If you don't have time to mix up my bath and tile recipe for clean, good news: There's another project that will get the job done. In a recent comparison study on environmental site Grist, writer and assistant editor Sarah van Schagen tested eight different green cleaners to see which one scrubbed the tub with the least amount of elbow grease and the most shine. And out of the fancy— and expensive — brands she tested, she ultimately found that a very simple product got the job done the best. The product? Borax. In case you're unfamiliar with this product, borax is made up of a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. It's biodegradable and green, and a great, economical choice for your cleaning and scrubbing needs. "Forget complicated ingredient lists, fancy spray bottles, and flowery fragrances," advises Sarah in the article. "We suggest you join Team Borax and use the power of 20 mules to get bathroom surfaces sparkling for little effort and even less moola."
Less moola is right: A 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team Borax costs an average of $4.49, while an 11 ounce box of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Surface Scrub will set you back $5.99. That's about 6 cents an ounce for the Borax, compared to 54 cents an ounce for the Mrs. Meyers.
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Development
Tomas Maier
Soft Grey
I love Borax. I keep boxes of it in my bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen. I use it as often as baking soda. It is wonderful.
1I had to buy a gigantic box of this stuff for a chemistry class and now I finally have something to do with it. Yay!
2ohh yeah love that stuff!
3I'll give that a try.
4Borax is amazing.
5Grandma's always right! It's hard not to get sucked in by the fun and trendy Method products and other earth friendly cleaners, but it adds up to some serious coin. I think if we remember back to what our grandparents did and used we'll be in good shape. My grandma grew her own food, sewed her own clothes, washed them by hand and hung them on the line. She canned preserves and made her own soap - you name it - and all living in the city, not out in the back woods somewhere. It's impossible to do all those things today, working day and night, living in tiny condos in high rise buildings, but I bet most of our grandparents were pretty good stewards of the environment and, if they're still living, have a lot to teach us.
6Thanks. I do the baking soda/vinegar/lemon stuff but can add this to my arsenal.
7cool! i'll have to go out and get some!
8I bought a huge box of Borax to do laundry with for about $3.50, so I'll get another and use it for cleaning
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