Top Versatile Uses for Borax and Best Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Mix up your own borax solution or reach for a sustainable MightyNest favorite

Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a powerful cleaning agent that can tackle a wide range of household cleaning tasks. From removing stubborn stains to disinfecting surfaces to keeping pests away, we've got borax cleaning tips that are useful throughout the house! Be sure to keep borax out of reach of pets and children to prevent accidental ingestion, eye and skin irritations, or respiratory distress from inhalation of the fine particles.

If you’re not up for the DIY mixtures, solutions, and dilutions borax has to offer or just prefer to avoid borax altogether, MightyNest has a host of hard working, ready-to-use, sustainable cleaning solutions that will tackle the toughest jobs safely and sustainably.

1. Borax for Household Cleaning:

Make a borax cleaning solution to tackle greasy stovetops, countertops, and sticky floorboards with ½ -1 teaspoon borax + 1 quart water in a bucket or a spray bottle. Paired with a sturdy scrubber, you'll have all of your surfaces gleaming.

Eco-Friendly Surface Cleaners by MightyNest:

MightyNest Gentle Home Cleaning Scrub is ideal for tubs, tiles, basins, and grout. With antifungal Tea Tree and refreshing Peppermint essential oils, this mineral based scrub is safe for ceramic, porcelain, and stainless steel surfaces and gently removes scum, stains, and hard water deposits.

Aunt Fannie's Cleaning Vinegars and Floor Cleaners easily tackle grease and grime with simple but effective vinegar and plant based soap formulas. Refreshing essential oil scents like Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Lemon leave rooms smelling fresh and clean and are safe to use around kids, pets, and on food prep surfaces.

E-cloth Microfiber Cloths activate with just water to perform absolute cleaning miracles! The dense weave of the exceptionally high quality microfiber traps grease, grime, dust, and 99% of bacteria to leave surfaces crystal clean and streak free. Grab the Range & Stovetop Cloth with textured stripes to break up cooked on food spills while wiping away every last trace of dinner prep.

2. Using Borax as a Laundry Brightener:

Borax can be used as a laundry booster to enhance the cleaning power of your detergent, brighten dingy whites, and eliminate odors, while also softening hard water. Add ½ to 1 cup of borax to your load along with your regular detergent. Presoak clothes to brighten and remove odors, make a 1 tsp. borax + 2 tsp water paste to pretreat stains. Be sure to spot test delicate fabrics.

Sustainable Laundry Solutions from MightyNest:

Oxygen Brightener by Meliora is a color safe bleach alternative made with sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, making it safe for both your clothes and the environment. Add to your regular detergent to brighten whites and remove stains. Presoak for enhanced results. Eco-friendly packaging features a sturdy cardboard canister and paper refill bags, all fully compostable!

Solid Stain Stick by Meliora is a simple and effective stain treatment that you rub directly onto damp fabric. The concentrated plant-derived soap breaks up stains but is gentle on fabric fibers. The practically waterless formula is extremely long-lasting and the minimal packaging is backyard compostable.

Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Detergents use Phytolase® enzyme cleaning technology to precision target stains & odors. Try the Delicates & Hand Wash formula for fine wools, silks, and hand wash-only garments. Concentrated formulas come in fully recyclable aluminum bottles.

3. Borax for Odor Control:

Whether it's musty smells in the basement or funky odors in the laundry room, simply sprinkle some borax onto the affected area, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum or wipe away. Be sure to keep kids and pets away from the area until the borax is completely cleared away. Do not leave borax near food prep areas.

Natural Odor Eliminators by MightyNest:

Set-it-and-forget-it Moso Bamboo Odor Bags are filled with sustainable and highly porous bamboo charcoal that attracts and traps odors, dust, and pollutants from the air. Hang them in the refrigerator, place them in gym shoes, or set on a countertop in the kitchen or bathroom to keep air fresh and neutral. Simply place the bag in direct sunlight every couple of months to cleanse and reactivate the charcoal.

Scent-Free Odor Eliminating Spray discreetly removes odor from the air without masking with heavy fragrances. Probiotics actively target and destroy odor-causing molecules. This convenient spritz quickly removes unwanted smells such as food, pet, smoke, sports gear or mustiness. It’s pet safe, and has no harsh chemicals, no VOCs and no added color or fragrance.

Aunt Fannie’s Pet-Safe Carpet Refresh neutralizes pet odors without masking using minerals and pet safe dilutions of antimicrobial essential oils. Sprinkle the powder onto rugs, carpets and upholstery, let it sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum away.

4. Borax as a Pest Repellant:

Pesky pests like ants and cockroaches don't stand a chance against borax. Create a natural pest repellent by mixing borax with sugar and water to form a paste. Place this mixture in areas where pests frequent, and watch as they steer clear, leaving your home pest-free. As always, keep pets and kids away from areas where borax remains.

Eco-Friendly Pest Control Alternatives:

Pet owners rejoice! Wondercide Flea & Tick Spray is a pet-friendly formula that you can spray directly onto upholstery and furniture and apply to dog and cat fur to both repel and prevent fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. The plant-based spray features pet-safe dilutions of fresh essential oil scents.

Aunt Fannie’s Pest Powder, for both indoor and outdoor use, is effective against ants, roaches, fleas, ticks, silverfish and bed bugs and it’s safe around kids and pets when used as directed.The convenient shaker bottle is filled with an earth derived rock and mineral based powder and essential oils.

An inconspicuous and elegant Fruit Fly Trapper by RSVP nestles in discreetly on any kitchen countertop to lure, trap, and kill fruit flies. Just add a splash of apple cider vinegar and water to the endlessly reusable, plastic-free, glossy ceramic and stainless steel dish.

So, whether you're cleaning, doing laundry, or tackling pesky pests, choosing sustainable options ensures that you're making a positive impact on the planet.

Borax Reviews