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12 Household Uses for Borax

Boric acid box with highlighted benefits and warnings for cleaning and stain removal.

Originally discovered in dry lake beds in Tibet, borax is a mineral and a salt of boric acid, and is usually sold in white powder form in drugstores. Like baking soda, borax has many household cleaning uses, and can also be used to get rid of insects and pests from your living space.

To clean your toilet bowl, pour 1 cup of borax into your toilet overnight. You can also boost the potency of your laundry detergent when washing clothes by mixing 1 cup of borax into your regular laundry detergent powder or liquid.

Borax can also be used to kill cockroaches and fleas, get rid of weeds from sidewalk cracks, remove clothing stains, minimize odors in your humidifier and kitty litter box, add shine to your old china, and more.

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