Borax question

[e&tsmom]

Hey Ladies,

Not sure if this question belongs here, but I have been using borax in my laundry and dishwasher for about a month now. Dh used it a while ago for ants, but I made him get rid of it because I was worried about it being around the kiddos. Then, I saw it in so many recipes for homemade dish and laundry detergent I thought I would give it a try. I just read some terrible things about the effects of borax on babies, pregnancy, and fertility and I am wondering if inhaling the powder as I poured it could prove to actually be detrimental to us getting pg again. I tend to be a worry wart, and as soon as I realize something is bad I completely stress about it, so I am hoping one of you moms can tell me you use this without problem and have gone on to get preggo!!! BTW - even as I post this I feel kooky since i know i am overreacting, but I will also stress until I get someone to tell me all is okay....I am so weird....

[thixle]

I use borax in the laundry-- almost every load and have for about 3 years now since I learned about making homemade laundry soap. I do run the extra rinse cycle on the machine (with vinegar most of the time). I have never had a problem with the borax becoming airborn when I add it to the wash. I use a measuring scoop and pour it down into the tub while the washer is filling up (my hand and the scoop are about half-way down the tub)...

Everything I've read about borax says it is harmless when used this way (rinsed well)... and it won't act as a bug killer. That's boric acid (what, synthetic borax??? I know it's similar, but different but I can't remember how. I know borax won't do a thing for roaches, but boric acid will)...

I gotta do some more reading because I haven't really thought about it in years and the recent posts have my gears turning (I want to make sure I'm not spreading bad info!)

But yes, I'm 37 weeks pregnant, accidentally. I had my IUD removed (it tipped) and was pregnant within 6 weeks even though we were using condoms and spermicide... and wash clothes in borax.

[muse]

hmm, my organic mattress is filled with borax and wool, and the salespeople told me borax is a benign substance, equivalent to salt...

[quietserena]

Borax is a salt of the boric acid.

Here's more info on Borax on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
and boric acid,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
How does borox clean:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthi...boraxworks.htm
More info on borax:
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/borax.html
Which has this handy quote:

One of the most unique features of borons is it's toxicity of 2000 mg/kg of LD50 is equivalent toxicity equal to that of sodium chloride, which is salt.

Enjoy! :