How to Use Borax in Your Laundry: 8 Tips for Washing Clothes (2024)

Co-authored byJon Gholianand Hunter Rising

Last Updated: July 21, 2023Fact Checked

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1. Borax is a mineral powder that’s used as a natural cleaner. Borax, also known as sodium tetraborate, is found in nature as a mineral that turns into a powder when it dries out. Since it dissolves easily in water and acts as a detergent, there are many ways to use borax around your home as a cleaner.^[1] When you add borax to your laundry, it works by raising the pH to soften your water and make detergent more effective. It also helps deodorize your clothes and remove stains in the fabric.^[2]

   • Borax is used for cleaning carpets, making laundry detergents, cleaning mold, and mildew.
   • Borax can also be used to clean fine china, remove odors from your mattress, and scrub your shower tiles, and removes rust.
   • While borax is similar to baking soda, borax has a slightly higher pH that helps your detergent work better.
   • Borax powder is safe to use, but it could cause irritation if it gets in your eyes or lungs when it’s undiluted. Avoid applying borax to your skin, and keep it away from children and pets.^[3]

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1. Add ½ cup (204 g) of borax to every load of laundry you run. Add the standard amount of laundry detergent to your washer, and put the borax directly into the machine’s drum. Run your load of laundry on the standard cycle. The added borax will help boost the detergent’s cleaning power as well as strip your clothes of odors and dirt.^[4]

   • If you have a large-capacity or front-loading washer, use ¾ cup (306 g) of borax instead.
   • To premix a borax laundry booster, add 1 tablespoon (25 g) of borax to 2 cups (470ml) of water. Mix the solution until the borax dissolves and pour it into your washer with your detergent.^[5]

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   Soak dingy clothes in borax, washing soda, and powder detergent. Fill your tub with the hottest water from the tap. Pour in ¼ cup (102 g) of borax, ¼ cup (56 g) of washing soda, and ½ cup (217 g) of powdered laundry detergent into the water, and mix the water until they dissolve. To deep-clean your clothes, soak them in the water for about 3–4 hours, or until the water is cold. After that, drain the water and run your clothes through the rinse cycle on your washer.^[6]

   • Soaking works for brightening whites and colored clothing. You may notice the water darken from dirt and debris coming out of your clothes, but it won’t bleed into or stain the fabric.
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   Substitute borax for bleach to make your clothes look brighter. If you want a natural alternative to chlorine bleach, add ½ cup (204 g) of borax directly to your washer’s drum with your standard detergent.^[7] Choose a warm or hot cycle on your washer to help the borax strip the most dust and dirt from your clothing.^[8]

   • If you really want to whiten your clothes, use borax in the same load as chlorine or oxygen bleach.^[9]

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   Spot-treat stains with a borax and water solution. Mix together ¼ cup (102 g) of borax and 2 cups (470ml) of water until the powder completely dissolves. Use a towel to apply the solution directly to the stain until it’s saturated. Let the borax solution dry, and then dab the stain with a damp sponge to lift it up.^[10]

   • Toss your clothes into your washer with standard detergent afterward to wash the stain out completely.
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   Soak your laundry in a borax solution to break apart stubborn stains. Fill a large bucket with warm water and toss in your stained items. Add in about ¼–½ cup (102–204 g) of borax to the water, and stir until it dissolves. Let your clothes soak for at least 30 minutes before tossing them in your washing machine.^[11]

   • The borax will naturally break down the stain without damaging the fabric.
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   Mix ½ cup (204 g) of borax with your load to combat musty odors. Toss your clothes into the washer with your regular detergent. Mix your borax with 1–2 cups (240–470ml) of hot water and pour it into your washing machine. Run the hottest cycle the fabric can tolerate to help kill any mildew causing the odors in your clothes.^[12]

   • If you have a top-loading washer, then add the borax solution after the drum already fills with water.

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   Soften hard water in your washer with ½ cup (204 g) of borax. Hard water makes it difficult for your detergent to lather up and clean your clothes.^[13] Pour the borax into your washing machine with your clothes and standard detergent. Because borax is a natural water softener, it will boost the effectiveness of your laundry detergent and leave your clothes looking great.^[14]

   • Look for signs of hard water in your home, like mineral buildup around faucets, tough soap scum, or cloudy spots on glasses.
   • Avoid using borax if you already have soft water since the detergent could create too many suds that could prevent your clothes from getting properly cleaned.^[15]
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   Use borax to raise the water pH for a stronger clean. If the water in your washer is slightly acidic, your detergent doesn’t remove stains as effectively.^[16] Borax has a pH of 9.5, so it’s slightly alkaline and adding it to your washing machine helps neutralize the acids.^[17] Use ½ cup (204 g) of borax for your laundry load.^[18]

   • Use a pH probe or pH test kit to check the acidity of your water. If the water has a pH below 7, then it’s considered acidic.

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1. Yes, borax will clean colored clothes without stripping the color. Borax doesn’t bleach clothes or remove dyes, so it’s perfectly safe for all of your laundry loads. Rather than removing dyes or colors, the borax helps soften the water so detergent penetrates deeper into the fabric for a more effective clean.^[19]

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