Borax is a naturally occurring mineral known as sodium tetraborate that has been mined and used for thousands of years. It is safe to combine with chlorine bleach and detergents and has been shown to improve its cleaning power.
Borax has a wide range of use in the home. However, one may wish to know if they whiten clothes?
Don’t worry, in this article, we will be discussing everything you need to know about borax and how to use borax to whiten clothes. Read On…
Why Use Borax As A Laundry Booster
Borax helps:
1. Whiten Your Whites
When the water in your washing machine fills up, Borax converts some of the water molecules to hydrogen peroxide, a whitening agent.
This improves the action of bleach, whether you use it separately or as part of your laundry detergent. Borax is a good whitener on its own if you don’t want to use bleach.
2. Acts as a pH Buffer
Borax has a high pH, so it acts as a pH buffer. When added to water, it raises the pH to around 8. (a neutral pH is 7).
This pH is ideal for cleaning because it is slightly alkaline. Because borax acts as a buffering agent, it helps to maintain the pH of the water even after detergent or other cleaners are added. This means cleaner clothes for you.
3. Softens Hard Water
Laundry detergent does not work properly when exposed to hard water. This prevents your clothes from drying as cleanly as they should and is frequently the cause of gray, dingy-looking clothing.
Because borax contains sodium, it softens the wash water, ensuring that your clothes look great.
4. Removes Soap Residue from Your Clothes
The borates in Borax work to keep soap dispersed throughout the load, increasing the likelihood that it will be rinsed out.
Try washing your clothes in just water (no detergent) for a while and you’ll be surprised at how much detergent comes out of your clothes.
5. Improve the Stain-Removal Ability of Your Detergent
Pre-soak your laundry in a solution of one tablespoon of borax per gallon of warm water for 30 minutes, or add 1/2 cup of borax to a pre-soak cycle.
Borax’s alkaline pH aids in the breakdown of acidic stains such as tomato or mustard. It also works effectively on grease and oil set-in stains.
6. Disinfects Clothes
Borax inhibits the growth of many organisms, including fungi, mold, and bacteria.
7. Eliminates Laundry Odors
Borax inhibits the growth of fungi and mold, which commonly grow in the moist environment of your washing machine and are notorious for giving it an unpleasant odor.
It also aids in the removal of ammonia odor from baby clothing, diapers, bed pads, and incontinence pads. If your workout clothes are stinky, use Borax to inhibit the enzymes that cause the odor.
How To Use Borax To Whiten Clothes
There are several ways to use borax when washing your clothes. The powdered substance can be used as a pre-treatment solution to soften and remove stains.
Simply mix a cup of Borax powder with a cup of water and apply the mixture to the affected area. You can also combine borax with your favorite laundry detergent to improve its cleaning power.
Is Borax Safe For Your Laundry?
While borax is a green product, this does not mean it is completely safe to use. According to WebMD, ingesting borax, like all cleaning solutions, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
In large quantities, it can cause shock and kidney damage. Nonetheless, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has prohibited the use of borax in food. Ingestion of the substance may also result in reproductive issues (via Medical News Today).
Borax was even used in the production of the popular slime toy for children. Kids, especially toddlers, have a habit of putting everything in their mouth, which increases the risk of ingesting borax.
In children, ingesting a significant amount of borax can cause severe symptoms and even death, according to Healthline.
Although it can be toxic, people can use it for household chores such as laundry. Always keep borax out of the reach of children when storing it.
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Other FAQ’s
Do Borax bleach-colored clothes?
Borax is a mineral salt that occurs naturally and is sold as a laundry booster. It claims to fight stains, brighten whites, and assist laundry detergent in cleaning all types of fabrics, including colored fabrics.
Unlike bleach, borax can be used on colored fabrics without fear of removing the dye or causing other damage.
Can you use Borax and vinegar in the same load of laundry?
Vinegar and borax can also be used in the laundry room for a variety of purposes. You can soften your fabric by adding a half cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
To boost your regular laundry detergent, add a half cup of borax to your laundry. It aids in disinfection, the removal of tough stains, and the preservation of fresh-smelling clothing.
Can you use Borax and baking soda in the same load of laundry?
It’s also simple to strip your laundry. Simply fill your bathtub with hot water and soak your clothes in a solution of baking soda, Borax, and laundry detergent.
It’s ideal for towels, bedsheets, and other linens, but you can also use it on clothes if you’re careful.
Can you soak clothes in Borax overnight?
Yes, just fill a bathtub or top-loading washer halfway with hot water, then add the Borax, washing soda, and powdered detergent mixture.
Then add your stained sheets, towels, or workout clothes and soak everything for 4-6 hours. Finally, wash and dry as usual.
Can I put Borax in my HE washer?
Powdered borax should be handled in the same manner as dry baking soda. Before adding the dirty laundry, add 1/2 cup borax to the empty washer tub. Borax acts as both a water softener and a deodorizer.
Can I use Borax in black clothes?
Because borax in your laundry produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, the possibility of darks fading exists. However, I’ve been using it for years and have never noticed any fading. Yes, it is possible.
Is it necessary to use Borax in my laundry?
Simply add half a cup of Borax to each wash load to increase the cleaning power of your laundry detergent.
This pH is ideal for cleaning because it is slightly alkaline. Because borax acts as a buffering agent, it helps to maintain the pH of the water even after detergent or other cleaners are added.
Can I substitute Borax for laundry detergent?
If you don’t have any detergent, use one cup of borax or baking soda per normal load. Because of the action of the cleaning agents, water, and agitation from the washer, the clothing will be cleaner than you imagine.
Is Borax more effective than OxiClean?
Well, it’s all about what you want to do with it. If you already have a favorite detergent whether because of its scent or for some other reason, then you can count on Borax laundry detergent.
It will improve the detergent and allow you to use less of it, allowing it to last longer. For almost every other category, OxiClean is the best choice.
Can you mix hydrogen peroxide and Borax in the same laundry?
Fill a large sprayer with a gallon of warm water. 14 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, a few drops of dish soap, and a scoop of borax (a sodium-based mineral powder). Spray the solution on metal chairs and tables and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
We hope this article has given in-depth knowledge to the question of how to use Borax to whiten clothes.
Now you’ve known the benefits of adding Borax to your laundry loads why not toss those dirty clothes inside your washer let’s get them looking new again.