The Debate on Borax

I always do a good bit of research before deciding on a DIY to trying or making my own recipes. This has included looking into Borax, as I've seen bloggers who use it without question and others who say it is an unsafe material. Crunchy Betty and Wellness Mama do a great job of collecting the arguments for both sides, but I encourage you to do your own digging as well.

The Argument Against Borax
Borax has been classified by multiple organizations as concerning. EWG ranks it as moderately hazardous. The FDA banned it as a food additive, and ECA flagged it as a high concern.

Some physiological concerns are also noted. It can be a skin irritant, and some individuals have reported chemical burns. In some studies it was shown to cause lung irritation. Ingestion of borax can cause stomach pain and sickness. Boric acid is linked to hormone disruption (males) or fertility/pregnancy issues (females, primarily animals).

Use of borax in soil has also caused crop problems. It is used in insecticides and pesticides.

The Argument for Borax
Ok, well, this is less an argument for Borax, and more of a de-bunking of the arguments against it...

Borax is a salt, not an acid. Borax (sodium tetraborate or sodium borate) is a naturally occurring mineral salt. Boric acid (hydrogen borate) is the result of borax reacting with another acid. In some places these compounds occur together (such as volcanic areas or in seawater), but the borax we are buying at the store for our DIY projects is a salt that can be found naturally in the ground.

Borax is ranked the same as baking soda or salt when it comes to MSDS data, and NIH does not really indicate it as concerning unless ingested in large quantities (just like table salt). Indigestion or skin irritation all depend on the amount of a substance used and the individual person, but that does not inherently make a substance poisonous. Also, the non-topical physiological symptoms are related to ingesting large amounts of borax, which again you could have the same issues ingesting large amounts of baking soda or table salt.

Boron (the element in borax) is actually necessary to life, in small amounts. It is a trace mineral that benefits normal growth and a healthy body by helping to strengthen cell walls. Boron is also beneficial to crop soil (boron, not boron salt or borax). However, boron has been show to cause issues for arthropods, making it a good candidate for insecticides. Boric acid is the chemical you will find in insecticides or pesticides, not borax.

Conclusion?
Honestly, it's up to you. Make your own informed decision. Personally, I used Borax in laundry soap and dishwasher detergent for years, and my only complaint was about long-term performance. Over time, I noticed that my clothes and dishes appeared to get a film. In laundry detergent this can be associated with the soap as well, but some of my research suggested borax could also be a culprit.

If you choose to remove Borax from your repertoire, don't worry about having to find all new recipes. You can very easily replace Borax with washing soda in any cleaning product recipe and have good results. This won't make your whites whiter, but it should help if you are having issues getting things clean and removing that film.