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patti_s

Borax

patti_s
15 years ago

After the 5th time of trying to post to this thing, I'm willing to give it one more try.

Ok, I hear Borax is a fabulous cleaner but that it's a poison. Can someone please tell me why then using Borax is any better than using the traditional soaps? which I don't want to use due to their poisons.

Thank you,

Patti

I pray to whatever power there is that this thing actually sticks because I'm not going through this process again. I hope their web developers read this!

Comments (10)

  • graywings123
    15 years ago

    First, welcome to these forums. Possibly you didn't realize when trying to post that it was a two step process. You first preview your post then you submit it.

    Are you referring to 20 Mule Team® Borax (the cleaning product which is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water) or the mineral Borax, which is a boric acid salt?

    In any event, if you don't use traditional soaps because you consider them to be poison, then you don't want to use borax either. They are all about equally safe or unsafe . . . depending on your point of view.

    What are you using now to clean? And what are you cleaning - your clothing, your skin, your floors?

  • grainlady_ks
    15 years ago

    Check the labels of household cleaning and laundry products and you're sure to find some kind of hazard warning. Check the ingredients list, most are toxic to one degree or another - depending on exposure and use.

    There's also going to be warnings on these products - harmful if swallowed, inhaled, contact with skin/eyes, what amounts are toxic/deadly, etc... What to do in case of eye contact or swallowed, etc...

    So even "your people friendly, elf friendly, planet friendly, non-toxic, biodegradable, phosphate-free, never tested on reindeer" METHOD dishwashing product has a warning to KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN and what to do in case of eye contact or if swallowed.

    Generally speaking, for it's intended use, Borax is safe to use. Avoid using it around food, which is true of all non-food products that could accidently be accidently consumed. With a little research, you'll find there are "risks" associated with all cleaning products, whether they are natural or man-made. FYI, borax is a natural product with chemical properties that contribute to cleaning power.

    I use steam for much of my general cleaning anymore to avoid toxic chemicals and perfumes. But even steam can be hazardous if used incorrectly.

    -Grainlady

  • snowflakelover
    15 years ago

    My mom liked to use Borax, until she heard it could be a poison and could seep into your skin from your clothes. We aren't sure, but why risk it? I personally just use Arm & Hammer baking soda. I buy a big box, it's cheaper than Borax, and works wonders. I am a server and the smell of the restaurant really sticks to the fabrics in my uniform but the baking soda just gets it all out and freshens great. Plus, even ingested, it won't hurt you! :D

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    15 years ago

    Borax is a food additive in Europe and China, used to preserve caviar and noodles, but it has been banned in the US because it was show that 2.66 grams, about a heaping teaspoon full, would kill a rat. We do that sort of thing here you know. Curiously it may still be used in swimming pools. Persons who swallow caviar apparently are much to refined to swallow pool water so this is not a problem.

    I use it occasionally for some cleaning tasks where I feel a bit of abrasive would help.

  • jannie
    15 years ago

    When I lived in New York City, people sprinkled borax around their apartments to kill roaches.

  • graywings123
    15 years ago

    And vinegar sprayed on plants will kill them.

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    15 years ago

    Which all means, "moderation in all things".

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    15 years ago

    I accidently found this somewhere online. I was used by my microbiology professor in college a half century ago. Paracelsus was apparently once quite respected.

    {{gwi:1871}}

  • alison_27
    15 years ago

    My personal concern with borax is that acute or chronic exposure can cause reproductive problems in developing creatures -- like the toddler I'm raising or the fetus I'm gestating. So I'm avoiding borax for now, but I might use it again when I'm no longer pregnant. I do like it as a laundry additive but I'll very careful not to inhale it and to rinse it thoroughly from my family's clothes.

    You asked why to use borax. Borax kills germs (due to the boron and also a chemical reaction that forms peroxide) and deodorizes many smells because it is fairly alkaline. The alkalinity also makes it a good detergent booster for fabrics that can tolerate a slightly harsher wash. I would use it by itself in the kinds of situations where I'd use a baking soda solution, but if I needed something with a little more oomph and disinfection along with deodorizing and grease cutting. I'd put it in the laundry for similar reasons (disinfecting and deodorizing), plus the slight whitening effect.

  • dgmarie
    15 years ago

    Bleach will kill you, too.

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