Like this on Google
Borax: A Better Mold Killer
|
Many of us have a dirty secret lurking in our bathrooms. It’s mold! Mold is unsightly and in large quantities can be bad for you. Do Your Part and find a chemical-free solution solution like borax.
Borax is a natural white powder that keeps bacteria and mold at bay. You can find it in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store. Simply mix up to a cup of borax with a gallon of hot water. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray on the affected area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe clean.
You can also use borax to scrub away soap scum and hard water deposits. It’s still a good idea to use gloves. Borax is natural, but can irritate sensitive skin and can be toxic if ingested.
You can also pour about a cup full in the toilet, let it sit overnight and brush it clean.
Borax isn’t just for the bathroom. It’s also a great laundry booster — just put a half cup in your wash and it helps get out tough stains. Borax is also effective for your dishwasher. By adding a quarter cup to the bottom of it, it’ll help get rid of spots and film on your glasses and dishes.
Finding ways to keep dangerous chemicals out of our homes and the environment is important. Using borax to help you is just another easy way you can Do Your Part.
I’ve been using Borax for years! I’m glad to see someone else promoting it!
Is Borax safe to use on natural stone?
Granite can be cleaned using a solution of borax and water. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse and buff dry.
I’m really bothered by the fact that people who are not chemists make recommendations that are actually dangerous! The chemist who formulates Better Life green cleaners (featured in Rachel Ray mag, Paula Dean, Real Simple etc.) recently posted a message on their website (cleanhappens) begging people NOT to use Borax as it is indeed dangerous. Here is his comment:
Is Borax Safe? Is Borax Green?
A lot of make your own household cleaner and even baby wipe recipes are showing up online these days, and many of them contain borax. And for some reason the idea is out there that borax is safe and eco-friendly just because it is a naturally occuring mineral. It is actually quite the opposite. If you make your products, PLEASE don’t use borax in them. If you do choose to use borax, PLEASE keep it away from young children and pets.
Borax is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate. It is a boron compound and a salt of boric acid.
First, is it safe? NO. It is actually listed as a poison, pesticide, and a fungicide. It is poisonous, especially to young children. Even as little as a teaspoonful could prove fatal if swallowed by a young child. For this reason, be very careful if using it anywhere near food and wipe up spills immediately.
From the National Institute of Health:
The infant death rate from boric acid poisonings is high. However, boric acid poisoning is considerably rarer than in the past because the substance is no longer used as a disinfectant in nurseries. It is also no longer commonly used in medical preparations.
Studies by the EPA have linked it to reproductive problems, kidney and liver problems, nervous system issues, and it is a skin and lung irritant. The other big issue with borax is that it accumulates in your body. So, the more you use it the more toxic it becomes to your body. Chronic exposure is especially harmful in children.
As far as green, borate is an open-pit mined mineral and borax is toxic to aquatic life. Environmental Working Group senior scientist Rebecca Sutton wrote a great article (link on cleanhappens).
Borates (Borax) are part of our environment, naturally appearing in water, rocks, soil, plants and even humans. You are correct that it can be dangerous and even fatal at very high levels and should be used with caution around children and pets as we note in our video. At high doses, it can also be harmful in the environment to aquatic wildlife and is a contributor to particle pollution in the air around mining sites.
We recommend Borax as a natural alternative to fighting mold. We believe it to be the safer and more eco-friendly choice when compared to synthetic chemical products or bleach. Borax does not evaporate or off-gas any harmful chemicals unlike the other products and does not become air borne in our homes when dissolved in water.
Thank you for contributing!
“Do Your Part and find a chemical-free solution like borax.”
Borax is a chemical. It’s called sodium borate.
Water is also a chemical. So are vitamins. So are the proteins and sugars in fruits, vegetables, and your body.
Chemicals are not dangerous. Dangerous chemicals are dangerous. Please don’t mislead people with statements like this.