35 Unusual Uses for Borax

Mix 1/2 cup of borax with a pint of water and pour it into a spray bottle. The resulting solution can be sprayed on things like curtains, couches, and padded chairs.

18. Clean Your Mattress

You can remove stains and deodorize your mattress with the same methods that are used for carpets. To make your mattress smell even better, add a few drops of lavender essential oil.

19. Deodorize Your Trash Can

Fill your trash can with water and 1/2 cup of borax, then stir it up. Let it soak for 30 minutes, rinse it out, dry it, then sprinkle some borax inside the trash can.

20. Deodorize The Litter Box

Just mix 1/4 cup of borax into the kitty litter and it will significantly reduce unpleasant odors. As long as your cats don’t ingest it, it’s perfectly safe.

21. Make Candle Wicks

Mix 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of borax in 1 cup of boiling water. Soak a length of twine in this solution for 24 hours, then hang it up to dry for 2 days.

22. Put Out Fires

Baking soda is normally recommended for grease fires, but borax works just as well. You can also use it to put out campfires or any other type of small fire.

23. Kill Ant Colonies

Mix equal parts of borax and sugar and sprinkle it anywhere you see ants. Not only will ants die when they eat it, they will also carry it back to the colony and get other ants killed, too.

24. Keep Bugs Away

For cockroaches, sprinkle it on shelves around your food. For bedbugs and fleas, sprinkle it on your mattress or carpet, let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum it up.

25. Keep Mice Away

Sprinkle it along pathways and anywhere you see signs of mice. This will deter them. You can also sprinkle bait with borax. With any luck, one of them will bring it back to the nest and poison the others.

26. Wash the Windows

For very dirty windows. Soak a washcloth in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of borax and 3 cups of water and wipe your windows. Repeat with equal parts water and vinegar before drying.

27. Wash Patio Furniture

Add 1 tablespoon of borax and 1 tablespoon of dish detergent to a gallon of hot water, stir it up, then soak your sponge in the solution and use it to wipe down your furniture.

28. Kill Weeds

Sprinkle it on weeds between cracks on walkways. For garden weeds, you have to be careful because it can kill other types of plants. Don’t use it on windy days or when rain is forecast.

29. Fertilize Plants

Although large amounts of borax will kill plants, tiny amounts can increase the soil’s boron, a mineral essential for cell wall growth. Here are more details. Only do this if your soil is boron deficient.

30. Preserve Flowers

This isn’t something I would ever do myself, but if you’re interested in preserving flowers, this article has detailed instructions on how to do it with borax.

31. Entertain the Kids

Borax can be used to make green slime, snowflakes, bouncy balls, and even color fire. These could be fun things to do with the kids if the Internet is down (or even if it isn’t). You can find borax in most grocery stores or you can buy it online.

32. Make Your Trees Healthier

One of the lesser-known hacks for borax is to use it to make your trees healthier. This is especially important if you have any trees that grow food. Take a cup of borax and pour it around the base of the tree. This will provide higher boron levels to the tree, which should make it healthier and more productive.

33. Stop Regrowth on Tree Stumps

You can also use borax to stop growth from tree stumps. If you’ve ever cut down pine trees, you should be more than familiar with the fact that little shoots and growths can extend out of them. This isn’t a critical issue, but it can make your tree stumps look less visually appealing for your property. Simply sprinkle borax over the stump, and repeat this process intermittently over a few weeks. This should cause any shoots and growths to stop spreading.

34. Clean Your Stringed Instruments

Do you have any stringed instruments, such as violins or guitars, in your possession? If so, you can use borax to keep them in good condition and extend their overall lifespan. Just make sure that you allow the strings to dry before you begin playing again.

35. Remove Fleas From Your Pet’s Fur

Here’s another neat trick: mix water and borax together in a spray bottle. Proceed to spray it directly over your pets’ bedding, or wherever else they sleep, and it will have the same effect as a chemical flea killer. Allow the bedding to dry, or otherwise vacuum it up, and the chances of your pets catching fleas will be reduced.