Green Cleaning—Uses for Borax

Frugal Friday

So many cleaning products on the market are full of dangerous chemicals that can harm both the environment and your health. They are also expensive. So why not look to the past for both inexpensive and healthier alternatives. Over the next few weeks, we're going to look at ways to use common household products to clean your home. The first of these is borax.

• Put 2 teaspoons in a spray bottle with very hot water to use as a general purpose cleaner.
• Use to clean aluminum, as it is non-abrasive. Rinse thoroughly.
• Soak filters from hoods in a strong solution for 15 minutes to loosen grease and odors.
• Put 1 tablespoon in four cups of warm water to use in your refrigerator or freezer to wipe up food spills.
• Mix one tablespoon with one tablespoon of baking soda as a detergent in your dishwasher.
• Sprinkle borax on carpets, dog beds and other areas where there might be fleas.
• Mix one gallon warm water with six tablespoons borax and a teaspoon of liquid detergent for cleaning your floors and walls.
• Sprinkle it at base of walls to deter mice.
• Sprinkle in your toilet and let sit overnight for easy cleaning of grimy build-up.
• Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons into your garbage disposal and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with hot water to deodorize.
• Sprinkle in stinky shoes and let them sit overnight.
• Add a tablespoon to your washing machine to deodorize your clothes.