[HN Gopher] Borax
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Borax
Author : js2
Score : 76 points
Date : 2021-09-05 04:19 UTC (18 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (en.wikipedia.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (en.wikipedia.org)
| sirsinsalot wrote:
| I had great luck with Boric Acid powder to tackle carpet bugs.
| Nothing else won that war.
| jojohohanon wrote:
| The worst thanksgiving menu ever. I can't find the menu itself
| (basically
|
| Borax Soup Borax Salad Borax Turkey Desserts Borax)
|
| But it is referenced here
|
| https://www.wpr.org/borax-dinner-party-kickstarted-fda
|
| I will go look over metafilter archives, since I imagine that's
| where I read this originally.
| nashalo wrote:
| It seems very weird to me that borax is so widely used in contact
| with humans in a variety of settings like ocular care and anti
| foot odor, because I use it as a flux in silversmithing and there
| are warning labels everywhere about the flux that it's
| reprotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic. Anyone knows why is that?
| Are my labels overcautious?
| refurb wrote:
| Borax flux is a mixture of boric acid and ammonium chloride and
| then you are dumping it into molten metal where it likely
| combines with metals and gives off gases.
|
| Kind of different than just boric acid itself?
| nashalo wrote:
| At least in silversmithing I don't recall flux to contain any
| ammonium chloride it seems to be a solution of borax alone.
| ramchip wrote:
| I would guess there's more than borax in it:
|
| > Traditionally borax was used as a flux for brazing, but there
| are now many different fluxes available, often using active
| chemicals such as fluorides[9] as well as wetting agents. Many
| of these chemicals are toxic and due care should be taken
| during their use.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flux_(metallurgy)#Brazing_and_...
| autojoechen wrote:
| From the toxicity section
| (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#Toxicity) it seems like
| the concern is most about ingesting borax in large quantities
| or breathing in the dust. And also being cautious on potential
| health affects: Since people are already
| exposed to boric acid naturally through their diets and water,
| Health Canada advised that exposure from other sources should
| be reduced as much as possible, especially for children and
| pregnant women. The concern is not with any one product, but
| rather multiple exposures from a variety of sources.
| ethbr0 wrote:
| The more likely effect seems to be the result (again, as
| boric acid) on fertility.
|
| https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid#Toxicology
|
| _" Although it does not appear to be carcinogenic, studies
| in dogs have reported testicular atrophy after exposure to 32
| mg/kg bw/day for 90 days. This level is far lower than the
| LD50."_
|
| The base toxic dosage (on the order of multiple grams per
| kilogram bodyweight) is the reason it's typically labeled as
| very safe.
| nashalo wrote:
| The labels and general knowledge passed from trainer to
| trainee insist on the reprotoxicity of the flux, which as
| you point appears to be at exposure levels far below toxic
| levels. I wonder if the safe label of boric acid for feet
| is made looking only at the general toxicity of the
| product, leaving aside potential reproductive issues that
| might arise with repeated use of small quantities?
| julienmarie wrote:
| Borax is used in most sturgeon french caviars to preserve it. I
| guess in small quantities.
| boboche wrote:
| One use I have for borax is making cheap slime to remove dust on
| tough to clean parts. OLd PCBs with lots of electronics that wont
| air dust easily, car air vents, etc.
|
| Most common mix is - Dissolve 1 teaspoon of borax in 1/4 cup (2
| oz) warm water. - in a separate bowl, Mix 1/2 cup (4 oz) kids
| glue with 1/4 cup of warm water. - once everything is mixed
| properly, you can also add food color, glitters and whatnot. I
| stick to white so I can see the crap I capture and when its
| saturated properly. - Mix the content of the 2 together a lot
|
| The resulting slime can be used later when sealed properly.
|
| Don't skip the water-glue mix, it helps with the end result.
|
| You can capture a LOT of dust without creating airborn particles,
| or have something fun for the kids to play with.
| pengaru wrote:
| Do you let this dry in place before removing it, or does it
| just stay together and you press it into dusty surfaces
| immediately pulling it away without leaving any residue behind?
| jjeaff wrote:
| I make this slime with my kids. I also bought some slime meant
| for detailing cars. I didn't even realize it was basically
| identical to the slime we had been making until I opened it.
| [deleted]
| ggm wrote:
| I've got a small jar packed with pyrites contaminated gold
| panning metals from Gympie, if the borax method is simple I'd
| love to try it.
| burn_cycle wrote:
| I actually watched someone do this recently. With the right
| equipment, it works surprisingly well.
| bityard wrote:
| We've been making laundry detergent for our high-efficiency
| washing machine out of borax, washing soda, and fels-naptha. This
| is one of the best household hacks we've ever done.
|
| It not only does a better job of cleaning the clothes than Tide
| and the like (bonus: no perfume smell), it's much cheaper as well
| and has saved us hundreds of dollars in detergent costs over the
| last few years.
|
| 1 gallon of tide = $15, 5 gallons of home-made detergent = less
| than $2. The only downside is that powered washing soda is not
| carried by every grocery store these days. (And it means you need
| to store 5 gallons of detergent somewhere.)
|
| We use this recipe but we don't bother to boil the bar soap:
| https://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/homemade-liquid-laundry-de...
| cwingrav wrote:
| Borax is incredible stuff. I used it as an insecticide in
| Florida. I could puff it into places behind cabinets and
| appliances. It doesn't kill by chemical means, but by getting
| stuck in insect chitin, ripping it apart and then desiccating it.
| It's safe for pets too. Amazing.
| ChrisMarshallNY wrote:
| I remember reading that.
|
| I lived in downtown Baltimore, in a row house.
|
| I had roaches. Not the big, giant, kind, they get in the
| tropics. These were smallish, basic, tough-as-nails-will-still-
| be-around-after-the-apocalypse roaches.
|
| When I put out borax, they immediately took out little straws,
| and started snorting it.
| ninetenfour wrote:
| Borax doesn't do that. It actually affects the nervous system
| of insects, see here: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/insects-
| borax-chase-away-kill-...
|
| I think you are thinking of silicon dioxide which does get into
| the chitin of insects:
| http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
| AptSeagull wrote:
| Diatomaceous earth work by getting under the carapace and
| puncturing the insect - causing dehydration which kills the
| insect.
| Foobar8568 wrote:
| Another use is to kill cockroach. I remember an invasion of
| cockroach in an old flat I was renting, most likely linked to
| construction works next to our building, I made a mixture of
| borax+condensed milk, and they ended up disappearing.
| turtlebits wrote:
| Borax is great for cleaning/degreasing sinks, ceramic and
| stainless. It also really shines up chrome plated faucets and
| mirrors. Really anything non plastic in the bathroom.
|
| Works way better than baking soda but does leave a grit behind,
| so rinse well.
| BoraxYeltsin wrote:
| A few here appear to treat borax and boric acid as the same
| product, which they _aren 't_. For anyone getting any new and
| exciting ideas, maybe explore the difference and their
| significance first.
| perihelions wrote:
| One minor application not on that list is as an electrolyte in
| capacitors.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_electrolytic_capacito...
|
| Anecdotally, burst electrolytic capacitors in electronics make
| very effective ant traps. I don't know which component attracts
| ants (is it the glycol?), but the boric acid component is an
| effective insecticide (as OP discusses). Commercial ant products
| are based on borax as well.
|
| https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-ant-killer/
|
| Anecdotally, you *don't* want your electronics to dual-class as
| ant traps.
| GravitasFailure wrote:
| Of course, there's Crazy Ants that just love electronics in
| general.
|
| https://www.livescience.com/37720-crazy-ants-invade-electron...
| s_Hogg wrote:
| Fantastic stuff for mould suppression. Make a paste and rub it on
| the wall, you'll have nothing to worry about for months.
| Renaud wrote:
| One of the really day-to-day useful uses of Boric Acid (I believe
| borax is also effective) is to add it in powdered form to shoes
| to kill any bacteria growth.
|
| I started doing this a few years ago after watching a video from
| Big Clive where he mentioned it, and it has really made a
| difference. No more smelly shoes, socks or feet and no fungal
| growth.
|
| Seems silly but living under the tropics and macerating in closed
| shoes all day does have these rather annoying side effects, and
| whatever shoes you wear, sweat and a warm environment are a
| breeding ground for bacteria.
|
| Adding about half a teaspoon of powdered boric acid to each shoe
| at least a couple times a week makes a huge difference.
|
| Best is in new shoes, they will smell like new even a couple of
| years later. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that at the end
| of a long day, socks only smell of fabric softener and feet smell
| of well, nothing.
| ninetenfour wrote:
| Another solution is the spray them with isopropyl alcohol. I do
| this with sandals if they ever start to smell. Works great.
| Smells for a bit while it evaporates but then it is fine.
|
| Boric acid still makes nervous but it is completely safe?
| Renaud wrote:
| Boric acid is very inert. It tastes like chalk. The Wikipedia
| page says there are some some/weak evidence that it could
| affect reproductive systems, but you would need to ingest it
| for any effect (and a lot of it apparently).
|
| It's not toxic otherwise. You need very high concentrations:
| lethal dose is 2.6g/kg. To put that in perspective, table
| salt is lethal at 3g/kg.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
| [deleted]
| amelius wrote:
| Would this also help against yellow(ish) toenails?
| Renaud wrote:
| Might be worth trying. Might not solve the issue if it's
| already there but could well help preventing it somewhat,
| although I don't know what cause this condition though.
|
| I've had fungal infections in the past, between the toes
| mostly, but it's a thing of the past now. Nothing in the past
| 5 years.
|
| Have a look at Big Clive's video on "Fixing your feet":
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPLwczrGikM
| rhplus wrote:
| That sounds like nail fungus. Consult a doctor if you want to
| treat it effectively.
|
| https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/nail-infections.html
| Scoundreller wrote:
| But would keeping your shoes fungus free keep your toenails
| fungus free?
| ryandvm wrote:
| Probably not. Sounds like toenail fungus. I've had it and it
| is basically only treatable with oral Lamisil - which is
| nasty stuff, but does work well.
| gruez wrote:
| >Adding about half a teaspoon of powdered boric acid to each
| shoe at least a couple times a week makes a huge difference.
|
| Wouldn't that lead to a powdery build up after a while? Do you
| need to eventually shake out the powder?
| robbedpeter wrote:
| It dissolves in water. You'd want to spray them down or wash
| them occasionally, but your sweat would effectively put it in
| solution and walking would distribute the solution throughout
| the inside of the shoe. Most probably gets removed by feet
| and socks each day.
| Renaud wrote:
| Depends on the shoe and the amount. I mostly wear sneakers
| and never had any build up. You just put a bit of powder and
| shake it in the shoe. Humidity will dissolve the powder, some
| will wick into socks, protecting them as well. If you still
| see some in the shoe then no need to add more.
|
| Best is to try it and make your own experience. Boric acid is
| quite cheap.
| londons_explore wrote:
| Are you not concerned about testicular atrophy? That's the
| reason it's banned in the EU...
| dugmartin wrote:
| We use it in our pool to raise and buffer the pH without
| affecting the alkalinity. It is much cheaper than the equivalent
| "pH up" pool chemicals and we order it from Amazon in bulk. I do
| wonder what the UPS person thinks when they deliver the huge
| heavy carton labeled "BORAX" - meth lab?
| seiferteric wrote:
| I use it in my spa and the buffering effect makes the PH so
| stable I barely have to do anything to it for weeks at a time
| other than occasional shock and refill the bromine tabs. Really
| made spa maintenance much easier.
| ethbr0 wrote:
| Also, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (aka Tim-Bor / Bora-Care
| in the US). Roughly: glycol + borax + boric acid.
|
| Spray it on lumber, and it absorbs into the wood, killing
| termites, powder post beetles, carpenter ants, mold, and algae.
|
| For the lifetime of the lumber, no reapplication necessary.
|
| Cannot recommend it highly enough for exposed crawlspaces /
| basements in humid climates.
| vvs29 wrote:
| Well, we use boric acid in powder form on carrom boards. It
| reduces the friction between the wooden board and the
| coins/striker. I've tried different purpose built carrom board
| powders, but nothing else has the exact balance between speed and
| control for me.
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