Hard Water? Use Borax!

Hard water makes cleaning products less effective. If you have hard water, add a bit of Borax to your laundry washes to soften it. Borax acts as a buffer and raises the pH of water to a slightly basic solution, right around a pH of 8. When using borax to help soften or condition your water, for both high efficiency and most top loading washing machines add 1/2 cup of borax per load. If you have a large capacity machine bump up the amount to 3/4 cup of borax per load. Borax is added to the actual wash cycle, not the rinse cycle when used in your washing machine.

What Is Borax?
Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral first discovered over 4000 years ago. It is found in large quantities in the Western United States as well as in the Tibet area of China. Borax is commercially best known as a laundry booster; it helps soften hard water to leave your clothes cleaner and brighter. Your mother or grandmother probably kept a box of Borax in their laundry room. Well, it’s time to rediscover the many safe, non-toxic household uses of Borax. From disinfecting and deodorizing to preserving cut flowers, Borax is a product you will want to keep on hand at all times.

Where Can I Buy Borax?
Borax is usually found in the cleaning aisle of your grocery store next to the powdered laundry soaps. The most common brand is 20 Mule Team Borax. It is inexpensive and long-lasting.

How Safe is Borax
Borax has no toxic fumes and is safe for the environment. Borax can irritate skin and should not be ingested.

What Does Borax Do?

• cleans
• deodorizes
• disinfects
• deodorizes
• repels cockroaches and other bugs

Borax is a great side-kick for the SmartKlean Laundry Ball, specially for those with very hard water conditions!