Photo by Leo Reynolds
Borax is actually a trade name for sodium borate, which is a naturally-occurring mineral. It is mined from the earth, partially dehydrated and crushed up to be sold as borax. Borax has been used by people for hundred years in order to clean their homes and for use in their laundry.
Even though borax has been around for a long time, it is not widely known for its uses. However, in this article we will attempt to provide you with instructions and recipes for ways to use borax powder throughout your household, from pest control, to liquid plumber.
Pest control
Borax is extremely effective at keeping water bugs, ants, cockroaches as well as a few other household pest at bay. All you have to do is mix equal parts of borax with regular sugar. Bugs will be drawn by the sugar and taken away permanently by borax. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t leave this out where small children or pets can reach it. Good places are under sinks, refrigerators or stoves. These places are good to begin treating your home for pests, because these areas are normally infested the most anyway. Additionally, borax also works well on mice. Just sprinkle borax powder in areas where mice may be hiding and it’ll work wonders to get rid of those pests.
Get rid of rust
Mixing one tablespoon of lemon juice and two cups of warm water with one cup of borax works wonders on rust. You can add this solution, if you have old pans and pots that are rusted, which should be like a paste, and let them sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. At the end, rinse and then just scrub the rust away. In addition, you can use this solution on things other than dishes. For example, you can use it in order to remove rust from appliances and anything made of metal.
Make an all-purpose cleaner
In order to make a wonderful all-purpose cleaner just mix two tablespoons of borax with two cups of hot water. Add the solution in a spray bottle and use it to clean bathrooms and kitchens or just anywhere you need a little extra boost for your cleaning. When compared to other all-purpose cleaners on the market, this is a very inexpensive cleaner. Borax is an excellent choice for getting really stubborn stains off. This solution can be used to remove pencil and crayon marks from your walls. However, you should test a spot first in order to make sure that the paint does not come off. Your bathtub will really sparkle when you clean it with this solution.
Make a floor cleaner
In order to make a wonderful floor cleaner, all you have to do is mix one tablespoon of dish detergent with 1/3 cup of borax, a gallon of hot water and one tablespoon of ammonia. Borax will help to get stubborn stains from the floor and you can use it on hardwood flooring, linoleum or tile. Due to the scrubbing power of borax, scuff marks from the kids’ shoes will come off easily. You can use lemon juice instead of ammonia if you want, in case you are not really a fan of it. It still helps you to get your floors sparkling clean while it gives a much better aroma. All you have to do is spray on your floors or add to your mop bucket and mop away.
Make your own liquid plumber
Just a half cup of borax poured down your drain will unclog it when you follow with a few cups of boiling water. Leave it for at least 15 minutes and then run your tap water until it’s all flushed out. Borax helps to break down stuff which gets stuck in your drain and the boiling water helps to flush it all away. In addition, it will disinfect it so it will smell much better when you’re finished.
