Borax in laundry…

[Midpack]

…in the category of too soon old, too late smart - I finally “discovered” the benefit of Borax or baking soda in laundry. Just adding a third to half cup of either directly gets clothes, towels, sheets, etc. noticeably cleaner and fresher than detergent alone. With white vinegar in the rinse, I’ve finally perfected doing laundry - only took 68 years to learn.

Same feeling we had “discovering” linen sheets a few years back. We’ll never go back to cotton, though I’m well aware some folks consciously prefer cotton or other fabrics.

 

[JoeWras]

After all, you have the power of 20 mules behind it.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I just started adding baking soda to the laundry, too, along with some essential oils. The Environmental Working Group says borax isn't so healthy - Borax: Not the green alternative it's cracked up to be | Environmental Working Group (ewg.org).

 

[calmloki]

Think you want Sodium Carbonate, not Sodium Bicarbonate - or better still; I used Sodium Percarbonate to good effect over a 4 month stretch down south - noticeably
whiter T-shirts. Here's an article I saved that has several good options for cleaning - saved because I wouldn't remember Sodium Percarbonate or soda ash.

https://www.creators.com/read/every...-cleaners-same-as-brand-names-but-way-cheaper

 

[skipro33]

I add a handful of TSP to each laundry load since the government made the manufacturers take phosphates out of laundry detergent. I also run a second rinse cycle (simple button option to push) to make sure my clothes don't retain any soap that's holding dirt.
I have a front loader LG washer and found a video how to set the water level. Now when my clothes are being washed, the water comes up to the bottom of the window in the door, there's actual water to agitate the laundry where-as before, it was water starved during wash and rinse.
Those 3 things;
Set water level higher than factory
Run a second rinse cycle
Use TSP with every load

I'll give Borax a try next.

 

[6miths]

Holy crap! Add TSP to laundry... you truly are Mr. Clean.

 

[ERD50]

I don't understand. If adding borax or baking soda makes such a noticeable difference, why wouldn't the big companies do this? They are all competing over who cleans the best, it's worth big bucks to them. I dunno, but it kinda sounds like the 100 mpg carburetor claims.

If it took some special procedure that the average person, like a pre-soak, or adding it at a certain time, then I could see why the big companies might steer away, they figure the average customer wants simple.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

I just started adding baking soda to the laundry, too, along with some essential oils. The Environmental Working Group says borax isn't so healthy - Borax: Not the green alternative it's cracked up to be | Environmental Working Group (ewg.org).

We try to be green within reason so I’d already read up on Borax before using it, and your link notes “Borax can be irritating when exposure occurs through skin or eye contact, inhalation or ingestion.” Since I’m not going to eat, breathe or get it on me at all - I don’t see it as unsafe for laundry. I can see it might be a concern with personal care products, silly putty, slime, pesticides and some cleaning applications - but much less so if at all for laundry where it’s easy to avoid exposure. I got the Borax from a neighbor who moved, and mixed it with the baking soda I was already using. I may just go back to baking soda when the Borax is gone, though Borax seemed even more effective. Thanks.

Ironic you can find lots of websites that advocate making your own safe, green laundry detergent with Borax as an ingredient. More evidence you can find anything you want on the internet…common sense required.

One of dozens https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-1387952

And TSP as a laundry add is also controversial to some. “Since 2010, states have increasingly started to ban household cleaning products that contain phosphates as this chemical has been linked to water-fouling and toxic algae growth that can kill aquatic wildlife.”

 

[skipro33]

Holy crap! Add TSP to laundry... you truly are Mr. Clean.

I buy it at Home Depot in the paint department. From their website:
Home Depot. "T.S.P. in powder form is a versatile, effective cleaner that works on everything from laundry to garage floors. Known for years by professional painters as an excellent grease remover from walls, T.S.P. is a household necessity.

Modern laundry soap is loaded with fragrance to cover the smell of odors and dirt they are unable to completely remove. Add about 1/4 cup of TSP to each load-- a little more if you're doing a grungy load. Over time colors, and whites-turned-gray, do regain some brightness, and new whites stay white.

As an added bonus, our front load washing machine no longer has that musty odor they all get.

I also add some to the dishwasher. That milky film on glass goes away and my glasses are not crystal clear again.

 

[tmm99]

I like Borax. A lot. I tried vinegar, extra hot water, etc, but once towels/shirts get the mildew kind of smell (the smell you get in towels that were kept damp too long, sweaty shirts that didn't get washed right away), Borox seems to be the only thing (that I found) that can get rid of the smell reliably. Without it, we'd have many towels/shirts we'd have to throw away.

Does baking soda work the same way? I feel like I've used it along with vinegar and didn't have any effect on the smell...

 

[travelover]

Borax can also be used as a flux when brazing or silver soldering.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I like Borax. A lot. I tried vinegar, extra hot water, etc, but once towels/shirts get the mildew kind of smell (the smell you get in towels that were kept damp too long, sweaty shirts that didn't get washed right away), Borox seems to be the only thing (that I found) that can get rid of the smell reliably. Without it, we'd have many towels/shirts we'd have to throw away.

Does baking soda work the same way? I feel like I've used it along with vinegar and didn't have any effect on the smell...

You could try adding essential oils to baking soda. Many of them have research backed studies showing they kill mold and mildew: "Comparing the anti-mildew activities of the oils suggested that wood oil was the most effective. - Chemical composition and anti-mildew activities of essential oils from different parts of Michelia compressa var.formosana - PubMed (nih.gov).

Amazon has an assortment of food grade essential oils, including many wood oils, like cedar and pine.

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort View Post
I just started adding baking soda to the laundry, too, along with some essential oils. The Environmental Working Group says borax isn't so healthy - Borax: Not the green alternative it's cracked up to be https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/borax-not-green-alternative-its-cracked-be.

We try to be green within reason so I’d already read up on Borax before using it, and your link notes “Borax can be irritating when exposure occurs through skin or eye contact, inhalation or ingestion.” Since I’m not going to eat, breathe or get it on me at all - I don’t see it as unsafe for laundry. ...

Agreed, that site didn't really spell out hazards of using it in the laundry. That's a lot different from ingesting large quantities, or working in the borax factory for years and years, which may lead to x,y,z problem.

Heck, lots of GRAS designated (Generally Regarded As Safe) things we use are going to hurt you if you stick them in your eye, or ingest large quantities of it, or drop a pallet load on your toe.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

I like Borax. A lot. I tried vinegar, extra hot water, etc, but once towels/shirts get the mildew kind of smell (the smell you get in towels that were kept damp too long, sweaty shirts that didn't get washed right away), Borox seems to be the only thing (that I found) that can get rid of the smell reliably. Without it, we'd have many towels/shirts we'd have to throw away.

Does baking soda work the same way? I feel like I've used it along with vinegar and didn't have any effect on the smell...

I've read baking soda is used and works the same way as Borax, Borax is just a little stronger (harsher-more alkaline). https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/borax-vs-baking-soda-36852716

"Using inexpensive distilled white vinegar in laundry will whiten, brighten, reduce odor, and soften clothes without harsh chemicals." IME vinegar is not as effective for cleaning as baking soda or Borax - but I use vinegar in the rinse cycle to help rinse out soap residue primarily, to soften supposedly though I can't judge that. Maybe if I used vinegar in the wash cycle, but I've never tried that.

https://cleaning.lovetoknow.com/Vinegar_for_Laundry

 

[easysurfer]

I've used Borax following homemade laundry detergent and laundry powder recipes.

Found that the amount called for in the recipe seems a bit too much. Made the clothing material prematurely wear out. Didn't know that after the first few washes, but soon after.

Not here to rain on the parade but as the saying goes YMMV.

 

[ERD50]

... Does baking soda work the same way? I feel like I've used it along with vinegar and didn't have any effect on the smell...

When you mix baking soda ( a base) with vinegar (an acid), the two pretty much cancel out and you are left with water.

No point in mixing them, other than a little foaming action as they eat each other up.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/vinegar-baking-soda-cleaning-mixture-myth-36880375

Let’s start with the basics (literally). Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they’re combined, acids “donate” protons to bases; in this case, it’s acetic acid lending a hydrogen proton to the bicarbonate. When bicarbonate gains a hydrogen proton, it forms carbonic acid (or H2CO3) which is unstable and eventually decomposes. Once that happens you’re left with water, carbon dioxide, and acetate and sodium ions. The carbon dioxide gained in the reaction is what makes it bubbly, which looks appealing. But once the bubbles stop, you’re left with what Morris describes as “glorified water.”

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

I've used Borax following homemade laundry detergent and laundry powder recipes.

Found that the amount called for in the recipe seems a bit too much. Made the clothing material prematurely wear out. Didn't know that after the first few washes, but soon after.

Not here to rain on the parade but as the saying goes YMMV.

+1. I was only adding 1/3rd cup where some online sites recommended 1/2 to 1 cup. But I am gathering I should use it less often, and maybe not with all load types. I was using it for sheets and towels only. But the improvement was readily apparent so I recently started putting it in all loads - think I will dial it back again, and maybe go back to baking soda instead of Borax. Good for towels (where our need & research began), then sheets, then whites, then other clothes if at all. Moderation in all things...

 

[easysurfer]

+1. I was only adding 1/3rd cup where some online sites recommended 1/2 to 1 cup. But I am gathering I should use it less often, and maybe not with all load types. I was using it for sheets and towels only. But the improvement was readily apparent so I recently started putting it in all loads - think I will dial it back again, and maybe go back to baking soda instead of Borax. Moderation in all things...

I'm not exactly sure what's the proper proportions to use. When I did follow the recipe I used, I noticed to how T-shirts came out nice and clean. Before long, I noticed the fabric started to break apart around the collar area, also underpants around the elastic.

My approach now is I use the homemade for stuff like bath towels. But am hesitant to use a clothes I value.

I don't have to recipe with me at the moment, I think called for Borax along with washing soda and grated regular soap mixed in boiled water for the detergent. Minus the water for powder.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Another bonus from wood essential oils is you can get some of the benefits of forest bathing without the actual forest - "If we want to know if the magic ingredient is the fragrance of the forest, then let’s see if we can get that same boost in natural killer cell activity just vaporizing some essential oil from one of the trees into a hotel room overnight. And it worked! A significant boost in natural killer cell activity; though it just boosted their activity, rather than their number, and being in the actual forest can do both. Why Does Forest Bathing Boost Natural Killer Cell Function? (nutritionfacts.org)

We have a tree lined canyon near our house with hiking trails and scattered benches. We like to go there to hike and take breaks on the benches and just soak up the forest smells. But we can't get there every day, so some wood essential oils in the laundry and cleaning products seem like a healthy thing to do.

 

[zinger1457]

I don't understand. If adding borax or baking soda makes such a noticeable difference, why wouldn't the big companies do this? They are all competing over who cleans the best, it's worth big bucks to them. I dunno, but it kinda sounds like the 100 mpg carburetor claims.
-ERD50

Many laundry detergents do come with an 'oxi' version for extra cleaning (so they claim), my understanding is oxi contains baking soda and other ingredients.

 

[tmm99]

When you mix baking soda ( a base) with vinegar (an acid), the two pretty much cancel out and you are left with water.

No point in mixing them, other than a little foaming action as they eat each other up.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/vinegar-baking-soda-cleaning-mixture-myth-36880375



-ERD50

Ah! That must have been what I did.

 

[ls99]

..............., I’ve finally perfected doing laundry - only took 68 years to learn.

Same feeling we had “discovering” linen sheets a few years back. We’ll never go back to cotton, though I’m well aware some folks consciously prefer cotton or other fabrics.

You just can't rush theses things.....

 

[Gumby]

I make our own dry laundry detergent:

I bar Zote soap
3 cups borax
3 cups washing soda
2 lbs baking soda
1/2 cup TSP
1/2 cup Oxiclean powder

Cut the Zote soap into chunks and shred it in the food processor. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the shredded Zote. Mix well and run through the food processor again with the normal knife attachment until it is all a powder. Store in a plastic container.

Use about 2 Tbsp per load.

 

[swakyaby]

I’ve started using the “sanitize” cycle on our front-loading LG washer about once a month on our cotton towels. It really minimizes any musty smell that bath towels start to get after awhile. I don’t use the cycle on every towel wash, because it takes 1 hr 50 minutes on extra hot/cold, but it has rescued my towels from being tossed.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I recently bought some bamboo bags with activated charcoal inside from Amazon that are supposed to absorb odors and keep closets from smelling musty. I just put them in our linen closet tonight so I don't know if they will work for us yet, but they have good reviews.