Borax (Sodium borate)
$13.50 – $36.50
Borax is a fantastic addition to your laundry routine!
Borax has been use for generations to launder fabrics, it works great as a cleaner in its own right and works well with soap also.
Borax is handy because it softens water that are high minerals. It is wonderful to gently clean and deodorise delicates, like vintage garments and wool. It is able to target the lingering smells from urine which makes it perfect for reusable nappies and toilet training washing fresh and clean. It’s also effective at reducing mould growth which makes it useful for wiping down areas needing regular cleaning.
- Softens water and gently brightens clothes
- carries away odours & sanitizes
- Effective against mould growth
- Use as an ingredient in your homemade cleaners
| NATURAL | PERFECT FOR LAUNDRY | NON-TOXIC |
Available in 1kg and 3kg quantities
or 6 weekly interest-free payments from $2.25 with 
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Borax is an excellent addition to a natural laundry routine
Borax is quite the all rounder when it comes to laundry washing! It softens water making soap more effective at cleaning. It also sanitizes, brightens and carries away odours - it really is a great natural ingredient. Traditionally used in the laundry as it gently cleans, deodorizes & brightens clothes. It's brightening abilities are due to the small amount of free oxygen created when diluted in water. This is the same process of brightening that you get with oxygen bleach, just not as strong. Safe on all textiles including wool and delicates - it is especially good for soaking vintage textiles like lace where being gentle is a must. This traditional cleaner is also effective at treating mould in the home and on textiles.
Borax is found in deposits from dried up lakes, which makes it a natural cleaning agent. There are ground deposits in Turkey, China and the USA. Interestingly, there are stories of preferred places and streams used by American Indians to wash their clothes and textiles - these places where found to wash clothes better than other waterways - turns out these streams originated near borax ground deposits and resulted in cleaner clothes!
Figgy & Co. Borax is also known as Sodium borate
Septic tank safe. Apply judgement with grey water as borax will increase soil boron.
How to use borax at home
Borax is best dissolved into warm water with mixing. 1 Tablespoon is approximately 20g
For bucket soaking: Add 2-3 Tablespoons of borax to a bucket of warm water to dissolve. Soak your garments for at least a few hours or overnight if they will tolerate it.
Use soap and borax together: Borax does a great job of softening water which allows soap to clean better. This is particularly useful if you have hard water that hinders soap or items that need a really good wash – like towels, pillow cases and sheets.
Reducing mould: 1-2 tablespoons of Borax can be diluted into a bucket water and used to treat areas like bathroom ceiling and walls after mould has been washed away with soap. Borax has been shown to have anti fungal properties and so this is a great addition to keeping on top of mould in a regular cleaning routine
Use in DIY cleaning recipes: The Figgy cleaning recipe booklet  has easy to follow instructions to make laundry powder & we also have this blog for inspo! Glam up and organise your storage jars with our range of labels for your home-made cleaners
Controlling ants: Mix with equal parts sugar to kill ants (it affects their exoskeleton).
Storage & Safety:
- Please remove your powder from the bag it arrives in and store airtight. Powders can clump so are best stored air tight and away from humidity.
- Store your cleaners safely and clearly label all containers for identification. Dry ingredient labels are available for your home storage containers
- Strictly store out of reach of children and pets.
- The alkalinity of Borax means that it may be a mild irritant if dust settles on your skin or gets up your nose. Avoid breathing in dust when decanting and if you are whizzing up laundry powder. Wash your hands after using
Shipped in a plain paper bag suitable for home composting and recycling.
Available in 1kg and 3kg amounts
Shipping
$10 Courier to Urban & business addresses, as set out by Post haste boundaries.
$15.50 Courier Non-urban and Rural addresses as set out by Post Haste boundaries.
- Fast, tracked shipping (Yas!)
- Plastic free box, packing and tape
- Sturdy cardboard cartons
- Non-contact delivery – Shipping instructions are welcome at checkout.
- Price per order not by weight
- Please note: Post haste can not deliver to PO Boxes
- We add a little extra – maybe a choccy, maybe a sample, but always a little something 🙂
We love FAST SHIPPING!
We know what it’s like to be excited to have your goodies arrive!
We pack orders 3+ times a week and after leaving Figgy HQ have a target delivery of 1-2 days for urban deliveries and 2-4 days for non-urban and rural.
All parcels will have a tracking link that will be emailed to you. For rural deliveries, Post Haste contracts NZ post to complete rural delivery where they do not have drivers.
‘It’s the putting right that counts’
If for any reason you have a question or issue get in touch via email (theteam@figgyandco.co.nz)! We are here to help. We trade within the terms of the consumer guarantees act – not because we have to, but because we want you to have the best Figgy & Co. experience!
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One of the ingredients for the great DIY Figgy toilet cleaning powder
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Packed in recyclable bag
Yes it is perfectly safe in a home setting for home cleaning. To prove this point, several recent scientific studies looked specifically at borax exposure. They chose miners who work with borax day in and day out and found that even though they are surrounded by high levels of borax, they had no negative health changes compared to local non mine workers. Even after long exposures, over many years. If borax was indeed harmful, it is these workers who would be most at risk in the worlds population.
Borax is safe in a home setting because it is not absorbed via the skin. So why the confusion? It is often lumped in with boric acid (which is harmful) in scientific studies because the both contain boron. Historically, boric acid was used as a disinfectant on wounds and in surgery and this turned out to be harmful and is no longer used as a treatment. There are many studies on elemental boron exposure, especially from consuming Boron from ground water. Too much boron can cause health issues and high water boron can exacerbate this.
Borax is not the same as elemental boron or boric acid
Excellent in laundry and toilet cleaner.
This goes in my homemade washing powder – love it
One of the ingredients for the great DIY Figgy toilet cleaning powder
Packed in recyclable bag
Great for in my cleaning products