Borax has become very popular in the natural community for use in homemade laundry detergent and other housecleaning recipes. I myself had been making my own detergents with this product. The box itself claims to be a “natural laundry booster”. Alas, with further research, I am rethinking having this product in my house. Here is what I found:
“Borax is natural, but that does not mean it is automatically safer for you or for ‘the environment’ than man-made chemicals. Although plants need boron, too much of it will kill them, so borax can be used as an herbicide. Borax may also be used to kill roaches, ants, and fleas. In fact, it is also toxic to people. Signs of chronic toxic exposure include red and peeling skin, seizures, and kidney failure. The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. For this reason, borax should not be used around food [i.e. the dishwasher!]. More commonly, borax is associated with skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. It is also important to point out that exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child.”
UPDATE: It appears after further research and from findings from our readers described in the comments below, that borax is not the same as boric acid, but rather that sodium borate turns into boric acid upon entrance to the body. It does remain a toxic substance, so please use with caution. It does not appear to be anything we should fear using, but rather use with wise judgment.
That being said, I am in the process of revamping my laundry and dishwasher recipes to avoid borax and to share with you!
What are your thoughts?
I love your website! Very inspiring and helpful. I just wanted to put in my two cents’ worth to this discussion. I was trained as a chemist, worked as a laboratory technician for two years, and taught chemistry for four years, so I have quite a lot of experience with chemicals and safe procedures. With borax, which is a naturally occurring mineral, you do have to be cautious, because it can burn the skin and the respiratory system if inhaled. With that being said, borax is a great alternative for homemade cleansers, even for laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. I have made my own cleansers with borax for years. But proper guidelines for safe use must be followed, as with any chemical. Wear rubber gloves, be careful not to create any dust plumes when measuring or mixing the powder, keep the mineral away from mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth). Rinse your hands thoroughly with water after coming into contact with borax. Borax is very soluble in water, so the dishwasher or washing machine rinse cycle should be sufficient to remove any residue. As with all cleansers however, you should look over any surface to make sure it has been rinsed completely. Baking soda, vinegar, washing soda, even water, are all chemicals. Every chemical has different properties that give it a unique ‘signature’. As homemakers, we must be knowledgeable about the products we use, weigh the risks of using any particular chemical versus the risks of not getting surface sanitary enough, and we must be discerning and make these choices for our own homes. I just wanted to help everyone to understand the need to be cautious with, but not fearful of the use of borax in the home. Blessings to everyone!
Hi Lindsey,
I use soap nuts. They don’t suds like detergent, but clothes seem to be clean and fresh. I use Lullwater soap nuts that I order from a local co-op, but I see Amazon has them (a different brand) also, I may try those next. I started a $22 bag on 2/28/09 and still have 3/4 of the bag left for our family of 5. So I’m definately saving $$$ over the Tide I used to use. I have 3 little kiddies, so for extra stain help I use oxi-clean laundry spray.
Works for me.
Yah for soap nuts! I actually was going to just share tomorrow about this wonderful product. Glad to hear you like it as well!
A couple comments…
First, replying to Katie up at comment #41 – I cut our 3 boys’ hair all the time, and with practice it has gotten so easy! I just replaced our trimmer ($25) because our other one that I’d been using for about 12 years was starting to trim unevenly. Early on there were a few…issues…until I had more practice, but thankfully our oldest was young enough then not to know! (My husband still won’t let me do his, though!) The only irritation is when they’ll constantly ask me how much longer, but if I have a good bribe for afterward, they sit nicely.
In the summer we do it on the deck, in the winter we make sure to have our vacuum nearby with one of the kids ready to suck up any hair that falls.
Question about that Charlie soap – what are the ingredients in THAT? If it’s all good, and is so cheap, I don’t think I’ll mess with making some. (Although I have two great friends who tried making some recently, one made Cheeseslave’s powder, and the other one is a liquid detergant – they both shared with me so I could try it, too!)
I noticed that Cheeseslave had a comment from “Gigi” with a a recipe for homemade laundry detergent without Borax.
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/05/12/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent/#comment-13133
Thanks for the info. I’ll be tossing the last of the borax today.
The more I learn, the more I’m deciding that it’s soap, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide for me. (The weak, 3% solution.) Maybe the answer to getting clothes really clean is just plain old hot hot hot water after all.
Your website has been a HUGE blessing to me! I just made your homemade deodorant yesterday. =) I have also purchased the coconut oil and have been using that as a moisturizer. Thank you for sharing all that you’ve learned. I read your post and found this site, http://www.scribd.com/doc/10267990/Homemade-Laundry-Soap-Detergent-Recipes. There are a lot of laundry detergent recipes on there, and some include recipes without borax.
Here is a link to info on washing soda (a good alternative) http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=3005006
So I’m throwing out the borax and sticking with the washing soda and bar soap for my laundry detergent!
I’ve just started looking at Soap Nuts for the washing machine. But I don’t know about the dishwasher at this stage.
There is alot of talk on blogs about Borax but it is an ingredient found in mnay commercially made products like laundry soap, cosmetics and household cleaners. I know of a homeschooling friend who is a chemist and they make their own laundry soap and use borax and he said it is safe especially since only a little is used per batch.
I also know that the Duggar family has made their laundry detergent for years and uses borax also, their recipe for laundry soap is list on their website. And they have all those kids to wash cloths for.
I am sure there is many things in commercially made products that we are unware of due to their chemical name.
The Duggar family has only made their detergent the last 2 yrs. Early on it was Tide.
I think this is an error: “Borax, which is also known as Boric Acid and is sold under the brand name “20 Mule Team,” is often touted as safe and natural.”
Though they may be similar, I can’t find anywhere on the Web that says Borax and boric acid are the same thing. Here are a few interesting comments I found, however:
“20 Mule Team® is composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. (The scientific name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.”
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/index.cfm?page_id=21
“Although not considered toxic Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, (it is not acutely toxic) its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats, this does not mean that it is safe, merely that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. (Note that the median lethal dose for humans tends to differ for a given compound from that of rats.) Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation.”
http://www.instructables.com/community/borax_boric_acid_flux/
It’s important to investigate anything we use in our home. If someone has an allergic reaction, it must be eliminated. But an allergic reaction is different than a toxic reaction. Does that make sense?
Agreed. While borax is not nontoxic, there does seem to be a mix of correct and incorrect information both in the OP, and in the sources quoted!! Boric acid is NOT borax. Borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate and is a base, not an acid. And, while exact information on lethal dosage seems to vary somewhat, it appears that the lethal dosage is around 5g PER KILOGRAM, not simply 5g. For a 35 lb child, that would be 80 grams, which is about 3 oz, or 1/4 the size of a bag of chocolate chips. No child is going to accidentally ingest that much borax.
I make my own detergent (with Kirk’s Castile, washing soda, and borax), and my kids’ extremely sensitive, eczema-prone skin has improved. (I switched after six years of using Melaleuca products.)
According to this material fact sheet on Borax, it states the following: Sodium borate upon entry into the body becomes boric acid. It appears like this fact sheet is published by Dial Corporation itself.
I love your site
I saw your natural shampoo and conditioner recipes and was interested in what you do to save money on haircuts? Do you cut your families hair? I usually trim my own and then get a professional cut 2x a year, but wanted to see if you had any tips!
Honestly, we just don’t get many haircuts. I cut my hair maybe twice a year at a local salon ($25 is pretty reasonable). My sister cuts my daughter’s hair and my husband goes to a local barber ($15 per cut) every 2 or 3 months. My husband’s family is a house full of boys and they use the Flowbee. It seems like a great tool to have on hand for boys. Sorry I don’t have any great tips on that one.
I am glad I read this post before attempting to make the homemade laundry soap! The warnings for fertility and pregnant moms are definitely scary. I also discovered that Fels Naptha soap isn’t safe either (via Wikipedia), and that is usually the main ingredient in homemade laundry soap recipes. Fels Naptha can cause liver failure, or so they say.
Thanks for finding a second article to back up the first that I had at my dishwasher post. http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/03/09/monday-mission-use-your-dishwasher-wisely/ I’ve tried another natural DW detergent with SAD failure. Next up: 3 drops of dishwashing liquid and 1/2 cup of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher. I’ll post about how it goes!
Just keep in mind that a small portion of salt is poisonous as well. If managed properly and kept out of reach of children, you shouldn’t have any safety concerns about Borax.
Numerous people have sent me the link to that MagicalChildhood site (and others) in the past… I wrote a “disclaimer” of sorts on my site back in 2007 making sure people knew that, ummm, homemade laundry detergent wasn’t exactly non-toxic!
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/2017
I stopped using borax for cleaning a long time ago. I still use it to kill bugs but only where no animals can get to.
I LOVE my Charlie’s Soap. You must try it!
Staci
I have been using Borax since last July and new it needed to be used with caution. When my 16th month old is given “hand me downs” washed with “traditional” detergents, her eczema is terrible until the other detergents are fully washed out with my homemade detergent. After reading this post, I found this link, although nothing official, it is worth reading
http://www.dld123.com/q&a/index.php?cid=3885 I will more than likely continue using in laundry detergent and cleaning bathrooms, but will discontinue any use in the kitchen
haha. so funny thing. i’m sure you saw i commented on my sis-in-law’s facebook about killing cockroaches with borax. lol. and it works. so i guess we shouldn’t eat it, eh? ;P
Thanks for this post…I had considered Borax before and decided against it…glad I did!
Thanks, Lindsay, for this timely post. Just last night I was reading about using greywater in the yard, from the permaculture book “Gaia’s Garden.” I was a little alarmed to read that if you’ve used Borax in the water, then you shouldn’t use it on the garden because of the high Boron content. Yikes! And then here’s your post about Borax this morning. I will definitely look at Borax in a different light now!
I just love your blog–thank you for allowing us all to benefit from the product research you do!! You’re awesome.
We use vinegar, water, hydrogen peroxide (which can be dangerous if used incorrectly) and baking soda for our cleaners. We try to be wise in our use of cleaners.
Borax has been used for years and years for many different needs. My grandmother used to use it to kill ants as well as for kittens with goopy eyes and laundry. Fixed the ants and the kittens’ eyes every time and cleans the laundry too.
Borax is like any other thing we use. We need to use it wisely. Water, as natural as you can get, if not used correctly, can kill. It must be kept out of the lungs.
Borax IS natural. We used to live not far from a Borax Mine. It does come from the ground.
We will continue to use Borax for our ant killer, as natural of an ant killer as I can find, as well as for making our own laundry detergent.
I can honestly say, that I don’t know WHAT the ingredients in store bought detergents are, but that I would guess that there are ingredients in store bought detergents that I would be much more cautious about than Borax. In fact, Borax may well be an ingredient in those as well!
Mommaof10
http://PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
We tried using it in homemade laundry detergent and my husband ended up in the ER with an allergic reaction. It was pretty awful (not to mention it cost us a few hundred dollars!). We know it was the borax because we had been using the other ingredients in other things with no problems. I’ll be keeping an eye on the comments, as we are still in search of a good natural laundry soap.
I’m allergic to Borax…makes my skin itch like crazy. If I had any kind of skin sensitivity, I’d definitely stay away from Borax!
I’m glad someone else is concerned about this! I strive to use all non-toxic products, and a few months ago I read something about Borax being poisonous and unsafe for use around pets (my cat is my baby). I was wondering if anyone else even noticed. As usual, your blog has been a great source of info and awareness for those of us who don’t know or want to know more. Bless you!
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this information! I have had some borax in my laundry cupboard for quite some time now, but I haven’t used it because I learned that it might be harmful…
What is your laundry detergent recipe? If you change your recipe, will you share your improved recipe too?
Do you find that using a home-made laundry detergent causes your clothes to fade faster and show wear & tear faster?
AND, do you have a dishwasher detergent recipe? I do not have a dishwasher, but will hopefully get one installed by the end of the summer. YAY!!! I have been wondering what I will use as a safe alternative for dishwasher detergent. Any suggestions will be helpful!
Thanks!
Jill
Ok so that scares me too! We use it in our laundry detergent but I think we should phase it out. We have a baby and want more. Thanks for posting this.
I only use it as a bug killer.
I remember my grandmother used borax to kill ants around the house all the time. I knew that you could use it for cleaning but even my grandmother only used it for killing ants and other critters. I would say use with caution.
Hi Lindsay,
I’ve been a long-time reader of Passionate Homemaking, however I don’t think I have ever written in until now. My household is very similar in yours as far as wanting to eliminate unneeded chemicals. With that said though–and I’m no expert–my thinking is that Borax is safe as long as it is used properly. Sure, the article says not to use around food. I think that means more along the lines of making sure the actual product isn’t mixed in with food in some way. Take Dawn, Palmolive, Tide, Cascade or any other common soap/detergents out there. More than likely–and forgive me, but I haven’t checked each container because I don’t have most of these in my home–you would find something along the lines of ‘harmful if ingested’ on the boxes/bottles. The key is that your dishes, clothes or whatever else you use it on is rinsed thoroughly after being washed in it. I feel that my dishwasher does a pretty good job of this, as well as my clothes washing machine. So, yes, I agree with the article, Borax CAN be dangerous, but can’t just about anything if it is used improperly?
Thanks so much for this post. I recently bought my first box of 20 Mule Team because it’s “natural” and I figured I’d make more of my own products. Now I’m now sure what to do with it! If you could post ideas for how to finish up what we already have, I’d appreciate it!
WOW! Thank you for sharing that. I am trying to be more natural with the things I use and I keep seeing to make things with Borax. I was afraid to use it without researching it and just have not had the chance to do it. I am very interested to hear more that you find on using something different!
I haven’t done too much research on it yet, but I have been leaning towards not using it so much. I had read some things similar to what you posted, and it made me pretty uneasy.
I don’t use it on anything in the kitchen or near food, and am currently using it only to add just a bit to loads of laundry or for cleaning really tough carpet stains. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll continue on with it or not, but I would love to hear more if you do any more research!
I just bought Borax to make my own laundry soap but I couldn’t find any washing soda.(I think my friends bought it all) Maybe I’ll just use it to kill weeds in the driveway. Thank you for the good information. I was wondering.
I can’t wait to see if there is an alternative. I’ve been using a homemade cleaner for awile. I read a lot of bad things about Borax but then saw some okay things too. I hope someone has answers…I hate spending so much on cleaners buying from the store! I guess just the ole vinegar and water? I herad that really does disenfect..but after cooking with raw meat ,etc I feel like I need something heavy duty?!
I looked into this and I’m fine with Borax. For one thing, we’re not eating it. Also, I use 35% hydrogen peroxide (H202) for stains and cleaning. It is natural but NOT safe — can cause burns — unless you dilute it.
I think we can do natural safely. But we do need to be cautious.
Exactly. I’ve avoided making my own laundry detergent because I am not a fan of Borax. It just seems nobody is talking about it not being safe, which seems odd.
I have switched to Life Tree laundry liquid that I buy in 1 gallon containers from Azure. I thought $20 per gallon might be a bit expensive, but when it takes only two Tablespoons for each load in my large front loader, it is actually very inexpensive. My skin has not itched like it did when I was making my own detergent.
I was recently asked about this on my blog last week and had just started to look into it. I came across some of the same things you mentioned and was a bit disheartened since I use it for laundry and dish detergent. Definitely let us know if you find a better substitute!
We use Charlies Soap- It is really wonderful. Non- toxic and certified biodegradable – you can clean your false teeth or your diesel engine with it!! And you only use a T to clean an entire load of stinky diapers sparkling clean–NO STAINS!!!-I buy the powder and the all purpose cleaner. The 5 gallon bucket does 1280 loads of wash and costs 145$- that’s 11 cents a load- BUT if you buy more than 1 item you get great discounts so it ends up being even less than that. There is no S&H for orders over 28$. The website is charliesoap. com.
I appreciate the information, but I wouldn’t necessarily stop using Borax altogether. I have used it for many years in the laundry with much success, and have made “goop” with my boys and groups of kids at b’day parties, homeschool group, public libray programs, etc, more times than I can count. I have yet to have anyone ingest it or react to it (skin). Kids love mixing the ingredients and getting their hands in it. Yes, it is a chemical, but I really “preach” to the children to always be careful and never ingest chemicals. It reminds me of using herbs and their potential danger, even though they are “natural”. We must research and become knowledgable in all we do, and if uncomfortable, refrain from using it. When using natural remedies, I double check myself and avoid any that have potential risks.
For now I think I will continue with Borax, but I so appreciate you letting us know. I will make a point to be extra watchful next time when making “goop” with kids. I so appreciate your blog, Lindsey!
If you have a local distributor, the SA8 products are excellent. They are gentle to skin, clothes, and environment. The powder is best and they also have a great booster called Tryzyme. Alot of people use them if they have allergies. These are not all-natural but they have alot of natural ingredients, are safe, effective, and phosphate free (my friends child actually ate some at age 2, called poison control and was told just give some water, he’d be fine). hey completely break down into CO2 and H2O so there is never any residue. Using these products has actually helped extend the life of my washer. I have never thought twice having them around my children. One 6 pound box of detergent lasts our family of 6 around 4-5 months. The stain remover called Prewash gets out everything — including all nursery stains, chocolate, ink, grass, and grease. Their LOC products are great, too — gentle, effective, mild, and powerful. My daughter drank some when she was little and all we had to do was give her some water. Don’t know if these are what yo uare looking for but they are worth looking into. We’ve used them for 9 years. Hope this gives you hope.
My mom uses the SA8 products and I just wanted to chime in and let people know that if you are used to really natural stuff (i.e. charley’s soap that has no scent) the SA8 can be too scented. It bothers me to smell now that I don’t use anything with artificial fragrance. I don’t mean to be disagreeable- just wanted to give anyone who is sensitive this information before they order it.
I, too, have been concerned about having Borax in my home. I have known that it kills pesky rodents, I knew that it would be unsafe for my children.
I wonder if there is another recipe that would use Baking Soda instead?
Yes, this is interesting. I have just been diagnosed with salicylate sensitivity. I had a serious anaphylaxic reaction because I was using too many “all natural” herbal products from the health food store. I had to go VERY basic. Baking soda (alum free), dr. bronner’s unscented. Etc. I just bought Borax to make laundry soap, all purp cleaner and dish soap. I noticed it burned my hands and was wondering. I knew it killed bugs and roaches. Well, now I’ll wait for some new recipes. I love what you are doing on your blog. So inspiring and helpful. Thank you.
I have been pouring over your site ever since I found a link from Keeper of the Home. You have such a wealth of info here! Thank you so much. I too have been using Borax for the dishwasher & my laundry detergent. I hope we can find an alternative.
Thanks for the info! I’m looking forward to the new laundry recipe.
I tried to make my own detergent, but the borax sent my daughter into severe asthma attacks. She is very sensitive to smells and chemicals. It is so true that just because it is natural does not mean it is safe. My husband, who has a background in chemistry, and is now a dentist tells me that all the time.
Yes, I ran across this several months ago and stopped using Borax in the ways I was using it (cleaning, laundry). I’m sticking with vinegar and baking soda, along with a few select commercially made natural cleaners.
Wow!! I had no idea, and here I was so excited about making my own laundry soap with Borax in it. Thanks for the heads up I will be anxiously waiting to hear your alternative recipes if you come up with some.
THanks again!
I found your blog when my google reader recommended it to me and I have loved reading you.
I used Borax for a while when I started to do things a little more naturally. My husband is a chemist and let me know as soon as I asked, that just because something is “natural” doesn’t make it “safe”. It is a really strong base and can cause burns just like other bases (remember litmus tests in school? Acids and bases can both be dangerous if they are strong enough.)
This is one area where I have chosen not to go homemade as I can’t make a safe homemade alternative that works…yet. I keep trying. For now, I still use bio-kleen detergent and sunlight and no more poison in my house.
That’s not to say that Borax is a bad choice for everybody. It just needs to be a more conscious choice. I know lots of people that use it thinking that it is safe because it has no bleach or other yucky chemicals. Once again, natural is not always safe.
Oh please let me know what else can be used! I use Borax, washing soda and Zote bar soap for my homemade laundry soap. I have four kids and two are just babies..one has sever eczema and one has asthma!! I am worried after reading those article. Thank you so much and I looove your tips!! I ran across your site while looking for natural shampoo.
I would try Charlie’s if I was you…very gentle on the skin and also a natural laundry soap. If you buy it in the 5 gallon bucket size it lasts a L O N G time and is cheaper because it is considered “bulk”.
Do you use your homemade detergent for your cloth diapers? I’ll be looking forward to your recipes.
Thanks!
I did formally but it led to multiple diaper rash issues. I know use Charlies Soap for our diapers…more on this to come!
Charlies Soap also gave diapers rashes over time, worse than borax. I have had several people say they had had similar results including my friend Sunny, who owns Cootie Tooties (sells cloth diapers and such.) Sunny can give you more details about why she doesn’t carry the soap.
so frustrating.
I’ve had great results with Charlie’s Soap… no diaper rash issues whatsoever!
I have used Charley’s Soap for 13 months on my daughter’s diapers and all our laundry and have not had any problems- she may have had 4 diaper rashes in her life and all cleared up immediately using California Baby cream and diaper spray. I guess everyone’s skin is different though.
I have used charlie’s for close to 3 years- 2 babies’ diapers and all family laundry and the all purpose to clean everything- NO RASHES or problems- my skin is extremly sensitive and 4 out of 5 people in our family have anaphylatic food allergies… I wonder could it be the diapers you buy and not the Charlie’s- I only use organic cotton diapers and wool covers- No synthetics or pesticide laden and fake fabrics…
Allens Naturally is a good one…no reactions to it.