Borax question

**halo475** · 10-17-2005, 10:37 AM

Is Borax considered environmentally friendly??

What about washing soda?

tia

**QuilterMom** · 10-17-2005, 10:52 AM

I have always read that both are environmentally friendly. Both are natural minerals, but you should exercise caution when handling washing soda (don't let it touch your skin) and borax is toxic if swallowed (so keep it away from children and pets).

http://www.homefamily.net/index.php/...ning_products/

http://alephnull.net/eco/clean-up.shtml

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/pw/Storm/house.html

http://www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca...=710&parID=706

http://www.recycleyourtrash.org/hw/alternatives.html

http://www.lakemichigan.org/eliminat...tchfeature.asp

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Con...Washing%20Soda

**halo475** · 10-17-2005, 12:20 PM

Oh-Thank you so very much for the answer and for those links-gosh they are great!!

I have much to explore this afternoon!!

Thanks again Kim!!

**canadian gardener** · 10-17-2005, 12:43 PM

yes to both.

Plus Borax can be used as one of the two best natural roach killers known.

The other being diatomaceous earth which has spiky microscopic bits which peirce roach skins.

The borax is a natural poison for them which they can't seem to adapt to.

and all you need do is sprinkle it in places they like to hide.

Some people mix it with bacon fat to make poison balls that they eat, but others just let them pick it up on their feet, which apparently they groom (who knew?) and ingest to their certain and swift doom!.

But as I've never even seen a cockroach in my life (they aren't known in most of northern Canada although Toronto and Vancouver do have a bit of trouble) that is just my trivia for the day to contribute to a borax thread.

What I have used it for, is to soften my wash water and get a cleaner wash.

**forestdale** · 10-17-2005, 03:32 PM

OMG Margery, I'm moving to your cockroach free zone.

**canadian gardener** · 10-17-2005, 04:22 PM

I saw them a couple of times on those nature TV shows, and that's quite enough for me thank you.

On our honeymoon to Hawaii I saw a big praying mantis for real, and I carefully didn't look in any corners in Cuba.

**forestdale** · 10-17-2005, 04:35 PM

praying mantis are lovely. When I met Steve Irwin at the pizza shop a few weeks ago, his daughter had a pet praying mantis with her called Kelly.

**canadian gardener** · 10-17-2005, 04:42 PM

I'm just too ignorant of the big bugs to know who is nice and friendly and who is icky. They all look scary to me.

**forestdale** · 10-17-2005, 04:45 PM

praying mantis eat smaller bugs like thrips, scale and spiders. I have a praying mantis on my hanging baskets out front. It's kept them pest-free for years whle I have watched him grow from a tiny thing to a huge stick insect.