How to use boric acid to whiten clothes?

Some sources credit boric acid with bleaching properties that are incomparable to washing powder and even bleaches. But is this really so? And how to properly use boric acid to bleach various things: tulle, socks, underwear, bed linen, towels?

Boric acid and its advantages

Boric acid is commonly called weak orthoboric acid. It is famous for its disinfecting and antipruritic properties. At home it is used as fertilizer and poison for cockroaches. For bleaching linen, boric acid powder is used, less often 3% acid in an alcohol solution (boric alcohol).

5 advantages of the product:

1. Gentle on fabric.
2. Suitable for bleaching wool, silk, cotton, linen, as well as natural fabrics mixed with synthetics.
3. Disinfects.
4. Destroys fungus and mold.
5. Softens water and increases the effectiveness of washing powder.

Boric acid does not destroy fabric fibers the way bleach does. This is its main advantage.

How to use for whitening?

There are 5 ways to use the product:

1. Soak. Allows you to soften dirt so that it is easier to remove when washing.For a whitening effect, dissolve 1–2 tbsp in 2 liters of water (hot). spoons of boric acid. Things are placed in the solution and left for 2 hours.
2. Removing fresh stains. If fruit juice, blood or coffee accidentally spills on white linen, sprinkle the area with boron powder crystals and add a few drops of water. Then rub the stain lightly with a brush and wait until the product dries completely. Then the procedure can be repeated, and if the laundry is clean, rinse it in water or brush off the white dust (in case washing is impossible). Liquid boric acid can be dropped onto a cotton swab and applied as a compress to the area of ​​contamination.
3. Odor removal and whitening. To remove urine stains and mold from white linen, dissolve 10 g of boric acid in 2 liters of hot water and add 0.5 cups of vinegar. Things are placed in the solution for an hour. Then wash and dry.
4. Removing old stains. Dissolve 5 tbsp in 2 liters of hot water. spoons of ammonia and boric alcohol. Place the laundry there and, stirring occasionally, keep until the water cools completely. Then wash with powder.
5. Use in washing machine. When washing white laundry, add 0.5 cups of boric acid to the laundry detergent. Wash at 60–90 degrees. This method will help remove yellowness.

Boric acid effectively removes yellowing of white fabric, marks from fruits, coffee, sweat, and fat.

Whitening socks, knee socks, children's tights

To make your socks and tights snow-white again, you need to do the following:

1. Wash items with soap.
2. Fill clean socks and tights with hot water with the addition of 2 tbsp. spoons of boric acid.
3. Leave on for 30 minutes and then scrub lightly with a brush.
4. Rinse in hot water.

Bleaching underwear and tulle

Products of this type require careful care. And delicate boric acid is ideal for whitening them.

Instructions:

1. Fill a bowl with slightly warm water.
2. Dilute boric alcohol in it at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter.
3. Soak tulle or cotton underwear for 3 hours.
4. Wash as usual.

Whitening bed linen and towels

The product shows the greatest activity in hot water. To bleach bed linen and towels, it is recommended to use boiling:

1. Fill a large saucepan with 5–7 liters of water.
2. Add 5 tbsp. spoons of washing powder and boric acid.
3. Place linen and towels inside.
4. Place the pan on the fire and bring to a boil.
5. Continue boiling the laundry for 30 minutes.
6. Leave in the pan until cool.
7. Rinse thoroughly.

Precautionary measures

Boric acid does not irritate the skin. It is odorless and tasteless. Previously, it was used to disinfect pacifiers and baby supplies, and sprinkled on wounds. However, later toxicologists discovered that boron belongs to the group of general cellular poisons. When systematically applied to mucous membranes or ingested, the substance causes poisoning and affects the brain, hematopoietic and germ cells.

There will be no harm from contact with the skin of your hands. The use of gloves is not necessary; you can mix the laundry with your hands. But after the procedure, you should wash your hands with soap and rinse or wash your clothes well.

Boric acid should be kept out of the reach of children and should never be taken orally.

Reviews

Boric acid as a bleach has mixed reviews. There are approximately the same number of positive and negative reviews.The people's opinion was divided in half. Some praise its whitening properties and use it for a long time. Others are disappointed with the effect and are more inclined to use modern household chemicals - industrial bleaches and stain removers, which work for sure.

Boric acid or borax?

Boric acid and borax are chemically obtained solutions and powders based on boron compounds. Natural boron has been known to mankind since the Middle Ages. It has been used for centuries for soldering metals, and in the 19th century it began to be used in medicine. But essentially these are two different substances:

• Boric acid (boric alcohol) is a solution of orthoboric acid in ethanol.
• Borax is the sodium salt of tetraboric acid.

The name "bora" comes from the Persian word "borak" and means "white". It was borax, not acid, that was previously used to bleach laundry. It is more effective, especially when combined with soap and hot water. Borax can be found in two forms - Borax powder (in hardware stores) and a 20% solution of sodium tetraborate in glycerin (in pharmacies). Both products are inexpensive - the cost of 30 g of the substance does not exceed 50 rubles.

Recipe

Mix 250 g of grated laundry soap, 125 mg of borax (powder) and soda. This powder can be used to wash white clothes, wash tiles and fixtures in the bathroom, and disinfect the toilet.

So, despite certain advantages of boric acid, it cannot be called a highly effective bleaching agent. If you have powder or alcohol at home, you can try the whitening procedure. It definitely won't get any worse. But you shouldn’t buy it specifically for these purposes. It is better to spend the same money on budget bleach.