Borax is a godsend...but one thing I'd like to know. The box says it helps "soften" hard water (a big problem around here....) - would this stuff be safe in a dishwasher? Generally, I fill the "main" cap with regular dishwasher gel (generally Palmolive Eco due to it's low phosphates and being on septic, that's a plus- though I know the bleach content doesn't help much). Would it be safe to sprinkle maybe half a cup, or even a teaspoon into the "open" cup of the dishwasher?

My only concern would be the chlorine bleach + borax, do they react in any way like ammonia and bleach do?


But yea, I'm a big fan, I used to be a big fan of the "OxyClean" and other "oxygen" non-chlorine bleaches, but since finding Borax, I saved the little plastic scoop that came with the last Oxy tub I bought, and I use that scoop to measure into my "HE" washer. I know the directions say to use like 1/2 a cup, and that little cup is probably far less than that.

But my main concern was the Borax + Chlorine Bleach(dishwashing gel) - would that pose a problem? I'm thinking the "water softening" attributes of the Borax would help my dishes get cleaner.

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I have 4 cats and never had a flea problem, We just moved to FL and now we have tons of fleas I had a customer tell me to try borax to kill them and It really worked like a charm. my cats don't itch at all. i'v also used it as a general cleaner dishes and bathtub works great. it is very inexpensive also so please try it you won't regret it. also safe for fine china

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Thanks Jessica! I'll try that - and add it to my web page. I just sprinked it near where I saw them. At first they seemed to avoid it - then they just ran over it, regardless! However, they did seem to reduce in numbers gradually, so maybe it was getting to them. My partner got some standard ant killer after that.

As I don't like killing things if I can help it I would love to find something you can just smear around the doorway or other entry point which just deters them harmlessly.

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To Rona I use borax to get rid of ants and it works a charm, mix with some sugar and water to a paste. They take it back the nest and they all die. I also use it to deodorise my carpets as I have big dogs.

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I've researched a web page on borax for my site: Greenfootsteps. I understand that it is very safe as a cleaner and is unlikely to cause any skin problems for most people from handling it. However, it can be very toxic if swallowed. Even a teaspoonful could kill a small child. So, clearly safe storage is an issue.
I'm quite impressed with it as a cleaner. It has removed some rust stains from bathroom tiles which resisted everything else I've tried. It's also quite safe for the environment in low concentrations.
Has anyone used it as an ant repellant with success?

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I bought some borax to clean with but once I got it home and read the box I am a bit afraid to use it because it says it can be posious. How harmful can it be? Thanks.

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I bought some 20 mule borax to clean but I read the box and now I am kinda scared to use it because it says it can be piosinous. How harmful is it? can anybody tell me? THANKS

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I use 20 Mule Team Borax with Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus liquid castille soap to steam clean my carpets. It works great and smells good too.

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I use borax and equal parts baking soda for dishwasher cleaner it's cheap and very effective. I don't know if I'd use it on delicate wine glasses or anything it's more for tough grime removal but I have kids so I have no fine china anyway. It saves money and leaves them cleaner than commercial dish detergent and hey it's not toxic.

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One time I used a turkey baster and put borax all the way around my laundry room to keep out the crickets and it work like a charm! Thanks!

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