Borax Uses | 31 Brilliant Borax Cleaning Hacks

This Post may contain Affiliate Links. Please read our Disclosure for legal jargon.

You might already be familiar with borax for its use in the laundry or, more recently, for making slime. But you might not know that uses of borax go way beyond that, especially in cleaning.

From unclogging a drain to cleaning the toilet bowl, borax has found its use as a versatile cleaner. And it is actively used in many cleaning products and homemade recipes.

Not only that but borax can also be used to deodorize that smelly garbage disposal and even keep ants and pests away. With a wide variety of borax uses around the house, it is something that will make your life easy and is a must-have in every house.

Let’s have a look at the various amazing uses for borax!

31 Amazing Uses for Borax Around the House

1. Unclog the drain

A clogged drain is a big headache. But, here is a simple method to unclog it using borax fast and easy.

Just empty ½ a cup of borax into the drain and then pour one tablespoon of lemon juice over it. After 2 minutes, pour around 1 quart of boiling water. Leave it for around 15 minutes.

Borax reacts with the gunk and dirt to loosen it. Hot water further loosens it and carries it away. Lemon adds up to the disinfecting process of borax.

So this is very cheap and one of the easiest options to help you unclog a sink.

2. Clean the dirty mold or mildew

A mold infestation can ruin the home so it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible. And borax is perfect to get rid of that dirty mold as it is a natural mold inhibitor.

Firstly, brush off as much excess mold as possible with a soft-bristled brush or a microfiber cloth. Now, make a solution of ½ cup borax, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of warm water.

Fill it in an empty spray bottle and spray it on the mold and mildew until the area gets sufficiently wet. Leave the surface to dry completely.

3. Get Your Old China Dish Set to Shine

Make your china dishes look new using borax. Borax removes the dullness and dirt to make the dishes shiny again.

Just soak them in the sink or some vessel filled with warm water and a ½ cup of borax. Leave them for at least 30 minutes. Remove and then wash as usual.

Note: Don’t scrub the dishes as it may cause scratches.

4. Grout Cleaner

You can easily clean grout using borax. All you need to do is make a thick paste by using 1 parts borax, 2 parts baking soda, and then adding enough vinegar. Apply this on grout using a soft brush and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Then, just rinse it off and if possible, scrub lightly using a microfiber cloth for a better clean.

5. Make an All-purpose Cleaner

Thanks to its cleaning properties, Borax makes a great all-purpose cleaner. All you need to do is to mix 3 Tbsp of borax and 1 cup of vinegar with 3 cups of warm water to make an all-purpose cleaner.

Both borax and vinegar are amazing cleaners and the mixture will ease the cleaning of the kitchens, stove, countertops, tables, and many other surfaces of the house.

6. Effective Against Rust (on pans, appliances, tiles, or almost anything)

Borax is an amazing rust remover. So you can use borax to remove rust stains from your pans, tiles, or almost any other thing that has caught rust.

Mix 1 cup of warm water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup borax. Apply the paste to the rusted area and leave it for 15-20 minutes.

Rinse and then scrub away the rust with a dish sponge. Easy.

7. Clean Brushes and Combs Easily

Do you clean your brushes and combs the hard way? i.e Scrubbing it away using some detergent. Why go the hard way when it is very easy to clean your brushes and combs using borax.

Just fill a mug with water and add two tablespoons of borax and some dish soap to it. Soak in the brushes and combs to be cleaned and wet them properly. Leave them to soak for at least 30-45 minutes. Rinse.

Your combs and brushes will be shiny and clean without scrubbing.

8. Cleaning the Fridge

Borax is a multi-purpose cleaner and works well in cleaning your refrigerator.

Take 4-5 cups of lukewarm water and add a little borax to it. Stir the solution so that borax gets dissolved in the water properly.

Dip a clean cloth or sponge in this solution and wipe the shelves of the fridge. It removes any dried-up food stains or any leftovers easily.

So whether you want to clean the spilled food in the refrigerator or just give it a good clean, this solution is worth trying. Another benefit of using borax is that it is a natural disinfectant.

9. Remove Pencil and Crayon Marks from the Wall

So, your kid got creative on the wall again? Don’t worry, you can easily get back the old shine of your wall using just borax. All you need to do is just mix 1 Tbsp borax with a cup of warm water and apply it on the wall to remove pencil and crayon marks.

Note: Before using it on the stain, make sure that the paint doesn’t come off by testing it on some region of the wall.

10. Make Your Sink Sparkle

Make a borax paste by mixing 2 Tbsp of lemon juice with 2 tbsp of powdered borax. Scrub the stains on the sink using a cloth or sponge dipped in this paste. Rinse with water and get a clean and shining sink in no time.

11. Use Borax to Clean the Windows

Mix 1 Tbsp borax in a cup of water. Transfer the mixture to a spray bottle and spray on the windows. Wipe it with a microfiber cloth or a damp rag.

You can also clean and wipe the windows with a rag or sponge dipped in this solution. Repeat the process with a solution of equal parts of vinegar and water. Wipe it dry and you will have clean windows in no time.

Related: Window Cleaning Hacks That’ll Make Cleaning Windows so much easier.

12. Clean the Toilet bowl

Cleaning the toilet is a headache. But you will be surprised to see that borax makes it so easy to clean the toilet. All you need to do is to sprinkle borax in the pot and add ½ cup of vinegar to it.

Let the solution sit overnight. Then, scrub the toilet and flush!

Borax acts on the grime and the dirt accumulated in the toilet. It deals with all of the dirt layers and yellowish color accumulated. Vinegar assists borax in the cleaning process and improves its efficiency.

You may also like 31 all-time best house-cleaning tips that work like magic.

13. Clean Showers and Tubs

Take some borax in a damp cloth and scrub it on the tubs and showers. Rinse them with clean water.

To clean the interior of a shower, Make a solution by mixing 2-3 Tbsp borax in 4-5 cups of water. Fill it in a polythene bag and tie it around the shower such that it remains submerged in the solution. Leave it for around an hour and then switch on the shower to rinse it. If you need a clean bathroom, these bathroom cleaning hacks will make cleaning easy.

14. Carpet Cleaner

If your expensive carpet is attacked by a stain, no need to worry. Use Borax- the stain remover. Mix 4 Tbsp borax with 1 cup warm water. Dip a sponge or clean cloth in the solution and dab it on the stain.

Leave the stain in that condition for 25-30 minutes. Then vacuum that area to clean the residue and allow it to dry to get a clean and stain-free carpet.

15. Make a Floor Cleaner

Borax makes a great natural floor cleaner for your home.

All you need is to mix 2 Tbsp borax with 4-5 Tbsp vinegar in your mop bucket. Add a pinch of dawn dish soap to it and fill the bucket with warm water. Your cleaner is ready! Use this to clean your house floor.

You can also make it in a good quantity and store it in a container for everyday use. Just mix 2 cups borax with 4 cups vinegar and add around 1 Tbsp of dish soap to it.

Store it in a container. Add some of this solution to your mop bucket water for everyday cleaning.

You may also like: 31 Brilliant uses of Dawn Dish Soap to make life easy

16. Clean Outdoor Furniture

Borax can also clean furniture easily. Just mix 2 teaspoons of borax and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap in 1 quart of water.

You can fill it in a spray bottle which is more convenient to use. Spray it on the patio furniture and wipe it to clean all the dust, dirt, or any grime.

17. Homemade Dish Soap

You can make dish soap at home using these low-cost ingredients and save the money spent on readymade dish soap. Mix ½ cup borax, ½ cup finely grated soap, and 10 cups of boiling water.

Stir to mix it properly and allow it to cool before use. It is as efficient as the market-bought dish soap, if not more.

18. Get Rid of Soap Scum

Soap scum on shower doors, glass, and faucets can be easily cleaned using borax. Make a paste by mixing 2-3 Tbsp borax in half a cup of water.

Scrub this paste with a cloth on the area to be cleaned. Rinse with water and wipe with a clean dry cloth. You would also love these clever bathroom cleaning hacks.

19. Clean Sticky Residue

Borax makes it easy to get rid of sticky and gooey adhesive residue. Just mix borax and water in a 2-to-1 ratio, and rub the mixture on the residue to clean it. Easy!

20. Clean and Deodorize Mattresses

Deodorize your mattresses by rubbing borax over them using a damp cloth. But make sure to wet the mattress surface before rubbing borax on it.

It will also eliminate any foul smell like that of urine from your baby’s mattress.

21. Deodorize the Smelly Garbage Can

Borax can also deodorize smelly trash can easily. Sprinkle at least 4-5 Tbsp of borax in the garbage can and add water to it.

The amount of borax to be added depends on the condition of the bin. If it has not been cleaned for a long time and is smelling bad, then empty around half a cup of borax in it.

Let the borax do its work by leaving it in for at least 15-20 minutes. Rinse clean and leave to dry.

You can also sprinkle some borax in the can before using it again, to minimize odor when in use.

22. Keep Your Humidifier Odorless

Humidifiers need to be deodorized from time to time. To keep the humidifier free of any odor, dissolve 5-6 tablespoons of borax in 3-4 quarts of water and add it to the tank.

Run the humidifier for 10-15 minutes and then empty the tank. Don’t forget to rinse the tank with clean water.

Need to make your home smell good? These simple hacks will make your home smell good naturally.

23. Dealing with Pests

Borax effectively deals with cockroaches, ants, bugs, mice, and other pests. The process is very simple. Mix equal parts of borax and sugar. Sprinkle a thin layer of this borax mixture in the corners, under the sink, behind the pieces of furniture, and the areas infested with pests.

When the pests are drawn towards the sugar cubes, borax deals with them. Make sure that this mixture does not reach the hands of small children or even your pet. So use it in areas that are away from the reach of children and pets.

To get rid of bed bugs, sprinkle a generous amount of borax on the mattress and in the storage hold of the bed (if any).

24. Effective Laundry Cleaner

Add 4-5 Tbsp of Borax to your laundry to get cleaner and stain-free clothes along with making the clothes smell better. It gives a natural scent to the clothes. Borax can even be used to wash delicate fabrics.

Borax is a successful stain remover too. Stubborn stains like that of coffee can be treated using borax. Pretreat the stain by soaking it in a borax solution made by dissolving 7-8 Tbsp of borax in water.

Allow the cloth to soak for at least 30-40 minutes before laundering. Repeat if the stain does not vanish completely.

Even hard water stains on your clothes and washing machines can be removed successfully using borax.

Quick Tip: Need an organized laundry, check out these laundry organization hacks.

25. Preserve Your Favorite Flowers

Do you hate the withering of your favorite flowers? Borax is the solution.

Borax helps in removing moisture from freshly cut flowers and leaves which in turn helps them to prevent wilting.

Mix one part of white sand and two parts of borax to make a mixture. Fill some of this mixture into a box and place the flower in it.

Sprinkle some mixture on the flower as well so it is properly covered with the mixture. Leave the box for seven days after sealing it with tape. The flower will lose all of its moisture and dry out.

Note: This method may not work on flowers bought from florists as they use a special water solution to preserve them.

26. Help in the Growth of Fruit Trees

Borax is not only useful for cleaning purposes but also beneficial for fruit trees. Boron, a mineral contained in borax is required by the plants for healthy growth. Sprinkle a ½ cup of borax every 2-3 years around the base of a mature fruit tree (such as an apple tree) or 2-3 Tbsp for a younger one.

Boron is a good fertilizer, so adding borax in the right quantities to the soil helps nourish fruit trees and keep fruit trees healthy.

27. Improve Your Homemade Candles

If you make candles at home, treat the wicks by soaking them in a solution of borax and salt. To make this solution, mix equal parts of borax and salt in water. This solution reduces ash and smoke.

Related: How to easily remove candle wax off any surface?

28. Make Your Clothes Fireproof

Clothes catch fire easily. To make them resistant to flames, mix 1 cup borax and ½ cup boric acid in a gallon of water and soak the rinsed clothes in it. Then, the dry cycle.

If the clothes are not washable, then spray that solution on the clothes instead of soaking the clothes in them. Repeat the process every time you wash or dry clean your clothes.

29. Instruments’ String Saver

The bow hairs of musical instruments get bad as they get gummed up with rosin. Clean it by rubbing the strings with a damp toothpaste dipped in borax. Then wipe the bow hairs and re-rosin them again. Need borax? Buy it here.

30. Homemade Laundry detergent

Making your own laundry detergent is a great way to save money. Borax is an inexpensive and effective cleansing agent, making it the perfect choice for this project. This recipe makes enough detergent for approximately 64 loads of laundry.

Combine a cup of borax, 1 cup of washing soda, 1 bar soap, and 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a large bowl. Mix Well.

Store the detergent in an airtight container.

30. Make Slime at Home

Do you wish to make your own homemade slime? Borax is one of the key ingredients used in making slime. Check out the recipe here.

What is Borax?

Also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, Borax is a naturally occurring mineral. It is primarily mined from evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes.

A point to note here is people often get confused between boric acid and borax- which is the salt of boric acid. Chemically, they are both different things as boric acid is hydrogen borate. In simple words, you just need to get Borax powder or 20 Mule Team Borax and nothing else.

What is it used for?

Over the decades, borax has found its use in many commercial applications, including as an active ingredient in household laundry and cleaning products, as a fire retardant, as a pH buffer in chemical laboratories, as a water softening agent, to prevent wood rot in classic wood boats, and much more.

20 Mule Team borax is easily available at most grocery stores as well as cleaning supplies stores. Or get it easily delivered to your home from Amazon here.

Is Borax Safe?

Why not? It is a popular green cleaning ingredient in many homemade cleaners and does not contain hazardous chemicals like chlorine or phosphates. Plus, according to TOXNET’s Hazardous Substance Database (HSDB), borax is a non-carcinogenic compound.

Still, it needs to be said that it is only safe as long as you use it responsibly. That includes storing it in a safe place away from pets and children, wearing gloves, using it in a well-ventilated place, etc. Even though borax is non-toxic for humans, never ingest borax in any form or amount.

Borax is highly alkaline which can be a cause of mild skin irritation if used undiluted. However, don’t worry about occasional indirect contact and using it in cleaning products, it’s safe.

We hope that this post was helpful for you in getting to know the amazing uses of borax.