I was introduced to Borax a couple years ago when I bought it to use as ant killer. I realized the power of this stuff when it demolished a couple different colonies of ants I had in a couple days! Then after I was left with 1 tablespoon short from a huge box of borax, I looked into other ways it could be used. Because of its ant-killing abilities I assumed it was kind of like a poison—little did I know it is a very versatile household cleaner among many other things. My favorite use is the coolest slime in the world that my and my kids love to make and play with!

So what is borax? Borax (also known as sodium borate) is a naturally-occurring mineral found in soil, plants, and even our own bodies. Here are some of the fantastic ways you can use borax around your house.

1. Clean Tubs and Showers. Sprinkle some borax on a sponge or damp cloth–like you would a powdered cleaner such as Ajax–and scrub tubs and showers. When you’re done, thoroughly rinse every surface with water.

2. Clean Toilets. To clean toilets, simply pour one cup of borax into the water, stir it up, then let it sit overnight. The next day, scrub it with a brush and your toilet will be sparkling clean.

3. Unclog Toilets. Scoop as much water as you can out of the toilet, then add 1/2 cup of borax. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then add 2 cups of boiling water and flush. Repeat as necessary.

4. Unclog Drains. Use a funnel to pour 1/2 cup of borax down the drain, then slowly add 2 cups of boiling water. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then flush it out with hot water. Repeat as necessary for tough clogs.

5. All-Purpose Cleaner. Put 1 tablespoon of borax and 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a spray bottle, then fill it up with hot water and add a few drops of dish soap. This makes a great all-purpose cleaner to clean countertops, cupboards, walls, etc.

6. Clean Mold and Mildew. Mix 1 cup of borax with 1 quart of hot water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mold and mildew until it’s saturated, wait several hours, then rinse thoroughly.

7. Wash the Dishes. Mix 1 tablespoon of borax with 1 tablespoon of finely grated soap, then add 2 cups of boiling water and whisk until blended. Let it sit until it cools, and then you’ll have homemade dish soap.

8. Clean the Floor. Put 1/4 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of vinegar into a bucket, then fill it up with hot water and add a squirt of dish soap. Use the resulting solution to mop your floors.

9. Get Rid of Goo. Mix 1/2 cup of borax with 1/4 cup of water to make a solution that can be used to scrub away things like gum, tar, grease, and other adhesive residue.

10. Remove Laundry Stains. Mix 1 tablespoon of borax with 2 tablespoons of water, and spread it on the stain. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then scrub it away and wash as usual.

11. Remove Carpet Stains. Mix 1/2 cup of borax with 2 cups of warm water, then use the solution and a sponge to saturate the stained area. Scrub it thoroughly, let it sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum the area and let it dry.

12. Deodorize Your Carpet. Mix 1 part borax with 1 part baking soda then sprinkle it all over your carpet. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum it up. This will neutralize odors in your carpet.

13. Clean Your Mattress. You can remove stains and deodorize your mattress with the same methods that are used for carpets. To make your mattress smell even better, add a few drops of lavender essential oil.

14. Deodorize Your Trash Can. Fill your trash can with water and 1/2 cup of borax, then stir it up. Let it soak for 30 minutes, rinse it out, dry it, then sprinkle some borax inside the trash can.

15. Put Out Fires. Baking soda is normally recommended for grease fires, but borax works just as well. You can also use it to put out campfires or any other type of small fire.

16. Kill Ant Colonies. You will be making a liquid solution using borax, sugar, and water, and then soaking cotton balls into this solution. Here is what you will need:

• ½ cup (100 grams) of sugar

• 1 ½ tablespoons borax

• 1 ½ cups (350 milliliters) warm water

• A jar

• Cotton balls

• Shallow dishes, small containers, or lids (optional)

Pour the sugar and borax into the jar. The borax is what will kill the ants, and the sugar is what will attract them to the borax. Ants don't see borax as a food source, so they won't come near it—the sugar will be an effective bait. Mix the borax and sugar together. Add the water and mix until it dissolves as much as possible. Add cotton balls to saturate them and then put the cotton balls on small lids or a shallow dish. If you have any left over, you can simply put the lid back on the jar and store it in a cool, dry place. You will get a crazy amount of ants that come to feed on the bait—don’t be too alarmed. They WILL go away, I promise. Within a couple days they will suddenly disappear like magic!

17. Keep Bugs Away. For cockroaches, sprinkle it on shelves around your food. For bedbugs and fleas, sprinkle it on your mattress or carpet, let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum it up.

18. Wash the Windows. For very dirty windows. Soak a wash cloth in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of borax and 3 cups of water and wipe your windows. Repeat with equal parts water and vinegar before drying.

19. Kill Weeds. Sprinkle it on weeds between cracks on walkways. For garden weeds you have to be careful because it can kill other types of plants. Don’t use it on windy days or when rain is forecast.

20. Entertain the Kids. Borax can be used to make slime, snowflakes, bouncy balls, and even color fire. These could be fun things to do with the kids if the Internet is down (or even if it isn’t). Here is my favorite recipe for easy borax slime:

• 4oz of clear glue or 5oz of white school glue

• ½ tsp borax

• 1 cup plus 1tbsp warm water

• Food coloring (optional)

• Glitter (optional)

• Cups and craft sticks for mixing

Directions:

1. Pour glue into a cup (red solo cups work great for this), add the tbsp. of water, food coloring and glitter and mix well with the craft stick.

2. Add borax to the remaining cup of water and mix until borax is completely dissolved

3. Pour the borax water into the glue mixture and stir, stir, stir. Mixture will start to immediately thicken.

4. Keep stirring until it’s too thick to stir with the stick.

5. When slime becomes too thick to stir, remove it from the water and start kneading with your hands until no longer sticky.

6. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.