Borax is a boron mineral salt that is natural and safe to use for cleaning purposes mainly because it is extracted directed from the earth. However, there were many critics saying that anthrax is also extracted from the soil, but that’s not enough to make it a good cleaner.
Don’t worry, borax is safe to use for cleaning purposes and it’s also classed as noncarcinogenic. But, if borax came in contact with mucous membranes and the skin, it can cause irritation, burning, and redness. Furthermore, some animal studies have shown that borax can disrupt the reproductive system. For that reason, children and pregnant women should avoid direct contact with Borax. On top of pregnant women and children, you should never use borax on these 8 things.
1. Eyes
Borax is corrosive to the eyes and will cause burning and irritation, and possibly a visit to the emergencies. That is why you should avoid getting borax into your eyes, and if somehow that happens, make sure to use water to flush your eyes for 15 minutes. Please use safety goggles when using borax.
2. Carpets
Borax dust can irritate the respiratory tract, that is why you should avoid breathing in borax by not using it on your carpet (vacuuming carpets thoroughly is an ideal alternative). Furthermore, children and pets can have borax dust on them when they get on the carpet after cleaning it with borax. Avoid cleaning your carpets with borax especially if you have children with respiratory issues.
3. Homemade slime
If your kid wants to go to a slime-making party so badly, then you should check that borax is not included in the supply list. Making slime is quite fun, that’s why most children love it, however, the ingredients used to make slime are dangerous especially borax because it can cause a severe chemical burn or irritation if it comes in contact with the skin.
4. Skin
As mentioned before, if borax comes in contact with the human skin, it can cause rashes, irritation, redness, or chemical burns. That is why you have to have gloves on when using borax. If somehow borax touched your skin, make sure to wash it immediately.
5. Makeup
Before buying makeup, check whether or not the products contain borax and avoid using them especially if you have broken skin. Luckily, many countries banned the use of borax in makeup, but countries like the United States of America still use borax in a lot of makeup products, but they usually include a warning.
6. Children’s toys
Children love to explore things and they use their mouths to do so, that is why using borax to clean toys is a bad idea because they can end up ingesting it. You should also avoid cleaning plush toys with borax because it will be surely inhaled. Inhaling or ingesting the substance will cause borax toxicity.
7. Homemade skin products
There are many DIY and homemade skin products that have borax amongst their ingredients. However, applying undiluted borax directly on the skin can cause irritation, rash, or toxicity.
8. Cookware
Ingesting a little bit of borax is not something to be afraid of because the human body can break it down quickly, but regular ingestion can cause poisonings and organ damage. Borax residue, if left on pans, pots, and dishes will most likely be absorbed by food and consumed. That is why you should avoid putting borax in your dishwasher.
