Borax as a laundry booster 20 Mule Team Borax bills itself as a “detergent booster.” It’s not effective as a laundry detergent by itself, but since borax is alkaline, it increases the pH of the wash water.
Agitation, chemical action, and heatThree things are needed to get fabric clean: Agitation, heat, and chemical action. Each plays a separate part in the process, and together they synergize into an effective method for getting soils out of clothes.
- Agitation: The purpose of agitation is to work your laundry chemicals—usually soap, detergent, or both—into the fabric in order for them to be effective.
- Heat: Nowadays, we can choose hot, warm, and cold water to wash our clothes, but before the advent of modern detergents most laundry was done at around 140 °F. Washing with hot water is still useful for heavily soiled items. However, anyone who has ever shrunk a wool sweater knows that caution is needed when washing with hot water.
- Chemical action: What goes into laundry soap and detergent has changed drastically throughout the years, but the goal has always been the same. The chemical action in soap and detergent works by loosening soils from clothes, trapping it so it doesn’t redeposit, and taking the soil with it when it’s rinsed out.
The addition of chemical ingredients in common household detergents and cleaning products has sparked questions about the safety of these products. As time goes on, more and more people are turning to simple powdered solutions in order to supplant the less natural detergent options. Washing Soda and Borax are examples of all-natural minerals that have a wide variety of home care uses. But, what can you use each other these products for and how are they different?
Washing soda or soda ash is the common name for sodium carbonate, this naturally occurring mineral carries the formula Na2CO3. Washing soda itself is extremely alkaline with a pH level of 11. This unique chemical composition makes it extremely effective at degreasing and deep cleaning clothes. However, because of the high pH level, washing soda is quite caustic and should never be touched with bare skin. Borax on the other hand has a slightly different chemical composition of sodium tetraborate or Na2B4O7. Like washing soda, borax is also quite alkaline, though not quite to the same level as the other substance. Borax has been used for thousands of years to help launder clothes and clean surfaces because it also softens water in the same way washing soda does. However, the molecules in borax are much less “sharp” so they dissolve in water more easily change the composition of the molecule itself.
Borax vs Oxiclean: What is the difference?
FAQ
Is laundry detergent the same as borax?
Can I substitute borax for laundry detergent?
Why is borax no longer used?
Can you use borax on all laundry?
Can you use borax as a laundry detergent?
Use borax as a DIY laundry detergent by following Julia’s method: Use a food processor to shred 1 bar of Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap into a fine powder. Using a spoon, mix together 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda. Add 1 tablespoon to a load of laundry. (Recipe makes 32 tbsp/32 loads.)
Is borax good for washing clothes?
When old detergent and dirt get caught in the fabric, borax is the perfect all-natural addition to your laundry load. Borax works with your detergent to strip residue from your clothes so they look bright and clean, and it’s so easy to use whenever you’re doing laundry.
How do you clean clothes with borax?
Mix ¼ cup (102 g) of borax and 2 cups (470 ml) of water into a solution, and apply it to any stains. Let the solution dry, and blot the stain with a damp sponge. Brighten your clothes by soaking them in a solution of borax, washing soda, and powder detergent for 3–4 hours. Then, run the clothes through a rinse cycle. What is borax?
Does borax work as a laundry booster?
Borax works as a laundry booster by neutralizing odors and brightening whites. The powder’s pH helps soften water and neutralize minerals. This can be especially helpful because hard water can lead to mineral buildup on your clothes. Not always visible to the naked eye, this build-up on your clothes can affect the way they feel, look, and smell.