. The anti-fungal properties of borax make it great for removing mold from wood surfaces.
Create a paste with equal parts borax and hot water. Spread the paste onto affected wood and let it dry completely. This allows the borax time to kill mold below the surface. Once dry, scrub and rinse the area clean.
For small mold spots, dip a scrub brush in borax powder and scrub spot until gone. The scrubbing action boosts the anti-mold effects.
Clean Grout and Tiles
Grout can attract soap scum, mildew, and dirt buildup over time. Borax is an ideal cleaner for grout since it kills mold and lifts up grime.
Make a thick borax paste using 3 parts borax to 1 part lemon juice. Spread onto discolored or dirty grout and let sit 5 minutes. Scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse. The citric acid in the lemon juice helps brighten grout.
For general tile maintenance, add 1⁄2 cup borax to a gallon of warm water. Mop tiles with the solution and rinse thoroughly to remove dirt buildup. The borax solution also leaves tiles shining!
Remove Rust Stains
Borax can help remove rust stains from a variety of surfaces like ceramic, enamel, marble and even clothes. Make a paste with equal parts borax and lemon juice.
Spread this mixture onto rust stains and allow it to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrub with a brush or sponge and then rinse. You may need to repeat for tough rust spots.
The acid in the lemon teams up with the abrasiveness of the borax to break down and lift rust away. This can restore surfaces and clothes back to a pre-rust state.
Boost Your Liquid Detergents
Add a tablespoon of borax to any homemade or commercial liquid detergent to give it more cleaning muscle. The borax adds alkaline pH, water softening abilities, and antimicrobial action.
Stir in borax to:
- Hand dishwashing soap for extra grease cutting power
- All-purpose cleaner for more grime and soap scum removal
- Laundry soap to boost stain removal
Keep a box of borax handy by all your detergents to mix up as needed. It combines with any liquid soap product beautifully.
Clean Walls and Painted Surfaces
Over time, walls and painted surfaces collect grime, handprints, and grease. Whip up a borax cleaning solution to cut through that buildup quickly and easily.
In a bucket, stir 1⁄2 cup borax into 1 gallon of warm water until dissolved. Dip a sponge mop into the solution and wring out well. Wash walls using the damp mop, rinsing often. Buff dry with a soft cloth.
The borax solution is mild enough for painted walls but has enough grit to lift dirt. It’s also safe for gloss-painted kitchens and bathrooms prone to grease buildup.
Shine Up Your Chrome
For water spots and dull buildup on chrome, borax can restore shine better than anything. Make a paste with borax and water and rub it onto chrome with a soft cloth.
Once dry, buff the chrome with a clean dry cloth. You can also use a borax paste on stainless steel, porcelain, silver, and enamel cookware to remove stains and restore shine.
De-grease Ovens and Cooktops
Over time, baked on grease and food spatters can make ovens and cooktops impossible to clean. Borax has the power to cut through that oily grime better than harsh chemical cleaners.
Sprinkle borax directly onto cool oven or cooktop surfaces. For seriously stuck-on grime, let the powder sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing. Use a damp abrasive sponge or scrubby brush to work away grease and deposits.
On glass stovetops, sprinkle borax and rub gently with a damp paper towel or soft cloth. It polishes away greasy film beautifully. Rinse surfaces thoroughly after cleaning.
Clean and Shine Pots and Pans
Don’t let greasy pots and pans damage your cookware. Borax is a gentle but highly effective cleaner for these delicate items.
For burnt on food, fill cookware with warm water and add 3-4 tablespoons borax. Let soak overnight and by morning stuck food will wipe right out.
You can also sprinkle borax onto a damp sponge or cloth to scrub your pots and pans as needed. Rinse thoroughly before cooking. It will restore shine without damaging surfaces.
Keep Cutting Boards Sanitary
Cutting boards harbor bacteria that can transfer to food and cause illness. A simple borax solution keeps them clean and food-safe.
Once a day, wipe down your plastic and wooden cutting boards with a solution of 1 tablespoon borax per 1 quart of water. This inhibits bacterial growth between uses.
Once a week, give them a deeper clean by scrubbing with straight borax powder, rinsing thoroughly with hot water. This removes stains and stuck bits of food over time.
Conclusion
As you can see, borax is an versatile and economical cleaner to keep stocked in your home. It tackles a wide range of cleaning challenges from laundry to floors, appliances to walls, and everything in between. Unlike harsh chemical cleaners, borax gets the job done safely with ingredients you can feel good about.
Look for pure borax in the laundry aisle at any supermarket or hardware store. Arm yourself with this one natural powder and you’ll be ready to quickly clean, deodorize, and disinfect your whole house. Borax boosts your cleaning power so you can easily keep every room fresh.
Give it a try and you’ll never look back! Borax works wonders on all kinds of cleaning problems throughout any home.