5 Money-Saving Uses For Borax
Borax is an affordable, all-natural powder that can be used in many cleaning capacities around the house. Keep reading for 5 money-saving ways to use Borax in your home.
Perhaps you’ve seen Borax in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store. And if you’re like I was, you probably have wondered what it is and what it is used for.
Simply put, Borax is a powerhouse cleaning product. A $4-dollar box of Borax can replace many cleaners under your sink and enhance others.
Before we get into the specific money-saving uses for Borax, let’s find out what, exactly, Borax is.
What Is Borax?
Borax is a naturally-occurring mineral (sodium tetraborate) that is commonly used for cleaning and laundering purposes. Borax has other uses as well, such as glass making and ceramics. However, Borax has been used for all-natural cleaning purposes for more than a century.
Where To Buy Borax
Buy online: Borax: Twenty Mule Team Natural Laundry Booster & Multi-Purpose Cleaner
You can find Borax at Walmart, Target, supermarkets, hardware stores, and elsewhere. Look in the cleaning product aisle, or near the laundry detergent.
5 Ways To Save Money Using Borax
1: Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
Did you know that you can make your own laundry detergent at home for just 2 cents a load? Believe it. Besides being cheap, this laundry detergent really works. It uses Borax, washing soda, and two other ingredients.
2: Add Some To Your Laundry
Adding a scoop of Borax to your laundry will do many things:
- Soften your clothes
- Freshen and deodorize
- Improve the cleaning power of your laundry soap
Borax softens hard water. When your clothes are washed in soft water, laundering becomes more effective and your clothes will last longer.
Instructions: Add 1/2 cup Borax to every load of laundry. This is in addition to your laundry soap.
3: Make Your Own Scouring Powder (Like Comet or Ajax)
Use this all-purpose cleaner to clean your sink, tub, counter top, or any other surface that needs a good scrub. You’ll need:
- 4 parts baking soda
- 1 part Borax
- Essential oils (I like lemon, grapefruit or orange)
Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass container. To clean, simply sprinkle some over surface and scrub with a scrub brush or scouring pad.
4: Add To Your Dishwasher
Does your dishwasher fail to produce clean, sparkling dishes? Are they cloudy or scummy? Borax may be your answer.
Instructions: Simply add 1/4 cup of Borax to every load of dishes, in addition to using your regular washer detergent.
5: Make An All-Purpose Counter Spray
Save money by making your own surface cleaner at home. This one works well for cleaning kitchen counter tops, sinks, microwaves, fridges, floors, and other surfaces. What you’ll need:
- 8 cups boiling water
- 1/4 cup Borax
- Essential oils, optional
Stir Borax into boiling water to dissolve. Allow mixture to cool. Add essential oils, if using. Once cool, the counter cleaner is ready to use.
As you can see, Borax is a great product to have on hand, and it can help you save money by replacing many other cleaning products and improving the effectiveness of others. Learn even more uses for Borax. And please add your favorite uses for Borax in the comments below!
Check out these 39 money-saving uses for baking soda.
There are hundreds of recipes with borax for homemade detergents. You could use it almost for everything. My mom told me how to use it in my washing machine. I was soooo grateful. My clothes smell fantastic now. It is an amazing way to save some money. Best regards!
I totally love how fresh it makes my laundry smell! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I’ve got a box of borax in my laundry room right now. I’m going to put it to work. Thanks for these ideas.
Wonderful! I find the easiest way is just to add some to laundry. It makes it smell so fresh!
I’ve used Borax for years as a flea deterrent, and it has always worked and has never harmed my pets. If you have carpets, sprinkle a light coating over your carpet, it will not stain it, and sweep deep it into the carpet with a broom. Wait 24 hours and vacuum. It smothers the flea eggs and kills any fleas already alive. You can also sprinkle a light coat onto a pet brush and brush through your pet’s hair. Just make sure you brush it out really good. You don’t want your cat or dog licking it because it’s soap. It won’t hurt them if they do, but it probably doesn’t taste good. I also sprinkle it around door entrances on welcome mats or rugs because fleas and their eggs can be tracked inside on the bottom of your shoes.
There are other things you can do with Borax. It keeps bugs away for about 2-3 years. Before it rains, I broadcast handfuls of Borax into the yard where my dogs run. That keeps fleas away. I also sprinkle it around the foundation of my home to keep spiders and other bugs at bay.
Borax also makes a great alternative shampoo. Mix 1 tsp Borax into a cup of very hot water, stirring once in a while until it’s dissolved. Cool a bit, pour into an empty shampoo container, add water to fill. Wet your hair with it, treat like regular shampoo. Of course, this doesn’t lather, and if you’re like me, you’ll be thinking that this isn’t doing anything! Rinse it out, use some vinegar water for conditioner if you want, but it doesn’t matter. You’ll be surprised at how well the Borax water cleans your hair.