Using Borax For Laundry and More
Wondering how to use borax for laundry? There are several uses for borax in laundry. Including laundry stripping, odor elimination, a laundry booster, and stain removal. The great thing about borax is that it is an all-natural ingredient and has been made in the USA since 1881. This laundry product is often sadly overlooked, but we guarantee that you will want to add this to your laundry cabinet today!
Borax For Laundry Stripping
Laundry stripping is the act of stripping your laundry of a buildup of minerals, grease, and grime. The great news is that you can use this natural ingredient to reclaim your laundry.* **
- 1/2 cup Borax
- 1/2 cup Washing Soda (Not baking soda)
- 3/4 cup Laundry Detergent (Make sure the detergent does not contain oxi-clean)
- Tub of hot water
- Stir the ingredients thoroughly and add your laundry. Then stir once every hour for 5-6 hours, finally add to the washer and wash as usual.
Odor Elimination
We’ve all put on our shoes only to find out that they stink when we take our feet out. Use borax as an odor eliminator by spritzing a solution of 2 TBSP of borax into 4 cups of warm water. Allow the shoes to dry then brush the inside of your shoe lightly to remove excess borax. Repeat if necessary.*
Laundry Booster
A laundry booster** is a great way to get more out of your laundry detergent. This is especially helpful if your laundry is extremely sweaty or stained after a hot summer day. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, and add to a heat proof container such as a canning jar (Careful contents will be hot), stir in 2 TBSP of borax and mix thoroughly. Label the jar and store it in a safe place in the laundry room. To use it, add a 1/2 cup of the booster to your washer when you do your next load of laundry.*
Stain Removal
Easily remove stains from your most soiled laundry**, and improve the smell with this naturally occurring product. In a bucket or tub, just add a 1/2 cup of borax to every gallon of water and soak for 30 minutes then wash as normal. Make sure that your laundry detergent does not contain any Oxi-Clean when using Borax, see above results of my blue jeans and pink t-shirt.
Dish and Glass Cleaning
To make your dishes sparkle, add a 1/4 cup of borax to the bottom of your dishwasher. Then run your dishwasher as you normally would. The borax works to reduce the buildup of minerals on your dishes and also in your dishwasher.
If you try any of these tips, we’d love to know how they worked for you. Just add your post and mention #borax4spot on our Facebook Laundry Spot Group.
*A Quick Word of Caution: As with all chemicals and laundry products, use caution and keep out of reach of children. We recommend that you wear gloves, and review the SDS sheets when using any sort of chemicals. Never ingest borax or get it in your eyes. We recommend that you wear gloves when using borax. Remember, that even though borax is a natural product, it is still harmful when used incorrectly.
**To help prevent color damage, use the above amounts and dissolve the borax in hot water before adding it to the water in your laundry. Pouring it directly onto your laundry may cause color bleaching. See above.
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