First, let me start off by saying WHEW!
This topic is blowing my mind. Why? Because at first glance, it appears as if we are suggesting using a highly toxic substance in our homemade natural cleaner recipes that we have been sharing.
We started off posting recipes using natural materials, but we had the question a few times about the safety of Borax from you!
Before using Borax, I thought I knew it was safe based on many things I read about it and based on many homemade recipes that are “natural” and “safe” that contain Borax.
So the first time I got the question, “Isn’t Borax toxic and why are you using it in your recipes?” I sorta freaked out a little.
Well, after this question the first time, I began researching again. The very first thing I came across on many places online was this statement:
WHAT!! Borax IS Boric Acid?!
I am not only trying to be thrifty, but healthy too and I thought my home grown cleaning and cleaning products weren’t natural and safe like I thought.
Well, a few websites out there touted Borax and Boric Acid as the same thing and using the words interchangeably in their articles about this toxic substance.
THIS.DID.NOT.MAKE.SENSE.TO.ME. because on many “green” sites and many other books and resources, they rave about the wonderful natural cleaning power of Borax… which is why I started making my own recipes using it!
I then pulled out my 20 Mule Team Borax yet again to examine the box for the 1000th time, AGAIN, looking for this information!
There is of course the caution about avoiding contact with the eyes. But we also shouldn’t put salt, black pepper, corn starch or anything else in our eyes! (You can also see the 20 Mule Team Borax FAQ HERE which answers some questions too!)
The only ingredient listed is Sodium Tetraborate.
What is Sodium Tetraborate?
According to the EPA, Sodium Tetraborate is essentially boron! This is a naturally occurring element usually found in sediments and sedimentary rock formations.
Boron has been used to treat physical elements and taken as a supplement. No way am I saying to ingest it, but just letting you know what this ONE ingredient in 20 Mule Team Borax is sometimes used for!
It is also used in skin lotions, detergents, cleaners, mouthwash AND (surprise!!) in herbal bath salts as a primary ingredient! This is the short list, but it is widely used in natural and otherwise cosmetics too!
So what is Boric Acid??
Boric Acid is created by mixing Borax with Sulfuric Acid. And YES, this is TOXIC and it is NOT the product I have been including in my recipes and I HIGHLY suggest that you do not use it either! Don’t confuse it when you buy it as it would be unsafe. Borax alone is an alkaline substance, it becomes a toxic acid after the mixing with other substances.
Boric Acid is used to kill ants, roaches and as a pesticide. It’s bad stuff, but it’s not the Borax by itself.
So now that we have nipped that in the bud, let’s get back to the topic at hand. Now even natural products have warnings. I know of a fruit that is highly nutritious and kills cancer cells at an alarming radical rate and far higher than chemotherapy. And it is NATURAL. But pregnant women should not eat this fruit or drink the juice as it can be fatal to a baby as the fruit is effective in attacking new cells that show up in the body.
So here’s a warning for you:
You may experience abdominal pain, coughing, diarrhea, shortness of breath and vomiting. This may also be accompanied by high fever. Other symptoms that are not common are shock seizures and metallic taste.
These symptoms sound SCARY and like you are ingesting a toxic substance. Well, this is toxic in high levels… It is SALT. The above warning is for table salt!
I bring up the salt example because Borax is about as toxic as salt. But guess what?? We are not suggesting you eat it!
In fact, I saw a discussion board where commenters were in an argument that appears to be unsettled about which one is more toxic in higher levels – salt or borax? I am not a scientist and so I am not even going to begin to understand the elements that make up these two minerals and scientifically deduce which will cause problems faster, but it did set my mind at ease that they two were being compared since salt is used without question and it is something most all of us regularly eat.
If the salt was the question here and not borax, would you question it’s natural cleaning safety and usefulness based on what you know about salt?
Would you confuse it with Saltic Acid and make a claim it is toxic? Of course not! BTW – Saltic Acid probably doesn’t exist. I just made it up đ
But salt is toxic in high levels and even fatal in infants and pets when consumed in large quantities. It also burns and irritates sensitive skin. Have you ever had an open wound and gotten salt on it? It stings like nothing else! Have you ever seen salt poured on an insect like ants? They get burned and die!
Would you pour salt in your eyes? Would you pour salt down your mouth and swallow it by tablespoons? All of this should be an emphatic NO as we know that although it is a naturally occurring mineral, there are health risks with using it!
So in short, Borax is a mineral similar to that of salt, although this is tasteless and colorless. They are mined in the grounds primarily from dried up or evaporated hot springs or saline lakes.
Borax does have cautions/warnings. This what is on the 20 Mule Team Borax box with the specific ingredient of Sodium Tetraborate warns about: “Avoid contact with eyes. Do not take internally.”
That’s it on the box!
But in my course of research, I did also find this information:
There is one concern and that is that is can cause reproductive issues if ingested and consumed. This has not been tested in humans, only in mice, dogs and cats and when ingested with high levels of borax. I haven’t ever suggested it for consumption (even though many do for other health benefiting factors) and so I will say it again…. DO NOT EAT BORAX, INGEST IT, CONSUME IT OR DIGEST IT.
So why is it a good cleaner for homemade natural cleaners??
But in addition, Borax has several different cleaning properties, I am quoting this information from GreenFootSteps.com, but have known about these cleaning properties for a long time from past research!
- It can act a little like hydrogen peroxide in that it has a bleaching effect when dissolved in hot water. A reaction occurs in which a little hydrogen peroxide is produced (H2O2).
- It also enhances the cleaning power of other cleaning agents. Bleach for example, is made stronger by mixing with borax (please note, I, Cassie, stopped using bleach and so although you can safely mix it with bleach, you will not find recipes on our site doing this. Bleach hurts my lungs and makes it difficult for me to breathe, let alone my sweet babies!). It can be used to pre-soak clothes before washing or even as a substitute washing powder.
- It has anti-microbial properties and it inhibits molds and fungal growth. It can be used to prevent or remove smells from appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.
- It is quite strongly alkaline, so it’s probably best to wear gloves if you are putting it into washing up water or using it for cleaning surfaces.
- It’s not very reactive which means that it can be safely combined with other cleaning products.
- Don’t mix it with acids or store it with acids.
So in the end, the moral of the borax story is that it is about as safe (or safer depending on your expert) than salt, don’t eat it or ingest it, only use it in cleaning products and for possible skin irritation… wear gloves! And don’t let children or pets get near it, just like you would keep the salt away from them! It isn’t a good idea to give any of them access!
Picture of the ingredients for one of the 26 homemade cleaning product recipes.
Finally, you can check out our full growing list of Homemade Cleaning Product recipes HERE that currently has 26 different cleaning products, and some that do include the use of Borax if you choose to use it!
Mary Kuhar
Great info, thanks! I would, however, (off topic) like to know that fruit that is highly nutritious that you mentioned…. đ
Kat
I made borax water, it’s very small amount of borax, and use a couple tsp daily for RA pain and calcium absoprtion into bones. Boron is needed for calcium absorption, most of us don’t get enough which is why even after taking calcium supplements and eating dairy foods all our lives we still get osteoporosis. A tiny bit of borax can help.
Carol A. Ray
I was given the same information on minimal use of borax used internally for RA. I happen to have this symptom along with others and am willing to try it carefully. It’s reassuring to know someone else is ingesting it for the same reasons. Once I start with the regiment I will let you know how it goes.
Thankyou for the info on cleaning naturally too. I am very strong on natural remedies and cleaners.
Senas
I second Mary!
Linda Moore
Thanks for finally clearing that up for me. I’ve been told different things also. I make your laundry soap that includes borax and it works so well.
Jennifer
yes what is this fruit??? So curious!
Trina Brightwell
What is the fruit.
Corrine
I would like to know what the fruit is also, as my niece is pregnant and she is a total health nut!!
Cassie
Hi all! I am a health nut in my free time, so this was a fun topic to come across a couple of years ago đ
The tree is called Graviola and the fruit is Soursop. Both are extremely powerful and potent. They do not grow anywhere here, but in the Amazon. To get fresh ones is nearly impossible in the United States. However, there are tons of supplements and juices (that lose part of their effectiveness when not consumed fresh) available for purchase. I am very intrigued by this fruit and tree, but there are a lot of cautions and warnings due to it’s powerful makeup and has to be used very carefully, if at all as it can cause other problems (for example, it can make parkinson’s worse as well as it being very hard on the nerves), so only taken if necessary. There are testimonies of people that had like stage 4 cancer that was cured from this fruit/tree. It is not only effective and killing cancer cells, but used for many medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies did research and try to find a way to make this an anti-cancer medicine to market in the U.S. Although their research also concluded to it’s effectiveness in killing cancer cells, they abandoned the project as they could not profit from turning these into a medicine, which is really too bad. Other countries world wide have used it for this and many other purposes though! I came across the report a couple of years ago. I suggest researching it and looking into it. One of the best places I have seen for good prices on Graviola supplements in liquid and pill form are on Vitacost HERE: http://bit.ly/18QigjT (just search graviola and the link provided gives you $10 off $30!).
Here’s some links to start researching:
You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySuisgSBwxY
Articles (most of them are from other countries as the US just recently started sharing information)
http://www.express.co.uk/news/health/384209/Juice-of-bitter-melons-can-kill-cancer-cells
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/herbal-remedies/graviola2.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/graviola.html
Anyway, it is a very interesting topic. Many dispute it, but it research seems to support the findings. I made the point to say that something can be natural, but still needs to be used with caution in this post, but I do realize that I brought up a sub-statement that is probably a hot topic for many that I was very vague on đ
Cheryl
I use Borax in a homemade hair rinse recipe. I have no issues with using borax in small doses. I have been using this recipe since March and I have had no problems, and my hair is growing out great.
Dana
Soursop is found where I live in Puerto Rico. It’s called guanabana. The older locals will ask recommend you drink some of you are such off have cancer or other major ailments. It doesn’t transport well so I think that’s why you can’t find them in the states. I do know I have seen the juice or nectar on the goya section of stores in Pennsylvania, but I don’t know if it’s 100% juice or not.
Ed Sisson
The Goya products that I’ve seen has very little sour sop in it. I’ve been looking for something that has higher levels of it. I’ve also been looking for bitter melon, but now I have seeds and I’m going to try to grow some
Dana
Sorry about all the typos… I didn’t re-read what I had written before I sent it.
Luisa
I’m Cuban and that is one of my favorite fruits but the nectars they make have to much starch in, they sell the frozen pulp to make shakes and is delicious WallMart carries it. they have the anon wish is a family of the fruit and is good to.
Denise Stufflebeam
I was clear on the Borax and have purchased the ingredients to make it. My question is regarding the Fels-Naptha, and wondering if THAT ingredient is safe or if I should use ZOTE instead. I’ve tried to research it, but what I have found doesn’t clear up the issue for me. Can you please give us the low-down on Fels-Naptha vs. ZOTE? Thanks!
Anita J Smith
i have heard that Fels is petroleum based and Zote is citronella based- i now use Zote…but any bar soap works from what i have heard…..even Ivory đ
NANCY BARRITT
I’ve been making this for 5 years and it saves a lot of money. My clothes are clean and FRESH even my laundry room smells FRESH!
rabi
hi, i ve been going through your thrifty recipes, and thought borax as boric acid too, like some other people out there. thanks for sharing the info, but i would like to know if there is an alternative of borax – like u know it might not b available with this name in UK, or Australia, so how can we choose it from the detergent aisles?
mhikl
Must step in with a comment on Borax. I too use it in my homemade laundry soap. From there I began to research Borax.
Walter Last, a German-Australian naturopath has written a definitive report on Borax and it is very safe to useâmuch safer than the alternatives now added to commercial soaps.
Just google his report âThe Borax Conspiracyâ. It is, as said in this report, safer than salt in large dosesâbut no one would be ingesting borax or salt in the quantity that would be harmful.
On an aside, I have been taking Borax for more than years now, as prescribed by Walter Last. It is a very important mineral (from which boron is made in the digestive system) and in very small amounts (the dust on a finger taken daily) strengthens bones and the enamel of growing teeth. In larger amounts (I took a teaspoon full as did my Corgi) it cleans out the stomach of worms, flukes and other nasty crittersâI wonât go into detail, but they were visible, especially from my dog. And neither of us had any indication of an upset tummy. I actually take about a teaspoon over a week; I have it in a salt shaker and give a sprinkle to all my cooking, I use it as a toothpaste mixed with coconut oil, and then I use its as in oil pulling for teeth cleaning.
In February of this year, 2015, I had to visit a new dentist for a painful tooth; yup another root canal. When he saw my X-ray (I did protest the X-ray, but . . .) he exclaimed, âYou have extremely strong bones!â
He kept repeating this throughout the examination, he seemed so amazed. I am not comfortable in a dentist chair so did not quiz him on this until my next visit. Then I asked him if he had meant âstrong bonesâ for my age? I am sixty-four. He emphatically replied, âNo, for any age! My studies suggest that the peak age for strong bones is around age thirty; after that, more bone âmineralsâ are lost than gained. I have never been one for much exercise which is purported to help bone strength; so it must be the borax.
(I also imbibe about a TBSP of Xylitol throughout a day which is also purported to strengthen bones and teeth (at least growing teeth).
This is an important bit of information for the ladies; who have a greater problem later in life with bone loss. Walter Last also says it lays the foundation for strong teeth in children.
So, wouldnât it be wonderful if we could lose our worry over weakening, ageing bones; and as well, that our children might have such strong tooth enamel that they may have fewer and possibly no cavities in their youth and older years?
The information is all there in Mr Lasts work noted above. There is also a lot of discussion on YouTube concerning the author and borax. The use for health is catching on.
A daily dusted finger tip is all one needs; but more will not hurt.
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/borax.htm The Borax Conspiracy
Namaste and care,
mhikl
mhikl
Oops, forgot to add the years. At least three years I have been taking Borax. I get it from the laundry detergent isle at most grocers. Itâs got the old picture of the girl in a cowgirl outfit with her lasso.
N/C
mhikl
Sheri
Boric acid is also relatively harmless as well. Look it up as a treatment for recurring yeast infections of baterial vaginosis. An acid isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it only means the pH is lower than 7. The human body is acidic.
I appreciate the time spent on creating this post but you missed some very vital information along the way.
Patricia Broderick
I made cockroach balls with borax, icing sugar, fat and water, dilute enough to roll with my fingers. I did not
think about getting burnt. I now have burns on the tips of my fingers because I did not wear gloves. It is not painful but the pad on my fingers is collapsing. As with lime burns, it seems there is no cure. I am even losing my finger print on my right thumb. It seems to be progressive. I have tried vinegar to counteract the alkalinity, hand cream and now coconut oil. It is the dry season in my country which seems to aggravate the problem. I compare this to a humid climate, I was recently in India, and the finger burns improved there, only to get worse when I returned home. I am amazed at the casual attitude to this mineral and find little to help on the internet. Suggestions welcome.
Frank
Borax does not produce hydrogen peroxide. Sodium perborate does.
Borax is used as a water softener. It precipitates calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese ions as tetraborate salts. It has no bleaching or surfactant properties. It is called a booster because it reduces the amount of soap that forms insoluble salts with hard water ions.
Your research should encompass more than clueless housewife blogs, which perpetuate internet rumors and misinformation at an alarming rate.
Informed information
Nice fear mongering based on ignorance. You have no real knowledge or experience with the product and yet you write all about it? Seriously…?
I use Borax in the bath to bind fluoride. I also drink it for anti-fungal properties and pineal gland decalcification.
It’s great stuff.
Meanwhile pharma drugs approved by the FDA kill how many people each year???
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