Fabulous Find! - Borax!

What a crazy thing to flip out about right? Well, I'm pretty excited about borax this week and here's why.

I entered my kid's bathroom to see a most disgusting site this week and spent the next 45 minutes cleaning it! I usually use Clorox Clean Up to clean the bathrooms but I was out so I decided to use the borax I had bought to kill my ants a few weeks ago because the box said I could. I couldn't believe how well it worked! My sink and toilet and bathtub became clean again! I typically use Comet to clean the bathtub because of the grittiness of it and the fact that that seems to be what most effectively cleans up whatever that film is that stays after bath time. I never understand how something you use to get clean can become so dirty itself! I used the borax this time and it was white and cleaned up very well with less time and without me passing out! Its all I can do to not pass out from the fumes of Comet, but it has always been worth it (every six months I clean the tub!). Not so with this, and I didn't have to worry about the kids getting baths afterwards because it's safe to use as long as you don't eat it or give it to your plants to eat! I was excited about that too because as I said earlier this week, I'm not partial to using chemicals and items that could potentially kill my family.

Anyway, in light of the amazing job it did cleaning, I looked up some other uses for this $2.49 box of pure genius I bought and here's what I found. Borax is a.......

1. Flea killer - Sprinkle on carpet, leave overnight and vacuum the next day. Not for use on your pet though. Fluffy will NOT like it! Fluffy might die.
   
2. Removing heavy sink stains and rust in porcelain or stainless steel sinks -1 cup borax + 1/4 cup lemon juice - mix into paste and scrub the stain. Rinse away.
3. Removing mildew from fabric - "soak a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and rub it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups borax in 2 quarts (2 liters) water." *1
4. Removing rug stains - "Thoroughly dampen the area, then rub in some borax. Let the area dry, then vacuum or blot it with a solution of equal parts vinegar and soapy water and let dry. Repeat if necessary. Don't forget to first test the procedure on an inconspicuous corner of the rug or on a carpet scrap before applying it to the stain." *1
5. Cleaning your garbage disposal - "To maintain a more sanitary disposal, every couple of weeks pour 3 tablespoons borax down the drain and let it sit for 1 hour. Then turn on the disposal and flush it with hot water from the tap." *1
6. Removing urine odor on mattresses - Wet the area (no pun intended). Sprinkle borax, let dry and vacuum.
7. Make professional looking dried flowers - "Mix 1 cup borax with 2 cups cornmeal. Place a 3/4-inch (2-centimeter) coating of the mixture in the bottom of an airtight container, like a large flat plastic food storage container. Cut the stems off the flowers you want to dry, then lay them on top of the powder, and lightly sprinkle more of the mixture on top of the flowers (be careful not to bend or crush the petals or other flower parts). Cover the container, and leave it alone for 7-10 days. Then remove the flowers and brush off any excess powder with a soft brush." *1
8. Removing ants and weeds from around your house - Just sprinkle around the parameter of your house to keep ants away and sprinkle directly on weeds you don't want. Just a small amount will do and don't go crazy unless you want to kill ALL your plants!
9. Restoring china shine - Wash in a sink with water with 1/2 cup borax dissolved in it.
10. Cleaning aluminum pots and pans
11. Drain cleaner - Dump 1/2 cup borax down drain. Let sit for 1 hour. Chase with hot water.
12. Cleaning tile and grout.
13. Removing grease.
14. Clean cutting boards - Just make sure you rinse thoroughly afterwards.
15. Make your bedding smell fresh and boost your laundry cleaner - Add 1/2 cup to detergent.
16. Removing odors from refrigerator/coolers, etc. - Dissolve 1 tablespooon borax into 1 gallon of water.
17. All purpose cleaner - Mix 1 teaspoon borax with 1 cup very hot water. Put in spray bottle.
    
18. Wash diapers and baby clothes - "Flush out dirty diapers and soak as soon as possible in a diaper pail filled with warm water and 1/2 cup borax. Pre-soak for at least 30 minutes before washing in warm water. Wash linens, bibs, slips and cotton crib liners in hot water, adding 1/2 cup borax and detergent. Borax helps get rid of odors, reduce stainign and make diapers more absorbent." *2
19. Wash delicates - "Dissolve 1/4 cup borax and 2 tablespoons detergent in a basin of warm water. Soak hand washables for 10 mintues. Rinse in clear, cool water, blot with towel, lay flat or hang to dry away from sunlight and direct heat." *2
20. Make slime for kids - Place all of 4 ounce bottle of Elmer's glue in a bowl. Fill empty bottle with warm water and empty in same bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring if you'd like your slime to have color. In another bowl, mix 1 teaspoon borax with 1 cup water and stir until borax has dissolved. Pour glue solution into borax solution. Mix. The more the resulting slime is handled and kneaded the drier it will become making it more moldable and easier to handle. Store in airtight container or ziplock bag. Kids love this stuff!

So let's see. What all can I stop buying now? Clorox Clean Up, Comet, Bar Keeper's Friend, Raid, Round Up, Bar Keeper's Friend, Drano....... Think of all the money I'm saving!

Any other ideas? Share them here!

*1, *2, 3