Borax works wonders.  Few people know about Borax but it has been around for decades.  It’s a chemical compound that can be found in detergents, cosmetics, fire retardant, anti-fungal compounds, fiberglass, glazes, cooking and even insecticides.  The uses of Borax are truly numerous and amazing that one single compound can have so many benefits.

Borax is easy to find in your local grocery, hardware store or mass retailer and is extremely inexpensive.  This compound is actually highly effective in so many applications.  Here are a few tips for how you can use Borax around your home…

Laundry Booster – Add a half a cup of Borax to your washing machine before you load in clothes.  It not only boosts the power of your detergent by brightening and whitening but deodorizes clothes and gets rid of stains.

Toilets – Take a cup of Borax and sprinkle it on the surface you wish to clean or around your toilet bowl.  Let it sit overnight and Borax will actually break down mold, mildew and pesky stains.  Simply scrub the area and rinse.

Grout and Showers – Mix 2 parts baking soda for every 1 part Borax and then add enough hot water so it turns into a thick paste.  Apply to your grout or surfaces with a soft brush and let it sit for 20 minutes.  Remember that you need to give Borax a chance to work.  Simply rinse away after the time is up.

Goo – For anything sticky, such as adhesives  or muck, create a paste comprised of 2 tablespoons of Borax and one tablespoon of water.  Apply to sticky surfaces, let sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then rub with an old sponge or cloth.  The sticker should come off right away or come off after a good scrub.

Ant Killer – Create a mixture of half a cup of sugar, 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons of Borax and 1 and a half cups of warm water.  Leave small bowls out or soak cotton balls and leave them near the crowd of ants or where they are entering from.  The sugar attracts the ants and they take it back to their nest to share.  After a little time, the Borax actually dries the ants out and kills them.

Pool Cleaner – Instead of spending a fortune on pool chemicals, you can simply use Bleach, Borax and Baking Soda to keep your pool clean and clear.  The Borax balances PH while the baking soda adds alkalinity to the water.  Get some chemical test strips at your local pool store and experiment until you find the right amount for your pool.  The only downside to this is if you don’t have the patience to balance your chemicals manually.  If you do, you will save big in the long run.