hey mastonauts in the US - i'm watching a DIY cleaners video on youtube, and they mention borax.
is this a cleaning product available in the US that has the same name as the chemical or is it the actual chemical borax?
@distelfliege
The actual chemical, but "purified" into boric acid. It's sold under both borax and boric acid, depending upon the breand.
Mind, I'm in Canada, but we use here, too. The most common brand I've seen is Mule Team.
@felyn thanks! I just knew it was common in US households, so I asked the US folks :)
I'm in germany and here, it's illegal to sell it to consumers for the household. you can only get borax if you prove you have a business.
the reason being it's hazardous for fertility and can harm embryos of pregnant people. on the other hand it has been used and I think it's still used as a food additive.
I came across the pregnancy warnings when I was, well, pregnant. I think it was covered in some literature given out during prenatal classes.
@distelfliege You're welcome. :) It's considered hazardous here if you expose yourself to it frequently for the same reasons: potential fertility and fetal issues. The only thing I've seen it used for is in DIY laundry soaps, but I know others use it extensively in home cleaning.
My mum, for example, has lots of fragrance allergies, so she makes her own laundry detergent with it.
@felyn @distelfliege There's also a brand of hand soap called Boraxo that includes it and is for really, super heavy-duty soiling. Like "hands caked in machine grease" level. It's a staple in auto shops and the like.
@distelfliege @felyn there are warnings about safety on it, but I don’t remember hearing about the issues with pregnancy before. Good to know! (I don’t expect it will be relevant to me, but still.)