Borax Is Making a Comeback, But Does It Really Belong in Your Washing Machine?

Katie Holdefehr
This old-fashioned laundry detergent booster seems to be making a comeback, but what exactly is Borax? Here's everything you need to know.

Everything you need to know about this old-fashioned, all-natural detergent booster, including whether it's safe to use.

Decades ago, a box of borax could be found in laundry rooms across the country, but over time, the powdery white laundry booster fell out of favor. Now, this old-fashioned laundry additive seems to be gaining in popularity, particularly among those interested in natural cleaning methods and homemade cleaning solutions. But what exactly is borax and is it really safe? Here's everything you need to know about this trendy-again laundry supply.

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What Is Borax?

Also called sodium borate, borax is a naturally-occurring mineral salt most often mined from Turkey and California. Powdered and partially dehydrated, the borax you'll find in the cleaning supplies aisle at the grocery store looks like a white powder. The most common brand you'll spot in stores, the "20 Mule Team," was named after the process by which the mineral was carted out of the California and Nevada desert in the late 1800s.

How Does Borax Work?

Borax is extremely alkaline (pH of around 9.5), which creates a basic solution that can help fight acidic stains (like tomato or mustard) when dissolved in water and used as a pre-treating solution. When added to a load of laundry in the washing machine, borax can help get white clothes whiter. And when combined with bleach? It helps boost bleach's cleaning abilities.

If Borax Safe?

The safety of borax has been a big source of debate. While this mineral used to be used in cosmetics and body care products, it has since been replaced by other emulsifiers because of safety concerns. As we mentioned above, borax is very alkaline, so in its undiluted form, it can irritate skin. Similar to bleach, borax should be kept out of the reach of children and should never be ingested. Essentially, just because borax is naturally occurring doesn't make it harmless—treat borax as you would other cleaners in your home and keep it in a safe spot away from children.

RELATED: 5 Chemical-Free Ways to Spiff Up Your Laundry

Why Is Borax Becoming Popular Again?

If you joined in on the slime crazy over the past few years, then you may already have been reacquainted with the grocery store supply. Borax is used in many slime recipes, which inspired others to create borax-free alternatives for parents who were worried their little ones might eat the slime (again, as mentioned above, borax shouldn't be ingested). Thanks to the slime trend, borax was once again back in homes.

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It’s wash day (pretty much everyday!) and I’m experimenting with this borax-based laundry soap. I know borax is controversial in the natural living community, but personally I don’t have a problem with it. From what I can tell, it’s only problematic if you inhale it, and I’m pretty sure I can load a washing machine without ingesting the powder (I sure hope so, at least!). If you want to give it a try, here’s the recipe: ••• Ingredients 1 bar Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, shaved 1 cup borax 1 cup washing soda ••• Directions Toss bar of soap in the bowl of a food processor and blitz into a fine powder. Combine borax and washing soda and mix ingredients thoroughly with a spoon. Don’t mix with the food processor - otherwise you’ll inhale the fine particles and you don’t want to do that! Store in a sealed container and use one tbsp per load. Recipe makes 32 tbsp/32 loads.

A post shared by Julia (@simply.living.well) on May 28, 2019 at 8:21am PDT

View this post on Instagram

It’s wash day (pretty much everyday!) and I’m experimenting with this borax-based laundry soap. I know borax is controversial in the natural living community, but personally I don’t have a problem with it. From what I can tell, it’s only problematic if you inhale it, and I’m pretty sure I can load a washing machine without ingesting the powder (I sure hope so, at least!). If you want to give it a try, here’s the recipe: ••• Ingredients 1 bar Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, shaved 1 cup borax 1 cup washing soda ••• Directions Toss bar of soap in the bowl of a food processor and blitz into a fine powder. Combine borax and washing soda and mix ingredients thoroughly with a spoon. Don’t mix with the food processor - otherwise you’ll inhale the fine particles and you don’t want to do that! Store in a sealed container and use one tbsp per load. Recipe makes 32 tbsp/32 loads.

A post shared by Julia (@simply.living.well) on May 28, 2019 at 8:21am PDT